It is fair to say thatWoody Harrelsonis one of the most versatile actors of his generation. Although he started his career as a comic scene-stealer onCheers, Harrelson became renowned for his idiosyncratic performances in dramas, thrillers, and action films. Harrelson is comfortable playing both the lead of a prestige film and delivering memorable supporting turns amidst large ensembles. He’s also returned to television and drew some of the best reviews of his career for his transformative work on the first season of HBO’sTrue Detective.
Harrelson has been nominated for three Academy Awards, once for Best Actor inThe People vs. Larry Flyntand twice for Best Supporting Actor inThe MessengerandThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. He’s joined franchises likeStar Wars,The Hunger Games,Now You See Me, andZombieland, and this week he’ll be seen as the antagonist in Sony’s comic book filmVenom: Let There Be Carnage. However, some of Harrelson’s other great work has been overlooked given just how extensive his filmography is. Whether the films underperformed, his work was overlooked, or he managed to save a bad movie, these seven Woody Harrelson performances deserve more credit.
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Wag the Dog
Wag the Dogis a comically bleak political satire that was ahead of its time, and Harrelson adds an interesting darkness that sells the conviction of its relevance. The film follows the attempts of political spinster Conrad Brean (Robert De Niro) and Hollywood producer Stanley Motts (Dustin Hoffman) to stage a hoax international conflict in order to cover up a sex scandal involving the President of the United States (Michael Belson). Harrelson’s character, U.S. Army Sergeant William Schumann, is brought in to falsify a prisoner-of-war narrative. Unfortunately for Brean and Motts, Schumann is completely unstable and his cruel behavior disrupts their plans. AlthoughWag the Dogpresents its events in jest, the ramifications of plotting a political war around an untrustworthy character are grim thanks to Harrelson’s terrifying performance. While Harrelson still gains some laughs with his eccentric mannerisms, he adds a needed dose of reality that makes the film’s nihilism more effective.
A Prairie Home Companion
The last film by the greatRobert Altmanis packed with charming performances from its stacked ensemble, so it’s particularly impressive that Harrelson manages to be one of the standouts.A Prairie Home Companionfollows the inner workings of a reality show of country artists during their last days ahead of cancellation. Harrelson andJohn C. Reillyportray the singing cowboy duo Dusty and Lefty, who tend to ruffle the network’s feathers by going off script.
Many of the more serious moments in the film revolve around the family unit of sisters Yolanda (Meryl Streep) and Rhonda (Lily Tomlin), and Rhonda’s daughter Lola (Lindsay Lohan). Harrelson and Reilly are comfortable lightening the mood, and their banter amidst the wacky musical numbers hints at a profound friendship that’s never explicitly stated. It’s an amusing comic turn that shows Harrelson’s strong singing abilities. The final moments in which the cast meet for their last meal gives Harrelson a chance to reflect on the eventuality of leaving his performing arts family, and he carries it out perfectly.
Rampartis perhaps the best performance of Harrelson’s entire career. A film approaching the subject of police corruption and brutality calls for the utmost sensitivity, and thankfully filmmakerOren Movermandoesn’t hold back any of the details. While the film could’ve easily felt exploitative, Harrelson delivers an insightful and complex portrayal of LAPD officer Dave Brown. Brown has reached the point where he’s given up justifying his actions, and he watches his personal and professional lives crumble simultaneously. Brown is unlikeable, but Harrelson avoids the temptation to exaggerate a real issue. Brown’s tactics stem from a downward spiral that’s been permitted by the LAPD for years. WhileRampartbegins at the point where he’s already past the point of redemption, Harrelson subtly hints at the faded idealism of a younger man. The scenes between Brown and his daughter Helen (Brie Larson) are heartbreaking; Harrelson’s characterization of misguided affection in turn makes Larson’s performance more empathetic.
Triple 9is an overstuffed, yet mostly entertaining crime epic that weaves in a convoluted story about a botched police robbery, and also manages to incorporate the Russian mafia, gang homicides, and former veterans breaking bad. There’s a lot going on and it’s easy to get lost amidst the various alliances and betrayals, but Harrelson is having a blast chewing the scenery as senior police detective Jeffrey Allen. The uncle to the idealistic cop Chris Allen (Casey Affleck), Harrelson embodies cynicism with a razor sharp comedic edge, and also does a great job at masking his intentions. While he characterizes himself as a pessimist, Allen is one of the few noble characters within the film. He gives earnest advice to his nephew with a sincerity that isn’t sentimental. Even thoughTriple 9’s ending leaves some story beats unresolved, Harrelson’s knowing smile is a satisfactory wrap up to the sordid thriller.
The Edge of Seventeen
It’s a shame thatThe Edge of Seventeenunderperformed financially, becauseKelly Fremon Craig’s coming-of-age dramedy deserved to be seen as aJohn Hughes-style teen classic for a new generation. Harrelson gifts the film with one of the best depictions of a teacher in recent cinema. His Mr. Burner is the rare person thatHailee Steinfeld’s struggling protagonist Nadine Franklin can open up to, as she finds no insights from her family and friends. Harrelson’s bluntness as Nadine unleashes all of her problems is uproarious, but it’s also his way of helping her cope; Nadine doesn’t need cheap advice, she just needs someone to listen. When Mr. Brunercomes to Nadine’s rescueafter a traumatizing date, its tear jerking. Harrelson doesn’t need to say a word to show his affection for Nadine, and it wouldn’t have been as impactful if he had shown her overwhelming warmness from the beginning.
War for the Planet of the Apes
The recentPlanet of the Apesreboot trilogy was an absolute game-changer in the development of motion capture performances and photo-realistic CGI. The human characters are mostly secondary, but Harrelson is one of the more compelling. As the main antagonist in the concluding chapterWar for the Planet of the Apes, Harrelson plays the fascist paramilitary Colonel J. Wesley McCullough. His depiction of an authoritarian who has completely forsaken his humanity is absolutely terrifying.
What’s scary about McCullough is his conviction; he truly sees the apes as an evil he must wipe out in order to save the planet, and he’s unflinching in his brutal tourture and enslavement of Caesar’s (Andy Serkis) allies. Harrelson doesn’t ever hint that McCullough enjoys his sadistic practices, but that he’s only doing his due diligence. It could have easily been a caricature, but the briefest of backstory in which McCullough reveals he was forced to kill his own son offers needed insight, but no sympathy.
Shock and Awe
Shock and Aweis one of the most turgid, dull Bush-era dramas ever made, which is really saying somethingconsidering the stacked competition.Rob Reiner’s portrayal of the Knight Rider coverage of the Iraq invasion and the search for “weapons of mass destruction” is stale and turgid, but Harrelson nonetheless commits to the role and injects much-needed energy into the lifeless film. War correspondent Jonathan Landay actually seems to be horrified by the conspiracy at play, and Harrelson sells even the cheesiest of dialogue.
It says a lot about an actor when they can make a bad movie watchable;Shock and Awehas a great cast, butJames Marsden,Tommy Lee Jones,Milla Jovovich, andRichard Schiffseem just as bored as Reiner does. In a breezy 90 minutes that simplifies the facts into digestible headlines, Harrelson at least gives the story some urgency as he frantically searches for answers. In a film that’s so busy celebrating Americans that it forgets to even hint at international perspectives, Harrelson manages to show the diligence and decency of good journalism.
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