Woody Harrelson Reflects on Decades of Cinema, from Cheers to Oscar Nominations

Woody Harrelson took the stage at the Bosnian film festival for a conversation with film critic Neil Young, hours before his Honorary Heart of Sarajevo ceremony. The three-time Oscar nominee discussed his career spanning over three decades, from early roles in White Men Can’t Jump and The People vs Larry Flynt to iconic performances in No Country for Old Men and The Hunger Games.

Young asked Harrelson about playing 36th U.S. president Lyndon B. Johnson in Rob Reiner’s 2016 film LBJ, and the actor explained that he was drawn to the project because of his admiration for Reiner. “I wanted to do it because Rob Reiner asked me to do it, and I really wanted to work with Rob,” Harrelson said. “I think he was absolutely brilliant, and I think he made a wonderful film.”

The conversation also touched on Harrelson’s early career, including his audition for the Broadway production of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues. He recalled how he blew his nose in front of Cheers co-creators Glen and Les Charles, leading to him landing the role of Woody Boyd on NBC’s iconic sitcom.

“I asked everybody,” Harrelson continued about weighing up Broadway and TV. “‘Should I stay true and go back and do Broadway, or should I kind of sell out and do television?’ They said, ‘Do the television show. Do Cheers.’ And my whole life changed because of that.”

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Harrelson also spoke about his experiences working with other prominent actors, including Bill Murray and Leonardo DiCaprio. He praised their dedication to their craft, saying, “They’re not just relying on their good looks and charm.” The actor also shared a surprising anecdote about winning over the hard-to-impress Lauren Bacall.

As the conversation progressed, Young asked Harrelson about his first Oscar nomination for The People vs Larry Flynt. Harrelson joked that he had passed on the role of Jerry Maguire, citing concerns about the script and the production team. However, Tom Cruise ultimately earned an Oscar nomination for the film, which Harrelson acknowledged was a fortunate turn of events.

The conversation also touched on Harrelson’s 1997 war drama Welcome to Sarajevo, which is screening ahead of his Honorary Heart ceremony. “For 10 years old, it’s quite good!” he said about the film, which was shot only a year after the city’s siege ended. Harrelson reflected on how much the city has changed since then, saying, “It’s alive and bustling [now], and it’s incredible, the metamorphosis.”

The 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival runs Aug. 14-21. Meet Asghar Farhadi, another Honorary Heart recipient like Matthew McConaughey.