Woody Harrelson embodies the role of a devoted father to his daughters: Deni, Zoe, and Makani. Harrelson has frequently shared how his wife, Laura Louie, and their girls have profoundly enriched his life. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, he reflected on the impact of his rising fame after his role in Cheers, which made him more withdrawn and cynical.
“Fortunately, my family—my wife and daughters—helped me become a better person,” he noted. The actor, known for his work in Suncoast, highlighted that his children play an essential role in keeping him humble and grounded.
The youngest daughter, Makani Ravello Harrelson, has shown interest in acting and appeared alongside her father in the films LBJ and Lost in London
“My daughters always remind me when I’m being foolish,” he explained in a 2023 conversation with The New York Times. “They don’t give me praise when it isn’t deserved. Their honesty has guided me toward being a kinder, gentler person.”
In an interview with Lufthansa magazine, Harrelson mentioned that they have discovered how to maintain balance in their lives. “My daughters are strong and perceptive; they see through insincerity, yet they remain optimistic and open-minded,” he shared with HuffPost.
Let’s explore more about Woody Harrelson’s daughters: Zoe, Deni, and Makani.
Deni Montana Harrelson, 30
Deni, born on March 5, 1994, is the eldest of Harrelson’s children. She prefers to stay out of the public eye and doesn’t engage on social media. Nonetheless, she occasionally joins her family for red carpet events.
In February 2023, Deni attended the premiere of her father’s film Champions in New York City, where she was seen in a fashionable black-and-white outfit accented by a bright red hat.
In a 2008 interview with Esquire, Harrelson reflected on how fatherhood transformed him. “When Deni was born, she brought such purity and compassion into my life,” he recalled. “She found a way to break through the walls I had built around my heart.”
He emphasized, “Becoming a parent has been the most rewarding experience; my heart truly needed her.” Zoe Giordano Harrelson-Louie, 28 Zoe, the second daughter, was born on September 22, 1996, and she maintains her privacy by avoiding public social media platforms.
For part of their upbringing, Zoe and Deni were homeschooled. Harrelson, in an interview with InStyle, expressed his desire for them to learn from their experiences together while he worked, even as he often found himself away from home.
He explained to The New York Times that this arrangement eventually changed. “They began attending a great school, which meant we couldn’t travel together as much anymore,” he said. “It wasn’t fair to them, but I could have managed my work schedule better.”
In 2015, Zoe delivered a TED Talk as a high school senior, discussing the negative effects of smartphone usage and advocating for digital breaks. The video description indicated that she shares her father’s artistic passions, being actively involved in theater, drawing, singing, and creative writing.
That same year, she appeared in U2’s music video “Song For Someone,” where Harrelson portrayed a father preparing for release from prison, with Zoe playing his daughter.
Makani Ravello Harrelson, 18
The youngest of Harrelson’s children, Makani, was born on June 3, 2006. Shortly after her arrival, Harrelson and Louie released a statement celebrating their daughter. “In this patriarchal world, we’re striving to balance energies,” it announced. “We proudly complete our family with the birth of Makani Ravello.”
As she grew up, Makani formed friendships with children of her father’s famous peers. In a 2013 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Harrelson mentioned that Makani and Owen Wilson’s son, Ford, were close friends.
Wilson shared a heartwarming story about how Makani took Ford to show-and-tell at school, which delighted the live audience.
Like her sisters, Makani has expressed an interest in the arts and may pursue a career in acting. In 2016, she appeared alongside her father in the film LBJ and played a character named Deni in Lost in London, which also starred Harrelson.
