Dark Family Secret: Notorious Story of Woody Harrelson’s Father

Charles Harrelson, and the murder that shook America.
Woody Harrelson is well known for his roles as twisted villains in films like Natural Born Killers and Seven Psychopaths. Yet, his connection to crime runs deeper than his on-screen characters.
Woody’s father, Charles V. Harrelson, was a contract killer who was sentenced to two life terms after assassinating a federal district judge in 1979. This grim reality adds a chilling layer to Woody’s career portraying criminals.
Adding to the intrigue, Charles Harrelson once claimed responsibility for shooting President John F. Kennedy, a statement that has fueled numerous conspiracy theories over the years. Though widely discredited, his claim remains a bizarre footnote in American crime history.
In an eerie twist of fate, Woody later appeared in No Country for Old Men, a film adapted from Cormac McCarthy’s novel. In the book, a character refers to his father’s crime, saying:
“[A] while back in San Antonio they shot and killed a federal judge.”
This line uncannily echoes the real-life murder committed by Woody’s father, blurring the lines between fiction and reality.
Woody Harrelson’s family history reveals a dark and complex backdrop to the actor’s career, where life and art intersect in unsettling ways.