Woody Harrelson was once described as a raw foodist, a protestor of the war in Iraq, Hollywood’s wildest child, an eco crusader, and a fighter for marijuana legalization. Besides his lovable personality, the actor was also able to play vast differing characters.
He’s starred as a macho man, could play goofy and funny characters, and sometimes he was just scary. The Academy Award-nominated actor found fame when he became a cast member on “Cheers.”
Woody Harrelson as Woody Boyd on “Cheers” in an undated photo | Source: Getty Images
Woody won an Emmy Award for this supporting role and then became a regular star in the entertainment industry. By 2020, he’d appeared in more than 100 acting roles but his upbringing was a challenging one.
When he was seven and just starting at acting school, his father abandoned the family leaving him to be raised alone by his mother, Diane Harrelson. The star grew up with a lot of rage and even got kicked out of nursery school.
Woody Harrelson and his mother Dianne Harrelson at The Championships at Wimbledon on July 15, 2017, in London, England | Source: Getty Images
He also got booted out of the first grade when they thought he’d stolen a purse he hadn’t stolen. After being punished physically, he went around the school breaking windows with his fists before being transferred to another school for children with special needs.
Before he starred in “Cheers,” Woody described himself as having been “gregarious” and enjoyed people’s company. However, after snagging the role he found pressure from strangers wanting to talk to him and he became less outgoing.
The change affected him negatively and he recalled going through a period where he was arrogant. Meeting his wife and starting a family — they had three daughters Deni, Zoe, and Makani — got him the kind of love that made him a “better human being.”
In 2017, Woody revealed that he’d never believed in marriage and long-term monogamy. He also felt relationships became “very proprietary” and uncomfortably caged people until they couldn’t be who they wanted to be or who they were before, with him adding:
“I just was incapable of long-term relationships. I was with whoever would have me. Then I met my wife.”
Before getting married, Woody lived a frivolous life filled with lots of women and parties until he met someone special who saved their union and him from himself. By 2023, the couple had been together for decades and were thriving.
Woody’s Wife Saved Their Marriage: They Have Now Been Happy for 33 Years
Woody became “drunk on his success,” a womanizer, and partied hard when he became famous. He even bragged about sleeping with three separate women on the same day and vowed to never marry.
Laura Louie and Woody Harrelson with their two daughters, Deni and Makani Harrelson, at the premiere of “Champions” on February 27, 2023, in New York City | Source: Getty Images
However, when he met Laura Louie she saved him from the spiral he was on and turned him from a “party animal” into a committed family man. By 2023, the actor and Louie had been married for more than 30 years.
They met in 1987 when she was hired to be his personal assistant. It took the pair three years of working together and knowing each other before their relationship became romantic, with Woody recalling:
“It was one of those things I wouldn’t admit to myself: I didn’t want to be attracted to my amazing assistant.”
After the “White Men Can’t Jump” star confessed how he felt to his assistant, they started dating. The couple welcomed their three children and after being together for twenty years, they tied the knot in Hawaii.
Everything changed for Woody when he fell for Louie and he’s even credited her for “providing” him “a solid foundation” that filled the “hole” inside him. However, he struggled to stop his wild partying ways.
In 2002, Woody admitted to having a drunken affair with two women after meeting them in a bar. The confession almost destroyed Louie but she eventually forgave him and he changed his ways and became a devoted father and husband.
In 2023, “The Hunger Games” star spent his time off farming while his wife offered yoga classes and sold health foods in the town. The couple’s love endured and they seemed happy together.
That same year, Woody, then 61, his wife, then 55, and two of their daughters, who were their mother’s lookalikes, went out to party all night in New York City as they celebrated the premiere of his new film, “Champions.” The couple, including Deni, then 30, and Makani, then 16, walked the red carpet together.
Woody Harrelson and his daughter Zoe Harrelson at the “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2” Los Angeles premiere on November 16, 2015, in California | Source: Getty Images
Zoe, then 26, didn’t attend the event. While the actor once used to galavant all night drinking and partying, his role as a father has been one that was near and dear to his heart.
Woody Harrelson and Zoe Harrelson attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2,” 2015 | Source: Getty Images
“It’s the Best Thing:” Woody Speaks Heartily about His Three Children
Woody and Louie’s first child, Deni Montana, was born on March 5, 1994. Zoe Giordano, their second daughter, arrived on September 22, 1996, and for years it seemed as though the couple would only have two children.
Woody Harrelson and one of his children at the New York Film Festival premiere of “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” on October 13, 1996 | Source: Getty Images
However, on June 3, 2006, a decade after their second daughter was born, Louie and Woody welcomed Makani Ravello, their youngest daughter.
Woody Harrelson and Makani Harrelson during the 90th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. | Source: Getty Images
In 2008, while discussing becoming a first-time parent, the famous father of three said he remembered when his daughter Deni arrived into the world.
Woody Harrelson and Deni Harrelson attend the French Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes stadium on November 7, 2015 in Paris, France. | Source: Getty Images
Woody [Harrelson] also shared how he and the mother [Laura Louie] of his three children tried to emulate what they preached whenever possible.
He shared how she became someone who cared about everyone and everything and was pure. His firstborn daughter was able to get around all the walls and blockages he’d wrapped around his heart when he needed it.
“[…] And somehow, this little being managed to get around all the obstacles — the gun turrets, the walls, the moats, the sentries — that were wrapped around my heart,” Woody expressed in a 2008 interview, adding:
“I think it’s the best thing going … parenthood.”
While growing up, Deni, Zoe, and Makani often traveled with their beloved dad. However, that changed once they enrolled at a good school. “It was kind of unfair to them and me. But on the other hand, I could have been working less,” Woody explained in a 2017 interview.
Woody spoke candidly about the relationship he has with his daughters in a 2023 interview, saying they have always told him what an “idiot” he is. “Let’s just say they don’t pat me on the back unnecessarily,” he divulged, adding they have turned him into a kinder and gentler person.
Apart from his relationship dynamics with his children, Woody and his spouse also have something that they agreed on. One thing that Louie and her husband were passionate about was living sustainably. Woody and his family once lived in a small eco-village in Maui, Hawaii, with the island only accommodating 200 residents.
In 2005, the movie star confessed that his residence was a beautiful place to live. He revealed how everyone who lived there cared about the Earth and were all biodynamic farmers whom he described as “really cool people.”
The star, who was inspired by many people including Michael J. Fox, said the community was loving and thought of himself as blessed for being a part of it. Woody also shared how he and the mother of his children tried to emulate what they preached whenever possible.
For instance, the couple used non-wood paper, used biodiesel in their cars, and grew ninety percent of their food on their own! Woody said no one in their neighborhood had power lines as they all used solar power and at night when the lights went out the only light available in the valley was the stars.