HOLLYWOOD star Woody Harrelson puts his head in his hands as he plays chess at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
The No Country for Old Men actor volunteered with a local charity at a Category B prison in west London on Thursday.
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Hollywood actor Woody Harrelson looks defeated as he plays chess at HMP Wormwood Scrubs
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Woody is playing with the prisoner
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The legend of the screen makes his move
Insiders said that Woody (62) played with inmates for almost three hours as part of an initiative used to try and rehabilitate criminals.
Woody is currently starring in the Ulster American theater play alongside Lord of the Rings actor Andy Serkis at Riverside Studios nearby, which is three miles from the prison.
A source said: “Woody’s visit to Wormwood Scrubs was very low-key.
“No one knew he was coming except senior staff, and the prisoners he met were delighted.
“Woody knows one of the people at the charity, Chess in Schools and Communities, and is a big fan of the game so he asked to get involved.
“He played for almost three hours and had a great time.”
James Wise-Ford, Head of Residence at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, said: “The value this game brings to our prisoners is undeniable – it teaches them patience, discipline and helps with their rehabilitation.
“It was fantastic to have Woody Harrelson in our prison, playing against the inmates and teaching them the value of this important activity.”
Woody’s father Charles was a murderer who died behind bars in the US in 2007.
He was first jailed for murder in 1973, but after his release he was given two life sentences in 1981 after a US judge awarded it.
It wasn’t until he was 12 years old that Woody discovered who his father was and confronted his mother.
He previously said she knew what Charles did for a living, saying: “She was quite taken with it all.
“She was very unloved by him. You know, I have to give her credit because she never made us mad at him, never spoke negatively about him, never, never. And she could – he was not the best husband. Or father. But…”
Woody tried to exonerate his father and spent millions of pounds on lawyers to try to clear his name.
Charles died in 2007, and Woody said they became friends before his death.
He said: “We got on well. When you can’t hang out and go to the pub, you know what I mean, it’s hard.”
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Woody Harrelson is known for playing troubled characters like Martin Hart in True Detective Credits: HBO
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Woody played a killer in Natural Killers, but his father was the real deal
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Harrelson was unable to get his father out of prison before he died of a heart attack in 2007. Credit: AP: Associated Press
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