Woody Harrelson's ego ran wild during his early years in Hollywood.
Woody Harrelson says his ego was out of control during his younger years
The former 'Cheers' star has admitted he became quit unpleasant after shooting to fame but he was able to "catch" himself and change his ways so the 62-year-old actor now believes he is able to move through life with the "appropriate level of humility".
Speaking to the Guardian newspaper, he explained: "People are constantly taking care of you. Anything you want. Thing is, it’s OK if everybody tells you you’re great. The problem is when you start believing it ... I certainly did. When I was younger, my ego ran away from me. Or with me. It’s almost inevitable. Either you catch yourself and realise what’s happening, or you’re [messed up] as a human. Now I’ve got a good handle on it. I feel an appropriate level of humility.”
Woody added: "I mean, we’re not surgeons. We’re not saving Mother Earth here."
The actor also revealed he's often kept in check by his teenage daughter Makani, who regularly tells him off if he comes out with an inappropriate joke.
He said: "I can be a provocateur. My youngest daughter is extremely woke. Boy, does she ride me roughshod. I’ll be like, ‘It’s a joke! I know you’re woke, but can you take a little nap?'"
Woody's jokes recently came under the spotlight publicly when he faced a barrage of criticism for making light of a COVID-19 conspiracy theory when he guest-hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ in February. During his monologue, Wood said he had received the “craziest script he’s ever read” that ended with the masses “being forced” to take drugs in order to leave their homes.
However, he later insisted he wasn't bothered by the complaints, telling Esquire magazine: “Well, people told me it was, shall we say, trending. No, I don’t look at that [rubbish]. I feel like, ‘I said it on SNL.’ I don’t need to go further with it … other than to say – well, no, I won’t. Never mind. That’s enough ... It don’t change my life one bit. Not one bit, if the mainstream media wants to have a go at you, right? My life is still wonderful."
Tagged in Woody Harrelson