Posted on 04/11/2009 9:45:34 PM PDT by Ellendra
(CNN) -- Woody Harrelson defended his clash with a photographer at a New York airport Wednesday night as a case of mistaken identity -- he says he mistook the cameraman for a zombie.
The TMZ photographer filed a complaint with police claiming the actor damaged his camera and pushed him in the face at La Guardia Airport, according to an airport spokesman.
"We're looking into this allegation and if it's warranted, we'll turn it over to the proper authorities," said Port Authority of New York and New Jersey spokesman Ron Marsico.
The photographer, who was not identified, captured the encounter on a small camera after his larger one was broken.
Harrelson, who is being sued by another TMZ photographer for an alleged assault in 2006, did not deny his involvement.
"I wrapped a movie called 'Zombieland,' in which I was constantly under assault by zombies, then flew to New York, still very much in character," Harrelson said in a statement issued Friday by his publicist.
"With my daughter at the airport I was startled by a paparazzo, who I quite understandably mistook for a zombie," he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
If it was Woodie Smith instead of Woodie Harrelson (whose own father is in the big for murder, BTW), he would certainly be seeing some jail time. It will be interesting how this pans out.
> “With my daughter at the airport I was startled by a paparazzo, who I quite understandably mistook for a zombie,” he said.
Sure. That makes perfect sense. Paparazzi= zombie. A zombie with a camera. Good one...
“Pray he’s never cast as a serial killer, psycho, rapist, or pedophile.”
He was a serial killer in Natrual Born Killers. Luckily he never had flashbacks as he obviously did here. /s
Well if he was looking to eat Woody's brains he was in for a disappointment.
Ya know, unforturnately for me I am now in between jobs, and idiots like this, who aren’t even that good at what they do, are still making millions pretending to be something they aren’t, except being idiots.
His dad was a famous murderer,,violent family background. Amazing how this nobody gets so much attention.
Ummm, Woody?
Zombies usually don’t take your picture.
They take your limbs and flesh.
I take it you’ve never seen “Natural Born Killers”, have you?
I don’t know..I think this is really funny. I think these photographers are outrageous and I do think celebrities deserve privacy.
Well, I sure can’t tell the difference between the two.
Both lurch after humans with the intent of devouring brains...
Charles Voyde Harrelson (July 23, 1938 March 15, 2007) was an American freelance hitman connected with organized crime and was convicted of assassinating a federal judge. He was actor Woody Harrelson’s father.
Harrelson was sentenced to two life terms for the May 29, 1979, assassination of U.S. District Judge John H. Wood, Jr. Harrelson was convicted of shooting and killing Wood in the parking lot outside of Wood’s San Antonio, Texas, townhouse after being hired by drug dealer Jamiel Chagra of El Paso. Wood nicknamed “Maximum John” because of his reputation for handing down long sentences for drug offenses was originally scheduled to have Chagra appear before him on the day of his murder, but the trial had been delayed.
This incident is mentioned in Cormac McCarthy’s book No Country for Old Men. In the film for the book Charles Harrelson’s son, Woody Harrelson, plays one of the contract killers.
Prior to the Wood murder, Harrelson was tried for the 1968 murder for hire killing of Hearne, Texas grain dealer Sam Degelia Jr in McAllen, Texas. Harrelson committed a murder for hire of Sam Degelia on July 6, 1968. On November 19th, 1968, Harrelson was arrested in Atlanta, GA in possession of a car, which had been reported stolen on November 15th, 1968. Harrelson’s attorney was Percy Foreman, who had been counsel for convicted Martin Luther King assassin James Earl Ray. Foreman produced a surprise witness: a nightclub singer who claimed that she had been with Harrelson at the time of the murder. The trial ended in a hung jury: 11 for conviction, one for acquittal.
Harrelson was retried in 1974 in Brownsville, Texas. Texas Ranger Jack Dean, the lead investigator on the Degelia case, was in the courtroom with a perjury arrest warrant for the nightclub singer, but she had learned of it and fled to Aruba. Without the help of her testimony, Harrelson was found guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison. With time off for good behavior, he was free in five years.
After attempting to escape from the Atlanta federal penitentiary in 1996, Harrelson was transferred to Supermax prison ADX Florence in Florence, Colorado. He was found unresponsive in his cell on March 15, 2007, having apparently died of natural causes. Woody Harrelson had attempted to have his father’s conviction overturned and secure a new trial, to no avail.
“Woody Harrelson’s Father Dies in Prison”
If you listen to Bob Hope’s definition of a zombie then Woody is spot on.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkzV5AIK8iM
Quite. It happens to me all the time so I understand.
Natural Born Stripper: Woody Harrelson skinny dips with Hollywood pal Owen Wilson
http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/04_02/WoodyClimbsKADENA_761x652.jpg
Butt of the joke: Woody Harrelson shows off his tan lines
Harrelson is well-known for his wild antics and love of partying and has been a vocal campaigner for the legalisation of marijuana.
Admitting his wild behaviour, he said: “Whatever it is, I tend to get into things in an extreme fashion.
“I’m a sensitive soul. Now I feel pretty balanced. But it’s not like I don’t like to party. I will always like to party, and if that ever changes, slap me.
Hey dude...maybe you should switch to lower grade THC ganj homes.
* at least he’s not a judge murdering killer for hire like daddy
I’m sorry Ron. Good luck
Cheers! After 20 Years, Woody Harrelson Finally Marries Laura Louie
The newlyweds have three daughters together: Makani Ravello, 2, Zoe Giordano, 12 and Deni Montana, 14.
I agree. Paparazzi tend to be pretty obnoxious, and I don’t blame this guy for getting ticked off at them and saying “Oops, I thought it was a zombie”. I don’t believe him for a second, but I think it’s a hilarious excuse and the paparzzi in question probably deserved it =P
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