Did You Know Actor Woody Harrelson’s Father Was a Convicted Hitman Who Claimed to Be John F. Kennedy's Assassin?

While actor Woody Harrelson is widely known for his brilliant performances in films like Natural Born Killers, White Men Can’t Jump, and Zombieland, few people know that his real-life story is as shocking as some of his movie roles. His father, Charles Harrelson, was a convicted hitman who made headlines in the 1970s and 1980s for one of the most notorious crimes in U.S. history.

In 1979, Charles Harrelson was sentenced to two life terms in prison for the assassination of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio, Texas. The killing marked the first time in U.S. history that a federal judge had been murdered in the 20th century. Judge Wood, known for his tough sentences on drug dealers, was shot outside his home — a murder carried out on behalf of a Texas drug lord who paid Harrelson for the hit.

But the story doesn’t end there. Throughout his time behind bars, Charles Harrelson made a series of bizarre and chilling claims — the most infamous being that he was involved in the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Though his alleged confession was never verified and widely dismissed as delusional, it added a layer of dark mystery to an already disturbing legacy.

Woody Harrelson has spoken only sparingly about his father’s criminal past, but he has acknowledged that learning about it as a young man was deeply complicated. Despite the grim history, Woody has often expressed curiosity and empathy toward his father, even visiting him in prison before Charles Harrelson’s death in 2007.

It’s a story that feels stranger than fiction: a beloved Hollywood star whose father lived a life of crime, violence, and conspiracy. While Woody Harrelson built a career entertaining millions, his father’s shadow remains one of the most fascinating and haunting footnotes in American true crime history.