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In this day and age, it often seems like the majority of people blame their problems on their parents. In some cases, that is perfectly fair. However, in a lot of cases, those people had parents who may not have been perfect, but they did their best.When people look at Woody Harrelson's life, it is very clear that he has been very fortunate in a lot of ways. After all, Woody seems to adore his children and wife and he also has close friends including his buddy Matthew McConaughey.Even though Woody Harrelson is extremely successful and he maintains a healthy outlook on life, that doesn't mean everything has worked out great for him. A perfect example of that is the fact that on one occasion, Woody had to deal with the stress of being sued for millions.Unfortunately for Woody Harrelson, he has a very legitimate reason to complain about his father. The reason for that is that Woody's relationship with his dad was extremely complicated for reasons that were out of his control.
Woody Harrelson's Father Was Convicted Of Committing Horrible Crimes
Many years before Woody Harrelson became a famous TV and movie star, his family's name repeatedly wound up in the headlines. The reason for that is simple, Woody's father Charles Harrelson was put on trial for two extremely serious crimes.
When Woody Harrelson was only seven years old, his father was sent to prison. At that time, Charles Harrelson stood trial for taking the life of a Texas businessman and he was found guilty.
Many years later when Woody Harrelson was in college, his father who was out of prison at the time stood trial once again.
According to the authorities, Judge John Wood was known for handing down severe punishments. As a result, a criminal who feared getting a lengthy sentence from Judge Wood hired Charles Harrelson.
Ultimately, Charles Harrelson was found guilty and sentenced to two life sentences after a jury found he was responsible for the federal judge's demise. At that time, Charles Harrelson denied he was responsible for what happened to that Judge John Wood.
After serving many years behind bars, Charles Harrelson suddenly passed away in 2007 after suffering a sudden heart attack.
Why Was Woody Harrelson's Relationship With His Father So Complicated?
In 2012, Woody Harrelson was making the media rounds to talk about his film Rampart. During that process, The Guardian's Simon Hattenstone got the chance to interview the famous actor and he brought up the extremely touchy topic of Woody's father.
Given the crimes his father was convicted of, some people may have expected Woody Harrelson to decry his dad or refuse to talk about him. While Woody initially seemed reluctant to speak about his father, that soon changed.
When the interviewer bluntly asked Woody Harrelson if it is true that his father's job was to take people's lives, the actor confirmed that was the case. “Yeah, I mean that’s probably a fair, erm…” "job summary".
From there, Woody Harrelson revealed that he first learned the truth about his dad's violent deeds when he heard someone speaking on the radio about his dad facing trial.
"I’m sitting there thinking there can’t be another Charles V Harrelson. I mean, that’s my dad! It was a wild realization. Then the woman got in the car and saw my face and realized something was up. She was a very kind lady.”
From there, Woody Harrelson described rushing to find out the truth from his mom which implies that he was upset.
Despite what his father did, Woody spoke about getting along well with his father during that same interview. However, Woody also was clear that his dad wasn't in the picture much during his childhood and that maintaining a relationship with his imprisoned father was difficult.
“Yeah, we got along pretty good. When you can’t hang out and go to a pub, you know what I mean, it’s hard.”
Of course, Woody Harrelson has chosen to lead an extremely different life than his father's. However, Woody still admitted that he and his dad had a lot in common.
"It’s so weird when I would sit and talk with him. It was just mind-blowing to see all the things he did just like me.” As Woody Harrelson went on to explain, it is the little stuff he had in common with his dad. “Idiosyncratic things. The way he laughed. The face, very similar.”
Fortunately for Woody's kids, their relationship with their father is simple and he has even introduced them to his famous friends and their children.
Ultimately, it is clear that Woody Harrelson loved his father. After all, Woody admits that he spent a fortune on his father's legal defense. Despite that, when Woody was asked if his father deserved a new trial, he admitted that he only funded his dad's legal fund out of loyalty.
“I don’t know he did deserve a new trial… just being a son trying to help his dad. Then I spent a couple of million beating my head against the wall.”
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