Woody Harrelson

A gifted actor who switched back and forth effortlessly between comedy and drama, Woody Harrelson arrived seemingly out of nowhere, endearing himself to audiences with his portrayal of loveable, but dimwitted bartender Woody Boyd for eight seasons of the classic sitcom, "Cheers" (NBC, 1982-1993). Because of his small screen success, he transitioned effortlessly to features where he became a highly sought-after actor capable of turning in rich and diverse performances. After making his mark as a basketball hustler in the surprise hit "White Men Can't Jump" (1992), Harrelson forever buried his nice guy persona by playing the sociopathic serial murderer Mickey Knox in Oliver Stone's searing satire, "Natural Born Killers" (1994). Harrelson went on to further acclaim and earned an Oscar nomination playing infamous pornographer and First Amendment rights activist Larry Flynt in "The People vs. Larry Flynt" (1996). From there, he stayed mostly in independent films, playing a drunken louse of a husband in "The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio" (2005) and a strung-out addict in "A Scanner Darkly" (2006). Following an amiable turn as an unflinching zombie hunter in "Zombieland" (2009), Harrelson delivered another Oscar-worthy performance in the heart-wrenching Iraq War drama, "The Messenger" (2009). Regardless of how big or small the part, Harrelson was able to portray a wide array of challenging and complex characters with equal aplomb.