Who played Woody Boyd on Cheers?

Woody Harrelson played Woody Boyd on Cheers. Harrelson joined the series in 1985, debuting as the replacement for Coach in the fourth-season premiere.

Woody Boyd was written as a good-hearted, somewhat naïve bartender from Indiana. In the story, he had exchanged pens—not letters—with Coach and traveled to Boston expecting to meet him. After learning of Coach’s death, Woody accepted the vacant job at the bar.

Harrelson’s performance made Woody an important member of the ensemble rather than a simple copy of Coach. Woody’s misunderstandings and earnest personality created comic contrasts with Sam Malone, Carla Tortelli, Norm Peterson, Cliff Clavin, and the other regulars.

Cheers was Harrelson’s breakthrough television role. He appeared in the series from 1985 through its finale in 1993, earning five Primetime Emmy nominations and winning Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1989. He later became known for films including The People vs. Larry Flynt and The Hunger Games.