After his film debut in Wildcats (1986) and a small part in Doc Hollywood, Harrelson scored a slam-dunk in the basketball comedy White Men Can't Jump (1992). High-profile movies such as Indecent Proposal and the controversial Natural Born Killers followed. He then jolted fans and critics with his Oscar-nominated intensity as the titular pornographer in The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996).
Harrelson's other screen credits include Kingpin (1996), Wag the Dog (1997) and The Thin Red Line (1998). His supporting turn in The Messenger (2009) netted him Golden Globe and Oscar nods.