Fans of Woody Harrelson have expressed their amazement at learning the identity of his father, saying, “I never knew this!”
The 63-year-old actor gained notoriety for his parts in The Hunger Games, Zombieland, True Detective, and Cheers.
There is more to the Harrelson family than meets the eye, even though he made a name and reputation for himself.
Charles Voyde Harrelson, a mobster and contract murderer, is Woody’s father, as an Instagram account called historyfeels reminded users last month.
Alongside a photo of Charles on trial in the 1980s, the account penned: “Charles Voyde Harrelson, the father of actor Woody Harrelson, was a contract killer with deep ties to organised crime.”
“In 1979, he was charged with the assassination of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr., the first federal judge to be murdered in the 20th century.”
“Harrelson carried out the hit for $250,000 on behalf of a drug dealer awaiting trial.”
“He was captured after a six-hour standoff with police, during which he confessed to multiple killings, including JFK’s, though that claim was widely dismissed.”
“In 1982, Harrelson was convicted and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. He spent the rest of his life in federal prison, where he died in 2007.”