Woody Harrelson was brought up by three generations of women: his story-telling great-grandmother, his extremely quiet grandmother, and his single mother, Diane Lou Oswald, who was responsible for the bulk of his upbringing.
Oswald is the mother of three sons, all of which were fathered by her ex-husband, Charles V. Harrelson, who was convicted of murder. Oswald, a deeply devout man who worked as a secretary, was the one who was responsible for the upbringing of the three sons, Woody, Brett, and Jordan.
Despite the fact that Oswald had little resources when Woody was young, she was a loving mother to him and always made sure there was food on the table. In addition, she has always had a sense of pride for her son, even before he became famous in the film industry.
Diane Lou Oswald’s Ex-husband Was a notorious rogue.
Oswald was a secretary by trade and was originally from the city of Lebanon in Ohio. She is known to be a highly devout member of the Presbyterian religion, and she instilled that faith in her children to such a degree that Woody believes he would have been suited for a career in the ministry. Oswald and her ex-husband, Charles, were the parents of their three boys.
Oswald was aware of Charles’s involvement in organized crime and the fact that he worked as a contract assassin; hence, she was not shocked when he was sentenced to jail. By the time Woody had reached his early teenage years, she had given up on love entirely. Nonetheless, despite the fact that he was not the finest husband or parent, she never badmouthed him to anybody.
Oswald and Charles had already parted ways by the time Woody was approximately seven years old, and Woody never saw Charles again, even before they had split up. Woody was maybe 11 or 12 years old when he was astounded to hear his father’s name mentioned on the radio in connection with a murder. Even if he made an effort to address it with his mother, there was not much that could be said about it.
Both of Diane Lou Oswald’s mothers, as well as her grandmother, assisted her in the upbringing of her children.
Oswald is a devout member of the Presbyterian church, and she brought all of her children up in the congregation. But, as Woody became older, particularly when he started attending college, he acknowledged that his conviction began to crumble as a result of his newly gained awareness of progressive ideals. This was especially true for him during his time at college. Currently he is of the Presbyterian faith “is similar to a watered-down version of Catholicism. Just a fraction of the rite, but all of the guilt”
Oswald was a resident of the Lone Star State of Texas up to the time when Woody was 12 years old. Following that, she and her three kids uprooted their lives and moved to Lebanon, Ohio, which is where she had grown up. There, she received assistance in the rearing of her children from her own mother as well as her own grandma. About these, Woody offered his commentary by saying:
“Polly, who was my great-great grandma, had a lot of sass. She was talented in the art of storytelling, and every other aspect of her was admirable. And then there was my grandmother—before I spoke to you, I’ve never had a discussion that lasted as long as it has with you. She has a calm demeanor despite being able to have a conversation, yet she is a lady of few words.
Woody also said that his family was not very wealthy while he was growing up. Yet, Oswald managed to care for her three sons despite the fact that she was a secretary and a single parent. Woody acknowledges that this was a difficult task for Oswald. Woody also remembers that his mother was pleased with him since he was well liked by his classmates at school.
Diane Lou Oswald Inculcated a love of the outdoors and the world in Woody.
Oswald has never stopped being proud of her son Woody, even though he is now an adult. She has always felt this way, even when he was a child. When Woody learned that he had been nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Best Supporting Actor for his performance in “The Messenger” as Captain Stone, he made the following statement:
My mother sent me a card in which she congratulated me on my arrival and said, “You finally came.” You are competing in the same category as Christopher Plummer, who has also received a nomination. Now that I have my mother’s blessing, I don’t need anything else, do you get what I’m saying? I don’t need a monument in my yard.”
“Jena Malone and Samantha Morton starred in the 2009 film adaptation of the military drama “The Messenger,” which was released in theaters. Christopher Waltz was nominated for an Academy Award for the role of Colonel Hans Landa in the film “Inglorious Bastards,” for which he ultimately won the award for Best Supporting Actor. He won the prize against competition from the likes of Matt Damon.
Woody Harrelson has also spoken in public how the lessons that Oswald taught him about having compassion for the planet and nature have influenced him. It is something that she has ingrained in Woody all during their time together. In addition to this, he attributes his work ethic to her, noting that she is the source of his vitality.