Woody Harrelson's Top Ten Performances

P.T. Philben ‘17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

10. Carson Wells – No Country for Old Men (2007)

“I’m guessin’ this isn’t the future you had pictured for yourself when you first clapped eyes on that money. Don’t worry. I’m not the man who’s after you.”

This Best Picture-winning Coen brothers drama has Harrelson in the role of a bounty hunter who puts himself in the crossfire between the films main characters Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) and Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem). This film has a great cast and Harrelson is no exception. Although his time on screen is brief and the character relatively straightforward given the actors abilities, Harrelson manages to hold his own and even shine when put up against the film’s two leads and the last scene he shares with Bardem stays with you long after the movie ends.

9. Haymitch Abernathy – The Hunger Games Series (2012-15)

“I don’t know how else to put this: Make sure they remember you.”

In this popular franchise Harrelson plays the role of the mentor. Haymitch is the last District 12 resident to win the Hunger Games and is therefore designated to mentor the young heroes Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence). This character was altered from the book to have more of a dramatic build up to his first entrance and to become more likable;  these both suit Harrelson very well as his initial entrance as a withering alcoholic is disheartening to the two heroes and he gradually becomes the father figure they need in perfect Harrelson fashion. His smart-aleck method of mentoring makes for some great laughs. The decision to make him more likable gave Harrelson room to create a more complex and interesting character than was presented in the original book. A good example of what happens when you give a great actor plenty of freedom. He continues to deliver in every installment of this hugely successful series of adaptations.

8. Tallahassee – Zombieland (2009)

“Gotta enjoy the little things.”

A zombie comedy involving brutally dark humor and a lot of hick jokes. Could they have made this movie without a Harrelson? Tallahassee is a redneck lone-man survivor in this zombie apocalypse who is in particularly violent in his killing of zombies and has an affinity for twinkles. These things all lead to side busting moments of the insane humor that you would expect from a Harrelson character. The best work of young actors Jesse Eisenberg and Emma Stone are always when they are acting opposite Harrelson; a sign of a great actor. Out of a cast that delivers great work in this unique horror comedy; Tallahassee steals scene after scene with his rough around the edges brand of charisma and masterful comedic timing.

7. Woody Boyd – Cheers (1985-1993)

Sam Malone: “Is it me, or is that woman gorgeous?”

Woody Boyd: “You look nice Sam, but I’d have to go with the woman.”

The Cheers Bar is still there, as eternal as the show itself and even its very own Woody Boyd. In season 4 of the sitcom Cheers introduced Woody Boyd, a lovable, naive and unsophisticated bartender. Including the fact that he was also an on and off actor, Boyd is largely based on Harrelson himself, even sharing the same birthday and first name. This Emmy winning supporting part on the classic sitcom was what put this now A-lister on the map and its hard to not fall in love with this handsome man-child as you watch his priceless interactions with co-workers and bar-goers. He also makes a guest appearance as this character on the Cheers spin-off series Frasier and it is a welcome throwback for everyone who enjoys both of these classic programs.

6. David Douglas Brown – Rampart (2011)

“I am not a racist. Fact is; I hate all people equally”

In the midst of what has been considered a major comeback for Harrelson in the late 2000s through the 10’s, Harrelson returns to his darker form as LAPD officer Dave Brown who in the midst of the Rampart scandal (which essentially led to LAPD being perceived as the clan) and has to face the consequences of his perverse career in law enforcement. Harrelson holds nothing back when he dawns the uniform as this crooked cop and all around despicable guy but he makes him so interesting that it is impossible to not go on watching this bastard. You are even cheering him on sometimes when he isn’t abusing women or taking advantage of his power as a police officer for kicks. Harrelson gives a uniquely interesting introspective look into the heart and mind of an utterly empty human being.

5. Steve Schmidt – Game Change (2012)

“Oh, my God. What have we done?”

What wrath hath god wrought? In this HBO political drama, Harrelson portrays real life political strategist and senior strategist for the 2008 McCain presidential campaign. “Stevie boy”, as John McCain (Ed Harris) calls him, was in many ways vital to McCain getting the nomination and had proven himself to be a great political mind. This is why McCain trusted him when he recommended a less experienced but more exciting Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore) for a VP pick over a “standard white man” (who would be more qualified) to “go for the win”. You can see where this is going. Harrelson owns the role as Schmidt’s calm and collected exterior degenerates to gradually building frustration as he realizes that he picked a political time bomb and that she is, intellectually speaking, a child. This turns into deep dread when he realizes that he may have screwed the country by placing this unqualified woman a heartbeat away from the launch codes in order to acquire a political edge. A conservative intellectual is a different role for Harrelson; he delivers a much more measured performance than usual. This actor, known for being mentally unstable or downright dumb proves that he is far from a one trick pony in this sharp and all around well acted political piece. But speaking of going nuts…

4. Mickey Knox – Natural Born Killers (1994)

“It’s just murder. All God’s creatures do it. You look in the forests and you see species killing other species, our species killing all species including the forests, and we just call it industry, not murder.”

Leave it to Oliver Stone to give this crazy actor free reign. And leave it to Quentin Tarantino to write something twisted enough to test just how far he can take it. In what is arguably the most controversial film in the careers of all three of the prior mentioned walking PR hazards, the story follows Mickey (Harrelson) and Mallory (Juliette Lewis) Knox, a married pair of road trip mass murderers that are glorified by an irresponsible media. Harrelson goes full force with his natural affinity for insanity on this one along with equally quirky and frightening Lewis who have great psychotic chemistry. Harrelson’s energy is only matched by his believability as a person with a true lack of empathy outside of his marriage. It is almost impossible to sympathize with Knox, even in his tragic backstory that explains how he got here, but it is entirely possible to see how this creepily charismatic monster inspired the media to give them a platform and how through that he gains his own celebrity and cult following which he relishes in. Its easy to see why this film is so controversial, its provocative to anybody. In a film known for driving everyone’s passion in one way or another, the young Harrelson’s performance is the raging blaze that ignited a huge fire and world wide debate/shouting match.

3. Tony Stone – The Messenger (2009)

“It could be worse. It could be Christmas.”

It is hard to witness a widow’s pain once, and among all of the brave men and women who serve in the armed forces one rough non-combat job is that of a casualty notification officer. The men who have to tell spouses parents and children the details of the death of their loved ones. In The Messenger Harrelson plays Captain Tony Stone, a man who has been jaded by this experience for years who takes the young war hero Staff Sgt. Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) under his wing. Stone has grown to be emotionally cold from the countless times he has had to be the barer of bad news and has also been affected by his time at war. To make the character even more difficult for an actor, he is also a recovering alcoholic. Harrelson carries this role with the hardened exterior you would expect but you can see the chinks in his armor when his guard is up. When his guard is down Harrelson avoids falling into cliches by showing us not a caricature of a hardened soldier but a man who has been to hell and back on multiple occasions. A well oiled machine but still just a man. Tony Stone is a fully realized human being and he makes this movie a must see for all Americans as it is an emotionally powerful exploration of two mens lives  as servicemen. Harrelson was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his efforts.

2. Martin “Marty” Hart – True Detective (2014)

“A man’s game charges a man’s price.”

Hard to believe this memorable and ultra-quotable character lands second on this list. In this HBO murder mystery anthology drama series Harrelson plays Marty Hart, a Louisiana State homicide detective. Harrelson co-stars with Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle, a cynical atheist who is Marty’s partner and foil. Marty is the grounded one of the pair, while Rust is in touch with many highbrow intellectual practices Marty is no idiot, but he does rely on common sense and is more dependable when it comes down to something needing to get done. Marty feels that traditional values are necessary to keep the world from going under, but like many social conservatives of that kind he often takes exception for himself because he feels entitled to whatever he wants. Whatever he doesn’t get, he starts to feel insecure which eventually builds to savage anger. This is a man with deep seated mental problems who only seems perfectly normal at first glance. But Harrelson communicates that this is one very multifaceted man through his incredibly dynamic powerhouse performance. Even though this man is despicably hypocritical and just plain destructive in many ways you still can’t help but feel for a man who wants to be a good man despite his tendencies to do otherwise. Is he a psycho? Is a good family man with a few screws loose? It’s up to the viewer to decide. This is an anthology series so Hart’s story ended with season one, but the Hart/Cohle duo have already cemented their dark dramatic edge into small screen history.

1. Larry Flynt – The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996)

       “If the First Amendment will protect a scumbag like me, it will protect all of you.”

Hardly a surprise for Harrelson fans. Harrelson’s best performance is still his turn as the real life porn mogul Larry Flynt that earned him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. A character that is just as easy to fall in love with as he is to utterly despise as the movie goes on, what is certain is the interesting conversation about free speech. Larry Flynt is the publisher of Hustler magazine, which is there to make Playboy look measured and classy. After getting into a feud with the conservative hypocrite Jerry Falwell; Flynt has to fight for his freedom of speech in an epic courtroom drama. Harrelson delivers on all the wit and crude behavior that Flynt exhibits as a man with the business intuition of Bill Gates and the maturity level of a 13 year old boy. Harrelson has the type of energy you can only get from an actor who is having an utter ball with the part they are playing and the enthusiasm is contagious. In the more emotional moments that mainly involve the scenes with his drug addict wife (Courtney Love) are still extremely genuine in between the chaos of the press and court battles. Flynt’s finest moments however are when he stands up for a principle, that a man should be allowed to say whatever he wants in this country, even if it is profoundly offensive and tasteless. The movie allows us to be the judge of Flynt’s career choice, but Harrelson makes it clear that this is a man with thought and principle. Harrelson portrays this complex man with an appropriate amount of nuance while still nailing the brash and blunt charisma necessary for it to be Larry Flynt. Dramatic, genuine, hilarious and in your face; Harrelson’s turn as the quintessential defender of free speech over political correctness is a magnum opus that takes full advantage of all of the actors talents as a performer.