The only actor who out-smoked Woody Harrelson: “Slow down, this isn’t Jamaica”
Hollywood history is full of famous hellraisers. Richard Burton, Jack Nicholson, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, and a more recent addition to that list, Woody Harrelson. The Texas boy rose to fame at a very young age thanks to his role on Cheers and fell into the same trap that many young stars do. Booze and drugs became a big part of his personal life, with one substance in particular appealing to him the most: marijuana.
Harrelson is an enthusiastic supporter of the good ‘erb. He was once arrested for planting four hemp seeds in Kentucky, a protest against the state’s blanket ban on the crop. He lives on the same Hawaiian island as Willie Nelson, for crying out loud. There’s no way he wasn’t going to fall in love with the devil’s lettuce. Despite being one of the most prolific potheads in the acting game, even Harrelson has met his match on occasion.
As part of Variety’s ‘Actors on Actors’ series, Harrelson’s Hunger Games co-star Jennifer Lawrence sat down with Adam Sandler. According to Ms Everdeen, she and her fellow District 12 resident were smoking together one day when Harrelson made a shocking admission. “That’s like when Woody Harrelson told me to ‘Slow down Jen, this isn’t Jamaica,’” Lawrence revealed. “That’s when I was like…21 or 22. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I just out-smoked Woody Harrelson…’ It was such a big moment.”
Sandler, who worked with Harrelson on the movie Anger Management, recognised the magnitude of the achievement. “That’s very tough, by the way,” he said. “I’ve been around that kid.”
Harrelson is five years older than Sandler, so why he referred to him as “that kid” remains a mystery. It’s never been made clearer whether or not Sandler himself partakes, but given that his movies are a cornerstone of stoner culture, he’s allowed to pass judgment on this very serious claim.
Lawrence isn’t the only famous actor to have given the True Detective star a run for his money when it comes to illicit activities. Harrelson co-starred in True Detective alongside Robert Downey Jr at the height of his substance abuse issues. The up-and-comer terrorised that set, driving director Oliver Stone to the brink of madness with his late nights, erratic behaviour, and rampant drug-taking. In Harrelson’s own words, he was ‘Mother Theresa’ when compared to the future ‘Iron Man’.
Though Harrelson has calmed down significantly since the peak of his troublemaking, he is still a firm believer in the power of the green leaf. He not only owns a weed dispensary in California but has lobbied the government there to introduce cannabis cafes in the state similar to the ones they have in Amsterdam. He’s come a long way from being raised by a strictly religious family – something he and Lawrence have in common – and is now one of the most prominent figures in the modern equivalent of the ‘Legalise it’ movement.
The Hunger Games wasn’t just one of J-Law’s breakout moments as an actor, but it also proved that she could hang with the best of the best in other arenas, too. Beating Harrelson at his own game is no easy feat, especially at such a young age, and Lawrence should be over the moon with herself. If only they gave out Oscars for getting baked.
