Most people know Woody Harrelson. He is one of the biggest actors in Hollywood. But not many people know about his younger brother, Brett Harrelson. Brett has lived a life full of surprises. He was a soldier, a motorcycle racer, an actor, a business owner, and a podcast maker. His story is not just about being a famous person’s brother. It is about a man who found his own way in life, even when things were very hard.
Early Life: Growing Up in a Difficult Family
Brett Voyde Harrelson was born on June 4, 1963, in Midland, Texas. His parents were Diane Lou Oswald and Charles Voyde Harrelson. Brett has two brothers: his older brother Jordan and his famous brother Woody Harrelson.
The Harrelson family had a very troubled past. Brett’s father, Charles Harrelson, was not a normal dad. He was a contract killer, which means people paid him money to kill other people. Charles left the family when Brett was very young. His parents got divorced in 1964, just one year after Brett was born.
In 1973, Brett moved with his mother to her hometown of Lebanon, Ohio. That is where he grew up. Life was not easy. His mother, Diane, worked hard as a secretary to take care of the boys on her own. The family did not have much money, and they lived without a father figure for most of their childhood.
Things got even worse in 1979. Charles Harrelson was arrested for shooting and killing a federal judge named John H. Wood Jr. in San Antonio, Texas. This was a very big crime. In fact, it was the first time a federal judge was killed in the United States in the 20th century. Charles was found guilty and sent to prison for life. He died in prison in 2007.
Growing up with a father who was a convicted killer was not something Brett or Woody talked about much. But it shaped their lives in deep ways. As Brett once said about his father in the Son of a Hitman podcast, he saw parts of himself in his dad, even though he knew his father did terrible things.
From High School Dropout to U.S. Army Soldier
Brett did not finish high school. He attended Lebanon High School in Ohio but dropped out when he was just 17 years old. He was young and did not know what he wanted to do with his life. So he made a big decision: he joined the United States Army.
Brett spent two years serving in Germany. The military gave him structure and discipline at a time when he really needed it. It also helped him see the world outside of his small town in Ohio. After his time in the Army, he went back to Lebanon and worked as a legal clerk for a while.
But Brett still felt like something was missing. He was not sure what his future held. That changed when he looked at what his older brother Woody was doing in California.
Moving to Hollywood: Following His Brother’s Footsteps
When Brett was 22, he made another big move. He packed his bags and went to Los Angeles to be closer to his brother Woody, who was starting to become a big star on the TV show Cheers.
Brett wanted to become an actor too. He once said about that time in his life that he went to L.A. to become famous. But Hollywood was not easy for Brett. While Woody quickly became one of the most popular actors in America, Brett had a much harder time finding work.
He tried for a while, but acting jobs were hard to get. Brett did not find the same kind of success his brother had. So instead of waiting around, he did something completely different. He became a professional motorcycle racer.
A Surprising Career: Professional Motorcycle Racing
Brett Harrelson did not just try motorcycle racing for fun. He became really good at it. By 1992, he was ranked number 8 in the professional national rankings in the United States. That is a very impressive achievement.
But the sport was dangerous. Brett saw some terrible things on the race track. After watching fellow racers lose their lives in accidents, he decided it was time to stop. The risk was just too high.
After he left racing, Brett went back to work with his brother. He became Woody Harrelson’s personal assistant. This job gave him a close look at how movies and TV shows were made. It also kept the brothers close, which was important to both of them.
Brett Harrelson’s Acting Career
Even though Brett is not as famous as Woody, he did have an acting career of his own. He appeared in several movies during the 1990s and 2000s.
His most well known role was in the 1996 movie The People vs. Larry Flynt. In this film, Woody Harrelson played the lead role of Larry Flynt, and Brett played his brother Jimmy Flynt. It was a special moment because the two real life brothers got to play brothers on screen too. Woody received an Academy Award nomination for his role in that movie.
Brett also appeared in other films. He had a role in Strangeland (1998), From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999), and a few other smaller projects. He also worked behind the scenes as a crew member on movies like Kingpin (1996) and Now You See Me (2013).
While his film career was not as big as Woody’s, Brett still made his mark in the entertainment world.
The Son of a Hitman Podcast
In 2020, Brett Harrelson took on a new project that got a lot of attention. He co-produced a podcast called Son of a Hitman. The show was released by Spotify Studios and produced by High Five Content.
The podcast is a true crime documentary series hosted by journalist Jason Cavanagh. It looks deep into the life and crimes of Charles Harrelson, Brett and Woody’s father. The show talks about the murders Charles was charged with, including the killing of Judge John H. Wood Jr. It also explores a very wild claim that Charles Harrelson once made: that he was involved in the killing of President John F. Kennedy.
Brett played a big part in the podcast. He shared personal stories and memories about growing up with a father who was a killer. He told Entertainment Weekly that the podcast taught him things about his dad he never knew before, and that what he learned was very surprising.
The podcast has 10 episodes and covers a lot of ground. It includes interviews with a former FBI agent, a drug kingpin’s family member, and a former lover of Charles who became a key witness in his trial.
Brett Harrelson as a Business Owner: Harrelson’s Own CBD
Brett Harrelson is also a business owner. He is the founder of a company called Harrelson’s Own CBD. The company sells CBD products like sprays, gummies, soft gels, and roll-on gels.
Brett has been a vegan for more than 35 years and has always been interested in natural health and wellness. His family, including Woody, has long been known for supporting hemp and cannabis causes. Woody Harrelson even opened his own cannabis shop called “The Woods.”
Harrelson’s Own CBD uses organic ingredients and a special water-based formula that the company says absorbs faster than oil-based CBD products. The products are made in the United States with hemp from American farms. The brand also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee.
Brett takes this business very seriously. He spent over a year creating the first product, a signature blend spray, and has since expanded the product line. The company has built a strong online presence and continues to grow in the CBD market.
The Bond Between Brett and Woody Harrelson
Brett and Woody Harrelson did not always have an easy relationship. Brett once told PEOPLE magazine in 1997 that he was the “black sheep” of the family while Woody was the “straight arrow.” The brothers spent a lot of time being angry at each other when they were younger.
But as they got older, their relationship got much better. Woody once said that Brett became very calm and focused. The two brothers share a deep connection because of the hard things they went through as kids. Having a father in prison for murder is not something most people can understand, but Brett and Woody share that experience.
Today, Brett lives in Venice, California, while Woody lives with his wife Laura Louie and their three daughters. Even though they live in different places, the brothers stay close.
A Fun Side Note: Could Matthew McConaughey Be Their Brother?
Here is a fun fact. In 2023, actor Matthew McConaughey said that he and Woody Harrelson might actually be brothers. Woody confirmed that there could be some truth to this idea, based on their family histories. Their mothers apparently knew each other many years ago.
No DNA test has been done yet, so it is still just a fun rumor. But given how close Woody and Matthew are in real life, it is an entertaining story that adds another interesting chapter to the Harrelson family history.
What Can We Learn from Brett Harrelson’s Life?
Brett Harrelson’s life teaches us something important. You do not have to follow the same path as your famous family member. You can build your own life, try different things, fail, and try again.
Brett went from being a high school dropout to a soldier, a motorcycle champion, an actor, a podcast producer, and a business owner. He faced a dark family history and turned it into something meaningful through his podcast. He built a wellness business from the ground up.
His story shows that success does not look the same for everyone. Sometimes the most interesting life is the one that takes the most unexpected turns.
