Woody Harrelson Kicks of 'Saturday Night Live' With His Fifth Opening Monologue

There’s scarcely a word or move in Champions that you haven’t seen somewhere else before, but in a very modest way this goofball minor-league basketball yarn throws off enough amiable and vaguely raucous charm to keep a smile on sports fans’ faces much of time. Woody Harrelson makes the exasperated most of his role as a been-around-the-block minor-league coach whose likely final hope at employment is to whip a bunch of physically challenged misfits into presentable shape. It’s very easy to imagine gobs of middle-aged guys sitting around the tube at home or in a bar chugging a few while having a good time with this one.

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic While Peter Farrelly was off winning Oscars for “Green Book,” younger brother Bobby has been largely absent from feature directing. It’s been nearly a decade since the siblings shared credit — the last time being 2014’s “Dumb and Dumber To.” Now, rather than competing with Peter at the respectability game, Bobby sticks to what he knows with “Champions,” in which Woody Harrelson plays a minor-league basketball coach court-ordered to assist a Special Olympics team for 90 days — just long enough to take the team from bumbling incompetents to national finalists. There are zero surprises in “Champions,” unless you count the not-inconsiderable shock that such a movie exists at all. A remake of 2018 Spanish box office sensation “Campeones,” this awkward (if presumably well-intentioned) comedy might have felt enlightened 25 years ago — back when “Forrest Gump” was an Oscar favorite — but today makes for a patronizing portrayal of people with intellectual disabilities. That’s still better than no portrayal at all, I suppose, and there’s some satisfaction to be had in watching Harrelson’s character overcome his prejudices — reflected by using the “boo-boo word” that starts with “R” — and grow to see these amateur athletes for more than their limitations. But did the film (little more than a “Role Models” redux) have to paint its players as such extreme incompetents from the outset?

Woody Harrelson admitted that fame can have an interesting effect on someone's mind.  "It’s not a good thing. I don’t think fame is ever an evolving consciousness. It’s fine and dandy for people to tell you ‘you’re great.’ Nothing wrong with that.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Tim Robbins is backing Woody Harrelson’s demand for Hollywood to end COVID protocols on film and television sets. Sharing Variety’s article about Harrelson’s opinion, Robbins told his Twitter followers: “Woody is right. Time to end this charade.” The “Shawshank Redemption” actor tagged SAG-AFTRA and the Actors’ Equity Association so that both organizations could see his plea. In an interview with The New York Times last month, Harrelson said it’s “absurd” that COVID protocols are still in effect on Hollywood sets. He added, “I don’t think that anybody should have the right to demand that you’re forced to do the testing, forced to wear the mask and forced to get vaccinated three years on. I’m just like, let’s be done with this nonsense.”

Woody Harrelson made a rare red carpet appearance with his family at the premiere of his new movie, "Champions," in New York City. The 61-year-old actor was joined by his wife, Laura Louie, 55, and their daughters, Deni, 30, and Makani, 16, as he attended the event at the AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Monday night.The pair, who have been married since 2008, also share daughter Zoe, 26.

Woody Harrelson came under fire for spreading a conspiracy theory about COVID-19 vaccine manufacturers during his “Saturday Night Live” monologue, the “Zombieland” actor took aim at “absurd” protocols on Hollywood sets.“I don’t think that anybody should have the right to demand that you’re forced to do the testing, forced to wear the mask and forced to get vaccinated three years on. I’m just like, Let’s be done with this nonsense. It’s not fair to the crews,” Harrelson, 61, told New York Times Magazine in an interview published late last week.“I don’t have to wear the mask.

Woody Harrelson shows off his basketball skills on the red carpet of the premiere of his newest movie, Champions, held at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on Monday (February 27) in New York City.

Harrelson said. “The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes, and people can only come out if they take the cartel’s drugs and keep taking them over and over.”He added, “I threw the script away. I mean, who was going to believe that crazy idea? Being forced to do drugs? I do that voluntarily all day long.”Predictably, the blowback was swift, with nearly every ensuing news story proclaiming Harrelson was spreading anti-vax conspiracy theories.

Woody Harrelson made his latest movie premiere a family affair.

Zack Sharf Digital News Director Woody Harrelson railed against COVID protocols on film sets during a new interview with The New York Times. The actor is making the press rounds in support of his new movie “Champions,” an indie sports dramedy from director Bobby Farrelly that’s backed by Focus Features. Harrelson expressed uncertainty about the future of indie movies given “all the COVID protocols” in place, calling such protocols “absurd.” “What’s absurd about the Covid protocols?” The New York Times asked Harrelson. “The fact that they’re still going on!” the actor responded. “I don’t think that anybody should have the right to demand that you’re forced to do the testing, forced to wear the mask and forced to get vaccinated three years on. I’m just like, let’s be done with this nonsense. It’s not fair to the crews. I don’t have to wear the mask. Why should they? Why should they have to be vaccinated? How’s that not up to the individual? I shouldn’t be talking about this [expletive].”

Woody Harrelson divided Saturday Night Live viewers over his monologue as the actor hosted the NBC sketch show for the fifth time.

Woody Harrelson's fifth time as host on isn't being met with a lot of warmth. Many viewers are slamming the actor for his monologue that they felt spread COVID-19 vaccine conspiracy theories.Fans took to Twitter following Saturday's new episode to call out Harrelson, and e, for his remarks — in which he seemingly compared pharmaceutical companies to drug cartels.In his monologue, Harrelson told a long, intentionally rambling story about how, after he last hosted in September 2019, he was given a script to read over.The bulk of Harrelson's story seemed to revolve around how high he likes to get, but also how he quit smoking pot for a while, and how his manager smuggled pot illegally from Los Angeles to New York.

Woody Harrelson came very close to getting snubbed for his coveted Five-Timers jacket during his outing as “Saturday Night Live” host over the weekend. This is, until Scarlett Johansson saved the day.

Woody Harrelson was the host of this weekend’s Saturday Night Live episode and he sure didn’t shy away from drawing attention to the act!!

rambling monologue found Harrelson speaking about a script he read pre-2020 that foretold the COVID-19 pandemic.“So the movie goes like this: The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes. And people can only come out if they take the cartel’s drugs and keep taking them over and over.”He continued: “I threw the script away — I mean, who was going to believe that crazy idea? Being forced to do drugs? I do that voluntarily all day long.”It’s unclear how much of this portion of the monologue was written by “SNL” writers and how much was written by Harrelson.

Woody Harrelson hosted “Saturday Night Live” this weekend, marking his fifth time as host.

Woody Harrelson is celebrating his fifth Saturday Night Live hosting stint.

Saturday Night Live monologue last night (February 25), Woody Harrelson shared conspiracies about COVID vaccines, leading to debate online.The episode’s host has previously called mask wearing during the pandemic “absurd” and sharing articles linking supposed “negative effects of 5G” with the outbreak of COVID.At the end of his monologue, he used a film pitch with the “craziest script” as a metaphor for the COVID pandemic, lockdowns and rollout of vaccines, though never used the word COVID or vaccine.Harrelson said: “So the movie goes like this. The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes.

Jack White was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live last night (February 25) – watch his three-song performance below.The guitarist performed ‘Taking Me Back’, ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ and ‘A Tip From You To Me’ from his two 2022 albums ‘Fear Of The Dawn’ and ‘Entering Heaven Alive’ – on the episode, hosted by Woody Harrelson.Announced at the start of the month, the appearance was White’s fifth turn on Saturday Night Live. He appeared as part of The White Stripes in 2002, performing ‘Dead Leaves And The Dirty Ground’ and ‘We’re Going to Be Friends’.He’s also taken to the stage three times as a solo artist, performing ‘Love Interruption’ and ‘Sixteen Saltines’ in 2012 before returning in 2018 to play ‘Over And Over and Over’ alongside ‘Connected By Love’.Watch him toast the return of SNL after a two-week break below.So far this year, Saturday Night Live has featured performances from Coldplay, Sam Smith and Lil Baby.Smith performed their ‘Gloria’ title track and was joined by Kim Petras for a run-through of their viral smash ‘Unholy’ while Lil Baby performed two tracks from ‘It’s Only Me’, ‘Californian Breeze’ and ‘Forever’.Next month, The 1975 will appear as the musical guests on Saturday Night Live, with Wednesday star Jenna Ortega serving as the host for the March 11 episode.Elsewhere, Jack White is reportedly set to appear in Martin Scorsese‘s new film, Killers Of The Flower Moon.Killers Of The Flower Moon, which stars Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio, is based on a book of the same name.

Katie Reul editor Woody Harrelson is under fire for referencing his controversial stance on vaccination and the COVID-19 pandemic in his opening monologue of the Feb. 25 episode of “Saturday Night Live.” The actor, who took to the stage for his fifth time as “SNL” host, proceeded to ramble off a story that all hinged around the “craziest script” he’s ever read. After several minutes of getting distracted talking about smoking weed, drinking and what kind of tree he was sitting under, the actor describes the aforementioned script. “So the movie goes like this,” Harrelson explains. “The biggest drug cartels in the world get together and buy up all the media and all the politicians and force all the people in the world to stay locked in their homes. And people can only come out if they take the cartel’s drugs and keep taking them over and over.”