Woody Harrelson Quotes

Powerful Woody Harrelson for Daily Growth

About Woody Harrelson

Woodrow 'Woody' Harrelson was born on July 23, 1961, in Lebanon, Ohio. Raised in a family with deep-rooted traditions of activism and free thought, he is the son of Diane Lou Oswald, a hitched hippie, and Charles Voye Harrelson, an outlaw who assassinated a judge in 1979. Despite his father's dark past, Woody developed a keen interest in acting and comedy from an early age. Harrelson moved to the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 1980 but dropped out after two years. His big break came when he landed the role of bartender Woody Boyd on 'Cheers' (1985-1993). The role earned him an Emmy nomination and cemented his place in American pop culture. Parallel to his television career, Harrelson pursued film roles, making his film debut as a drug dealer in 'Wildcats' (1986). His breakout film role was as bumbling stoner Lemur in the cult classic 'Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers' (1988). In the 1990s, he gained recognition for his portrayal of a white supremacist in 'White Men Can't Jump' (1992) and as a corrupt cop in 'Natural Born Killers' (1994), directed by Quentin Tarantino. In the 2000s, he played Haymitch Abernathy in 'The Hunger Games' series (2012-2015) and starred in a variety of critically acclaimed films like 'Zombieland' (2009), 'Rampart' (2011), and 'The Messenger' (2009). Throughout his career, Woody Harrelson has been an advocate for environmental and social causes. He's a vocal supporter of cannabis legalization, animal rights, and the abolition of capital punishment. His acting talent, coupled with his activism, makes him a unique figure in Hollywood.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Try to appreciate everything every day."

Woody Harrelson's quote, "Try to appreciate everything every day," underscores the importance of cultivating gratitude in our daily lives. It encourages us to find value and positivity in each moment, regardless of its size or significance. By adopting this mindset, we develop a deeper appreciation for life, people, experiences, and even the seemingly mundane aspects of existence that often go unnoticed. This daily practice fosters resilience, contentment, and a greater sense of joy and fulfillment in our lives. In essence, Woody Harrelson invites us to see the world through a lens of appreciation, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.


"The best way to predict your future is to create it."

This quote by Woody Harrelson emphasizes personal agency and responsibility in shaping one's own destiny. It suggests that instead of passively waiting for events to unfold, individuals should proactively design their lives, decisions, and actions towards a desired future. In other words, it is up to us to create our future, rather than simply predicting what will happen based on past experiences or external factors. This perspective encourages self-empowerment, determination, and persistence in pursuing one's goals.


"I think we're all walking around burdened by things that we don't even realize are there."

This quote emphasizes the concept that many of us carry unconscious emotional baggage, often unaware of its presence. These burdens can be past experiences, feelings, beliefs, or habits that impact our thoughts, emotions, and actions without our conscious recognition. By becoming more aware of these subconscious influences, we can work towards personal growth and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.


"To me, acting is the most fun a sadist can have without actually hurting anyone."

Woody Harrelson's quote implies that for him, acting provides an enjoyable outlet to express intense emotions and explore complex characters, much like a sadist derives pleasure from inflicting pain but within the boundaries of fictional roles and without causing actual harm. It suggests that acting allows him to experience and portray a range of emotions in a creative and controlled manner.


"If you know in your heart you're doing the right thing, then you've already won."

This quote suggests that if one believes deeply and unreservedly that their actions are morally just and righteous, they have already achieved a significant victory—not necessarily an external validation or success, but rather inner peace, self-assurance, and integrity. The focus is on the individual's sense of moral rectitude, which provides them with emotional strength and satisfaction, regardless of the eventual outcome in the eyes of others.


Economically, many folks don't feel they can afford organic. While this may be true in some cases, I think more often than not it's a question of priority. I feel it's one of the most important areas of concern ecologically, because the petrochemical giants - DuPont, Monsanto - make huge money by poisoning us.

- Woody Harrelson

Feel, Some, I Think, Cases

Pesticides came about after the first world war. Some brainy petrochemical money maker said, 'Hey, that mustard gas worked great on people, maybe we could dilute it down and spray it on our crops to deal with pests.'

- Woody Harrelson

Some, Deal, Maybe, Mustard

On 'The Messenger,' just imagining playing the part of a soldier in that movie was kind of hard for me. And in 'Rampart,' the idea of playing a cop was even harder. It was hard to imagine myself as a cop.

- Woody Harrelson

Movie, Cop, Imagine, Messenger

When I was younger, I wanted to be a cop. Then I watched 'The Wild Wild West,' and so I wanted to be in the Secret Service like James West. At some point I realized, 'That guy is not in the Secret Service. He's an actor.' That sounds like a good idea too.

- Woody Harrelson

Some, Cop, Idea, Wild West

In the courtroom, it's where a lawyer really becomes an actor. There's a very fine line between delivering a monologue in a play and delivering a monologue to a jury. I've always felt that way - I've been in a lot of courtrooms. The best lawyers are really theatrical.

- Woody Harrelson

Play, Been, Very, Fine Line

You have to focus on what you're passionate about. For me it's the forests and of course, because I'm concerned about the forests, I'm concerned about the way paper is made.

- Woody Harrelson

Passionate, Made, Concerned, Forests

When I'm in New York, I bike everywhere. I have a couple of bikes stored over at Ed Norton's. It's the only way to go. But in Hawaii, I drive. I have a little Volkswagen Bug, from the 'Drive it? Hug it?' phase. I run it on biodiesel.

- Woody Harrelson

Bike, Run, Couple, Norton

Salma is just one of the great goddesses ever put on this Earth.

- Woody Harrelson

Earth, Just One, Ever, Goddesses

I have a strong spiritual life. I can't say that I have faith that Jesus is my Savior, but I look at Jesus in the same way that I look at, you know, Mohammed. He was giving everyone the goods. So was Gandhi.

- Woody Harrelson

Faith, Strong, Everyone, Savior

Violence was almost an aphrodisiac for me.

- Woody Harrelson

Me, Violence, Almost, Aphrodisiac

A grownup is a child with layers on.

- Woody Harrelson

Age, Child, Layers, Grownup

We've killed a million Iraqis since the start of the Gulf war - mostly by blocking humanitarian aid.

- Woody Harrelson

Start, Iraqis, Mostly, Gulf

'Natural Born Killers' is really a misunderstood romantic comedy.

- Woody Harrelson

Romantic, Comedy, Natural, Misunderstood

I never was disillusioned with acting because I love acting.

- Woody Harrelson

Love, Never, I Love, Disillusioned

Everything I do, I try to think, 'Okay, what are the ramifications?' Like, with the clothes I wear, I prefer if it's grown organically, because cotton - which is what's used in most clothing - takes up 50 percent of all pesticide use.

- Woody Harrelson

Wear, Use, Prefer, Organically

With 'Rampart,' I read it and I'm like, 'That's the best role I've ever been offered. Phenomenal.' But, I was daunted, you know? Like the concept of trying to be a cop. It's just bizarre, man. Bizarre to even think about.

- Woody Harrelson

Role, Been, Bizarre, Phenomenal

When I was in the seventh grade I did a report about the environment and the loss of species. It was supposed to be only a few pages, but ended up being nearly 50.

- Woody Harrelson

About, Being, Nearly, Report

I try to apply the organic concept to my clothes and bedding as well. There's nothing like swimming in organic cotton sheets.

- Woody Harrelson

Apply, Like, Concept, Sheets

I used to have terrible acne on my face: red, splotchy discoloration. And mucus - I was constantly blowing my nose. Then one day, this woman sits down next to me on a bus, and says, 'You're lactose-intolerant.' It all cleared up in three days. That changed my life. Doctors couldn't figure it out.

- Woody Harrelson

My Life, Bus, Next, Blowing

If you manage to stop the timber industry from cutting this forest, they'll cut that forest. If you stop oil drilling here, they'll go drill there.

- Woody Harrelson

Forest, Here, Cut, Drilling

I remember my first run-in with cops. It took me really getting to hang, well after that, with cops who were cool, and realizing, 'Okay, there are some bad ones.' I ran into some bad ones in Columbus, Ohio, but they're not all bad.

- Woody Harrelson

I Remember, Some, Cops, Ran

The giant industries that are polluting our planet as well as violating human rights worldwide are the ones nearest and dearest to the hearts of American politicians.

- Woody Harrelson

Planet, Dearest, Polluting, Industries

We don't get the greatest tools to deal with anger. It's like, 'Hey, count to 10.' When someone really upsets me, how do I respond? I don't usually start counting to 10 and breathing deeply.

- Woody Harrelson

Deal, Like, Counting, Hey

The government may change faces from time to time, but it's not like we fight wars for democracy - we fight wars for capitalism and for oil.

- Woody Harrelson

Change, Like, May, From Time To Time

There's just something extraordinary about that Selma Hayek.

- Woody Harrelson

Extraordinary, About, Hayek, Just Something

To the men in Washington, the world is just a giant Monopoly board.

- Woody Harrelson

Men, World, Monopoly, Board

Through my work with PETA, I have learned a great deal about chimpanzee behavior and the plight of chimpanzees imprisoned in laboratories.

- Woody Harrelson

Through, Deal, Learned, I Have Learned

I wrapped a movie called 'Zombieland,' in which I was constantly under assault by zombies, then flew to New York, still very much in character. With my daughter at the airport I was startled by a paparazzo, who I quite understandably mistook for a zombie.

- Woody Harrelson

Movie, Very, Assault, Startled

You know, I was on 'Cheers' for eight years, and I couldn't get another job, and I thought, 'I'm going to be Woody Boyd forever.' Which is not bad, but I really thought I was capable of more.

- Woody Harrelson

Thought, Bad, Which, Woody

It's an odd beast, fame. It's got multiple personalities.

- Woody Harrelson

Fame, Beast, Multiple, Personalities

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