Woody Harrelson Took Wild Risk During His Audition For 'Cheers' That Could Have Ruined His Chances

Before Harrelson went to that breakthrough audition, his life was far removed from the glitz and glamor of Tinseltown. He often wound up on the wrong side of the law, in fact. And just three years before being cast as Woody, the actor was arrested in pretty merciless fashion. “I was jaywalking, me and a friend, and this cop flags us over, asks to see our ID,” the star explained in a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Harrelson claimed he didn’t have his ID, but the officer wasn’t buying it. He continued, [“The cop said,] ‘Have you been out to some of these bars? Then you had to have an ID to get in.’ I go, ‘Oh, good point.’ So I pull it out, and as I pull it out, he goes, ‘Don’t lie to me again, punk!’ And then he grabbed me, smashed me against the wall a couple of times.” Ouch.

After Harrelson got the cop off him and fled, an officer-in-distress signal was issued. He was then caught, brought down to the ground, and pinned down by a knee to the throat. And when he questioned the sheer brutality of his treatment en route to the police station, his head was slammed into the van. That Cheers audition couldn’t come soon enough.

Escaping from the police van only made things worse. Harrelson added, “I can hear them all shouting and running after me, and there is a car going across this parking lot. I hit the car, did a complete flip, landed on the back of my head, kept rolling, and then they were on me... And when they mace you, you’re done, that’s the end of the story... I went to jail, they rough you up a little more, and before it was over, they had six counts against me.”

Harrelson also claimed that his eyes were badly damaged during the arrest. That meant he needed to wear sunglasses for a while. And after that incident, he wised up about the world. The whole thing had squashed his dream of becoming a cop. Acting was the way forward from now on.

But it makes sense that Harrelson took a risk in his Cheers audition, as he’d always been a bit of a livewire. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he admitted, “When I was a kid, I had real emotional problems. I would have these tantrums. [Later] I used to fight a lot. I used to go to bars and fight the guys I thought were bullies. I’ve got scars everywhere. But it’s like my buddy says: ‘If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much room.’”

Harrelson also suggested that he got his wayward streak from dad Charles – a man he labeled “a con artist.” “He’d find out where they had poker games and eventually invite a guy out on his boat... After a while, there’s nothing to do, maybe fish a little. And then he’d say, ‘Want to play a couple hands?’ Before you know it, the guy’s completely fleeced,” the actor said.

Mind you, fleecing a fellow gambler was nothing compared to the crime that put Charles behind bars for decades. Harrelson’s father received two life terms after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. And because Charles was a killer for hire, his body count could have hit double figures before he was stopped.

Thankfully, Harrelson didn’t follow in his father’s hitman footsteps. But he’s still had a few other run-ins with the law since making it in Hollywood. In 2002 he once again made the cops play chase – this time during a night out in London. The bizarre adventure began when Harrelson started smashing up a taxi.

Driver Les Dartnell told The Sun, “[Harrelson] was kicking the glass and trying to get out. I tried to find a space to pull over, but he had already yanked back the door and broken it.” After making his destructive exit, Harrelson flagged down another cab, with Dartnell and the police following behind. And while the actor tried to give them the slip on foot, he was finally apprehended. Harrelson was put behind bars for the evening and released the following morning on bail.

How did such a rebel end up finding his way into showbiz? Well, it all began when a friend successfully applied to New York’s prestigious Juilliard School. That buddy asked Harrelson to join him in the Big Apple. The actor later recalled, “I thought, ‘I’m a slow mover. I’ll just try to get into some summer stock,’ which I didn’t. You go to a thing, it’s like a cattle call. Zero offers.”

Harrelson had to wait more than a year to land his first job, and even that was just as an understudy. Then an actor was given his walking papers. Harrelson was finally about to take to the stage – until the Cheers audition fell into his lap.

That audition only came about after a tragedy hit the cast. Earlier that year, Nicholas Colasanto – a.k.a. Coach – had passed away. Instead of casting another actor in the same role, though, Cheers’ producers decided to create a much younger – but similarly dopey – character.

In a chat with The Hollywood Reporter, producer Ken Levine revealed why they decided to add another lovable dimwit to the cast. He said, “Having such a ‘dumb’ character allows you to get exposition out. When you explained things to Coach, you were really explaining it to the audience.”

The Cheers team also hoped that by bringing in a younger alternative, they’d be able to capture the attention of Family Ties fans. The Michael J. Fox sitcom aired just before Cheers, and the twentysomething Fox was integral to the show’s appeal. So, producers launched a wide casting call in a bid to find their man. And they turned down a future A-lister before they got him.

Yes, a then-unknown Brad Pitt auditioned for the role of Woody. He wasn’t successful, of course. Veteran casting director Jeff Greenberg has since explained why Pitt didn’t make the grade. And he certainly didn’t mince his words.

Greenberg said to Entertainment Weekly, “My only note was ‘Not funny.’ For the part, [Pitt] wasn’t funny. He’s been funny since.” Ouch. Luckily, Pitt didn’t appear to hold a grudge against the man who finally got the part. In 2017 Harrelson revealed that he’d hung out with the star on several occasions, telling the folks on Good Morning Britain, “He’s an amazing person. He’s very giving to his fans.”

But Harrelson’s sense of humor wasn’t appreciated by everyone. According to the Los Angeles Times, Neil Simon didn’t laugh at the actor’s decision to walk down the aisle for a joke. That’s not too surprising when you learn that Harrelson tied the knot with the playwright’s daughter Nancy.

Apparently, the couple had tied the knot in Tijuana for fun – and with every intention of getting a divorce within 24 hours. But there was just one problem with this plan: the place they had to go to to end their marriage wasn’t open the next day. Oops.

In the end, the pair ended up staying wed for a full year before finally getting round to a divorce. And while speaking to USA Today years later, Harrelson acknowledged why his former father-in-law had his concerns. “I think at the time Neil was a little bit worried I might try to go after [Nancy’s] money,” the actor said. Of course, by the time he and Nancy got divorced, Harrelson was making plenty of money of his own.

And Harrelson didn’t deal with wealth and fame in the healthiest way. He later admitted to The Guardian, “I got drunk on success. My ego flared up. There’s a lot of things that I did that I can never take back. I carry a whole fricking boatload of regrets.”

Harrelson also didn’t waste any time following his literal joke of a marriage. The Cheers actor dated several Hollywood stars in the wake of his divorce, including Carol Kane and Ally Sheedy. But his most tabloid-friendly – and unlikely – relationship came when he began stepping out with Glenn Close. Close, as it happens, was 14 years older than her boyfriend!

Though Harrelson had made it clear he wasn’t keen on commitment, he eventually had a change of heart. And the woman who won the star’s affections? His assistant Laura Louie. Louie had been at a workshop on the Cheers set when she put her name forward for the job. The pair worked together for a few years, though, before sparks began to fly.

It took even longer for Harrelson and Louie to walk down the aisle. The couple only got hitched in 2008, at which point they were already parents to three girls. Harrelson later admitted to The Guardian that his friends had never expected him to have such a lasting relationship. He added, “It is kind of shocking.”

So, Harrelson’s life could have turned out very differently if he’d flunked his Cheers audition. At one point, he wasn’t even sure whether trying out for the show was a good move. Yes, although his career hadn’t taken off, Harrelson was reluctant to move into TV. He wasn’t impressed by what was on the box at the time.

Referring to the moment that would ultimately change his life, Harrelson told The Hollywood Reporter, “I was really carefree because I knew I was going back to New York, and they’d pretty much decided on this one guy.” But that nonchalant approach to the casting process? It actually ended up working in his favor.

Harrelson continued, “They were just doing a few more auditions, so I went in and I could tell right away.” The aspiring star received a shock, though, when an employee wanted him to perform for “the boys.” “Well, it turned out she was taking me in to meet the writers. I didn’t know this,” he said.

You could say that Harrelson was caught off guard by this development. He explained, “I’m following behind her, and I needed to blow my nose. I’m going down the hallway, through a door, into where everybody is, and I just happened to be blowing my nose. Then everybody laughed before I said a word.” Not a particularly encouraging sign!

Luckily, the writers were laughing with the nose-blowing Harrelson rather than at him. In fact, Cheers director Jimmy Burrows supposedly told the actor, “You had the part right then.” And Harrelson’s success proved that appearances can be deceptive. That’s according to Peter Casey, anyway.

Casey was a producer on Cheers, and he told The Hollywood Reporter, “This guy walks in wearing basketball shorts, a T-shirt, and unlaced high-tops. He looked like he could be trouble if you crossed him... And then he read and caught everyone’s attention in that room by doing one thing that nobody else did. When Sam told him that Coach died, he teared up and started to cry. You’re sitting there going, ‘This is a comedy audition,’ but then he does that and it’s like, ‘Whoa, he can really act.’”

Thankfully, Harrelson’s castmates were also impressed by the new addition to the show. Ted Danson later told GQ, “I didn’t have a brother, so Woody became my brother. And brothers can be incredibly competitive... but they know they won’t cross a line. I loved him.” Best of all, though, the Cheers audience took Harrelson and his character into their hearts.

In 1989 Harrelson picked up an Emmy for his performance in Cheers. He was even given the opportunity to become the bar’s owner when Danson decided he’d had enough of playing Sam. But Harrelson recognized the show wouldn’t be the same – and he politely declined the offer.

Eventually, though, the place where everybody knows your name closed its doors for the last time. Over 40 million Americans watched Harrelson and co. wrap the show up after 11 years on air. And the whole Cheers experience is still remembered fondly by the star, as he recalled to The Hollywood Reporter in 2017.

A nostalgic Harrelson said, “It was phenomenal all the way through. Just the best people. And everybody watched. [It’s] not like a lot of times when you’ll do a movie, and you’ll be like, ‘Will anybody see it?’ I couldn’t have imagined leaving because, really, that show made me. I mean, I was anonymous and poor before that show.”

But while Harrelson had been reluctant to embrace the world of television, it ultimately allowed him to make the leap to the big screen. The actor starred in three hit movies during his Cheers downtime. And one of them, coincidentally, just happened to star Michael J. Fox!

In fact, Fox was instrumental in getting Harrelson his part in Doc Hollywood. “You know, back then it was just different because people in television were all wanting to do movies, and people in movies didn’t really do television. And once I did Indecent Proposal, that really helped me make the jump,” Harrelson explained.

Yes, Harrelson went on to cement his movie stardom with big roles in The People vs. Larry Flynt and Natural Born Killers. He may not have been prepared, though, for the furor that first film sparked in the media. And he ultimately decided to step away from the limelight after the Flynt biopic was released.

Harrelson later told Cinema Blend, “There was a period where I basically took almost five years off, from '97 to 2002, and I did a couple little things, like favors. But I had just kind of dropped out. I guess you could say I was in semi-retirement. I just had a kid, and I was just wanting to spend time... and then I had another kid. One of the great periods of my life. “

Fortunately, Harrelson eventually returned to the fold. On the big screen, he’s since graced critically acclaimed dramas, blockbusters, and comedies. The star has even returned to TV with a role in True Detective. But what about his Cheers co-stars? What have they been up to since the hit show?

Before Cheers, Ted Danson was probably best known for being “the Aramis man” from the Aramis cologne ads. Then he got his big break playing Sam Malone. “Cheers was like being shot out of a cannon,” Danson once said.

Now while Cheers may have finished over two decades ago, Danson is still much in demand. He’s appeared in big shows like CSI and Fargo, for instance, but he’s also notable for his politics. He’s a devoted Democrat who’s friends with – and has campaigned for – Hilary Clinton.

Playing Diane Chambers on Cheers made Shelley Long a multiple award-winning actress, but there were troubles behind the scenes. Ted Danson would later admit that there was “work-level” tension between him and Long.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, Long left Cheers in 1987 amid controversy. She later said it didn’t occur to her that she might “sabotage [the] show” – although as it turned out, Cheers continued on just fine. Now, she still acts and says she regrets nothing.

Rhea Perlman already had some good acting credits to her name when she was cast as Carla in Cheers. Take Taxi, for example, in which she starred alongside her husband Danny DeVito. But it was Cheers that made her really famous.

In fact, Perlman ended up becoming the most celebrated member of the entire Cheers cast, being nominated for an Emmy in every year except 1992. She continued to be a successful actress long after Cheers had finished, too, and she’s still married to DeVito – despite them having separated for a spell in 2012-13.

George Wendt started off in the broader showbusiness arena by sweeping the floors of theaters, but a decade or so later Cheers would make his name. Indeed, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award six times for playing barfly Norm Peterson.

Norm was a big success as a character and has been frequently parodied on other shows – after Cheers ended, too. And although he’s done other things since, Wendt has been called upon to play Norm again in both Frasier and Family Guy.

John Ratzenberger originally read for the part of Norm Peterson – but then decided to just suggest his own character to the producers. Luckily, they loved know-it-all mail carrier Cliff Clavin, and he became one of the most integral parts of the show.

Adults may still remember Ratzenberger exclusively as Cliff from Cheers, but kids know him as something else: the Pixar guy. Yes, he’s been in every Pixar film to date, with his biggest role probably being that of Hamm in the Toy Story movies.

Kelsey Grammer’s life was marred by unbelievable tragedies before success came his way in the form of Cheers. Yep, after getting the role of Frasier Crane – a job that nearly went to John Lithgow – his life changed drastically.

Grammer of course went on to play Frasier Crane in possibly the most successful spinoff of all time – Frasier. And once Frasier reached the end of its 11-year run, Grammar was one of the biggest stars on TV… and still is.

Uptight Lilith Sternin, played by Bebe Neuwirth, was a late addition to Cheers but a welcome one. And as Sternin was the ex-wife of Frasier Crane, the character also appeared in twelve episodes of Frasier, which earned Neuwirth an Emmy nomination.

Meanwhile, Bebe Neuwirth has appeared in multiple TV shows and movies since Cheers, though perhaps her biggest recent successes have been on Broadway. In 2010, for example, she originated the role of Morticia Addams in the new Addams Family musical.

After Shelley Long left Cheers, the show was in need of a new leading lady. That new girl ended up being ex-interior designer Kirstie Alley playing Rebecca Howe, and she would win an Emmy for her work in 1991.

Once Cheers was done, Kirstie Alley gradually became one of those stars who are almost more famous for their personal lives than their acting. Her past cocaine addiction and her involvement with the Church of Scientology have certainly made headlines.

Eddie DeBec seemed the perfect husband for Carla before he was killed in a freak Zamboni incident. And rumor has it that the character died because Jay Thomas, then a radio host, insulted onscreen wife Rhea Perlman while on air.

Still, whatever the truth behind Thomas’ departure from the show – and it’s still debated today – ultimately it didn’t hurt his career much. He’s still acting in shows like Ray Donovan, NCIS: New Orleans and Bones