How a Young Woody Harrelson Learned His Absent Father Was a Paid Criminal from a Car Radio Broadcast

The Hollywood star grew up with little understanding of why his father was absent. Then, one afternoon, a radio report changed everything and revealed a shocking truth.

Woody Harrelson has built a career on playing unforgettable characters, earning acclaim for performances in films such as "The People vs. Larry Flynt," "No Country for Old Men," and "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri."

Yet as remarkable as his acting career has been, the story of his childhood and family life is just as extraordinary. Growing up, the Hollywood star knew his father was rarely around, but as a young boy, he did not fully understand why.

It wasn't until an ordinary afternoon after school that a chance radio broadcast revealed a truth that would change his life forever. Reflecting on his childhood in a 2012 interview, Woody explained that his parents separated when he was around seven years old.

However, during much of Woody’s early life, his father had repeatedly gone in and out of prison. "Away and back. Away and back. It wasn't like he was there all the time prior to that," he recalled. For years, the actor accepted his father's absence without knowing the full story.

Then, when he was about 11 or 12, he waited in the car while a woman who had picked him up from school briefly stepped away. As he listened to the radio, a news report mentioned his father's full name. Woody shared:

"[...] I was listening to the radio and it was talking about Charles V. Harrelson and his trial for murder and blah blah blah blah and I'm sitting there thinking there can't be another Charles V. Harrelson. I mean, that's my dad! It was a wild realization."

The actor remembered sitting in stunned silence until the woman returned to the car. "Then the woman got in the car and saw my face and realized something was up. She was a very kind lady," he noted.

When Woody arrived home, he tried to talk to his mother about what he had heard. By then, however, there was little left to explain. "The truth was out there," he said, noting that it had already been reported by newspapers and broadcast over the radio.

Furthermore, his mother, Diane Lou Oswald, was already aware of Charles's criminal activities. "Oh yeah, she was pretty hip to all that," the actor replied when asked whether she knew what his father did.

Although her marriage had long since ended, Woody credited his mother for never turning her children against their father. "You know, I've got to give her credit because she never really soured us on him," he revealed.

At various points over the years, he also claimed responsibility for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

"She didn't talk negative about him, never, ever. And she could have — he wasn't the greatest husband. Or father," the Hollywood star continued.

By then, Charles had already established a criminal record. In 1973, he was convicted of murdering grain dealer Sam Degelia Jr. and received a 15-year prison sentence but was released for good behavior after serving five years.

Years later, authorities accused him of carrying out an even more notorious killing. In December 1982, a San Antonio jury found him guilty of murdering U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr., the first federal judge assassinated in the United States during the 20th century.

Prosecutors alleged that Charles had been paid $250,000 to carry out the assassination, which they said had been arranged by a drug dealer seeking revenge against the judge. Charles was subsequently convicted and sentenced to two life terms in prison.

At various points over the years, he also claimed responsibility for the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. However, those claims were never substantiated. Despite everything that had happened, Woody eventually decided to reconnect with his father.

After learning of Charles's arrest in connection with Judge Wood's murder in 1981, the actor, then 20 years old, reached out and began rebuilding their relationship. When asked whether they had reconciled, he said:

"Oh yeah, oh yeah. I tried for years to get him out. To get him a new trial."

When asked why he believed his father deserved another chance in court, the "Hunger Games" star paused before acknowledging that his motivation had less to do with the legal case itself than with their relationship.

"I don't know he did deserve a new trial... just being a son trying to help his dad," he admitted. "Then I spent a couple of million beating my head against the wall. Easily. Lawyers upon lawyers..."

As their relationship developed, Woody also noticed striking similarities between himself and his father. "Quite a bit... I was born on his birthday," he shared.

"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," the actor added.

Asked what those similarities were, Woody pointed to small, everyday behaviors. "Idiosyncratic things. The way he laughed. The face, very similar," he stated. When asked whether those similarities frightened him, he simply replied, "No, no," before laughing.

As for Charles, he passed away in prison in 2007. Looking back on their relationship in his father's final years, the actor said the two had found common ground despite the circumstances. He noted:

"Yeah, we got along pretty good. When you can't hang out and go to a pub, you know what I mean, it's hard."

Woody Harrelson's story is one of remarkable contrasts. While his father's life became defined by violent crime and lengthy prison sentences, Woody forged a successful career in Hollywood.

Even so, his reflections reveal that behind the headlines was a deeply personal story of a son grappling with an unimaginable family history that began with one unforgettable news report on a car radio.