Woody Harrelson, the actor–cum–outspoken environmental activist with a penchant for pot, has had a long-standing love affair with our city. When it came time to think about mounting his play, Bullet for Adolf, he decided to make the long trek north from his home in Maui, Hawaii. We met at his favourite local restaurant, Live Organic Food Bar, to talk raw food, how high school cheerleader Robin Rogers got him into acting and why he’s here. Like, on this planet, man.
Why are you doing the play in Toronto?
I think all these guys, Marcello, Corey, Derrick [the producers], you know, they are just all really sharp. They know what they’re doing, and I wanted this thing to be in the right environment.
What is it with you and our city?
I don’t know. I guess the beauty of a place is its people, and I got a lot of great friends here and I love it in that sense. But I also think it is just a beautiful city.
Tell me about the new play.
Well, the interesting thing about the play is that it is based on characters that actually existed in Houston, Texas, in 1983.
The play is about you and your buddies in Houston?
Well, the characters are from that time, but we had to fictionalize the plot. It wasn’t that interesting unless you want to hear a series of conversations about nothing.
So what happens?
The plot involves a gun that one of the characters has — a father to one of the girls, Tina. His name is Jurgen. Jurgen has in his possession a gun — that, by the way, does exist in real life and this is a real story about it — the gun. Well I won’t tell you the whole story, but at one point, the gun was used to kill Hitler.
You’re kidding?
No, I only know about it because I’m really good buddies with a guy that’s buddies with this guy, right?
How did you get into acting?
Well, long story short I was impersonating Elvis Presley, standing on a table in the library of my high school, and this girl comes up to me: Robin Rogers, beautiful girl, cheerleader, who is dating one of the great athletes of Lebanon High School in Ohio, says, “Hey, you ought to come out for theatre.” Well, if Robin Rogers wants me to try out for theatre, I’m going to try out for theatre. And I did.
And how did it work out with Robin Rogers?
Good, which goes to show the reason we’re doing what we’re doing usually starts with a woman somewhere. There’s always been a woman guiding me in the right direction throughout my life: Laura for the last twenty-something years.
You’ve been an environmentalist for years. Where does that come from?
I don’t know, maybe the first time I walked through the woods and I saw the majesty of it. To me, God lives in nature, you know. You’d think man’s activity is all about eradicating God, you know. But, I’m hopeful.
Bullet for Adolf: Almost a Comedy, April 21 to May 7, Hart House Theatre