Woody Harrelson Fans Stunned After Learning Who His Dad Really Was

Woody Harrelson’s family background is far more surprising than most people ever imagined, and discovering the truth has left a lot of fans completely taken aback.

Harrelson is one of the most familiar faces in Hollywood, and he’s been acting in major films for over two decades now, cementing his place in the industry.

As with many famous people, fans usually assume they know all the major facts about them. But when it comes to Harrelson, quite a few followers were caught off guard and realized they had missed something pretty significant.

This particular story has resurfaced repeatedly on social media over the years, and each time, new people express how they had no clue about this dark chapter tied to the actor’s past.

Charles Voyde Harrelson was Woody’s father. While that name might not mean much to most people, he certainly made headlines and left quite an impact during his lifetime.

One Instagram post that dove into Charles’ past stated: "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."

Woody Harrelson has previously spoken about his father Kristina Bumphrey/Variety via Getty Images

"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."

When people on social media came across this piece of history, many were left scratching their heads, stunned that they had never heard about it before. The comments were full of reactions ranging from disbelief to fascination.

One commenter shared: "That's quite a shocking and bizarre piece of history. It's fascinating how some individuals have such intriguing and dark backgrounds."

Another user took a moment to applaud Woody Harrelson’s acting career and how he managed to build it independently of his father’s controversial legacy, writing: "Hats off to Woody's Harrelson for not letting his past personal life dictate his his own life and, ultimately, his career as an actor. Brilliant actor."

Charles Voyde Harrelson died in prison in 2007 Houston Police Department

Throughout the years, Harrelson has maintained that his father was innocent, even going so far as to claim he was connected to the CIA.

During an interview that took place more than two decades ago, he expressed his opinion, saying: "I think that it was not a fair trial... I'm not saying my father's a saint but I think he's innocent of that."

When he was asked directly whether he genuinely believed his father had ties to the CIA, his response was vague and left a lot to interpretation.

Harrelson replied: "I shouldn't get into this right now. This is where we're going to get into trouble... I know it's true."

Later, in a 2012 interview with the Guardian, he was asked if he ever saw parts of his father in himself or noticed any similarities between them.

"Quite a bit… I was born on his birthday. They have a thing in Japan where they say if you're born on your father's birthday, you're not like your father, you are your father, and 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," he explained, and then added: "Idiosyncratic things. The way he laughed. The face, very similar."

When reflecting on the connection he had with his dad—who spent his final years in prison and passed away there in 2007—Harrelson admitted: "We got along pretty good. When you can't hang out and go to a pub, you know what I mean, it's hard."