Born in Midland, Texas

Deemed dyslexic, hyperactive and psychologically disturbed as a child

Father sent to prison for a contract killing

Placed in a school for children with behavioral problems; became deeply religious like his mother

Moved with mother and brothers to Lebanon, OH

Father released after his sentence was reduced

Appeared in more than 25 plays at Hanover College

Father sentenced to life imprisonment for the contract killing of a federal judge while Harrelson was in college

Began drinking heavily and getting into fights

Moved to New York City after graduating from college

Reportedly had 17 jobs in one year

Dropped by agent after becoming belligerent following an unsuccessful soap opera audition

Understudied two roles, Roy Selridge and Joseph Wykowski, in the Broadway production of Neil Simon's "Biloxi Blues"

TV series debut as Woody Boyd on "Cheers" (NBC); received five consecutive Emmy Award nominations (1987-1991) and won in 1989

Film debut, "Wildcats" opposite Goldie Hawn; first film with Wesley Snipes who also made his film debut

TV-movie debut, "Bay Coven" (NBC)

Appeared off-Broadway in "The Boys Next Door"

Mounted his own play, "2 on 2" (on the subject of basketball) with Edward Albee's "The Zoo Story" in Hollywood

Formed own production company, Shepwood Productions

First notable role in a theatrical feature, "Doc Hollywood"

Dropped as grand marshall of the New Orleans Mardi Gras parade and canned as a spokesman for the Miller Brewing Company for speaking out against the Gulf War

Starred opposite Snipes in Ron Shelton's "White Men Can't Jump"

Co-starred with Demi Moore and Robert Redford in "Indecent Proposal"

Wrote, directed and acted in Los Angeles stage production, "Furthest From the Sun"

Cast as one half of the murderous honeymoon team (with Juliette Lewis) in Oliver Stone's controversial "Natural Born Killers"

Reteamed with Snipes for the disappointing "Money Train"

Earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his superb turn as magazine publisher Larry Flynt in "The People vs. Larry Flynt"; Stone was one of the producers

Had supporting roles in "Welcome to Sarajevo" and "Wag the Dog"

Portrayed a 1940s rancher in the contemporary Western "The Hi-Lo Country"

Had a high-profile cameo as Sergeant Keck in Terrence Malick's "The Thin Red Line"

Reprised character of Woody Boyd in an episode of "Frasier"; earned Emmy nomination as Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series

Directed a revival of his stage play "Furthest From the Sun," starring Steve Guttenberg

Returned to Broadway as star of a revival of "The Rainmaker"

Acted on stage opposite Nick Nolte and Sean Penn in "The Late Henry Moss" written by Sam Shepard

Acted in a four-episode story arc on "Will & Grace" (NBC), playing a love interest for Debra Messing's Grace

Appeared opposite Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson in "Anger Management" as Galaxia/Garry the Guard

Cast in the Spike Lee comedy "She Hate Me"

Co-starred with Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek in "After the Sunset"

Cast opposite Julianne Moore in "The Prize Winner of Defiance Ohio" about a single mom who enters a commercial jingle-writing contest to support her ten children

Played an idealistic lawyer in "North Country" a fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States

Cast in Robert Altman's ensemble feature "A Prairie Home Companion," based on Garrison Keilor's radio program

Starred in "A Scanner Darkly" a rotoscoped film by director Richard Linklater; adapted from the novel by Philip K. Dick

Co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem in the Coen brothers' "No Country for Old Men"

Cast opposite Will Ferrell in the 1970s-era sports comedy "Semi-Pro"