Woody Harrelson lives off the grid in Hawaii with his wife and kids, his kiteboard, his organic garden, and his stoner buddies, 3,000 miles away from the Hollywood studios that never stop calling. Photograph by Sam Jones

In our April issue, on sale now: Erik Hedegaard profiles Game Change co-star Woody Harrelson, Jeff Tietz visits the lawless Arizona-Mexico border, Mark Adams shares a volley with ping-pong hustler Marty Reisman, and Howie Kahn learns how to prepare soul-satisfying weeknight meals.

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From Erik Hedegaard’s Woody Harrelson’s (Mostly) Happy Ending:

On being offered the role of Haymitch in The Hunger Games:
“I turned it down. But then the director, Gary Ross, called and said, ‘I don’t have a second choice, you’re the part. You have to do this.’ And I said, ‘In that case, let’s do it.’”

On spending time with Steve Schmidt, the political consultant he portrays in Game Change:
“I wouldn’t imagine myself wanting to have anything to do with the guy, but I really found myself liking him. He’s a political animal, but I feel like he’s an idealist and not bogged down in all the bullshit. Let’s face it. Obama was a phenomenon. They knew they were going to get beat, so choosing Palin was just a Hail Mary pass. It was just a wild idea.”

On if he is more sympathetic toward Republicans after making Game Change:
“Fuck, no! The shit those people say just makes me weep for humanity!”

On the last time he saw his father, Charles Harrelson, outside of prison:
“An ironic thing happened. I never told this story, but fuck it. When I was a senior in high school, I came back from a track meet and saw him sitting on the living room couch. He’d been in jail since I was seven, so for 10 years. I didn’t even know he was out. I saw him, and I just started bawling. The next day, we were in his car, and my dad picked up a roach clip with a little roach in it, lit it, and offered it to me. Well, to me, this was a terrible thing. I had a really intolerant attitude about that drug, which is the ironic thing. I got so furious with him that I didn’t go out with him that night, and he left the next day, and the next time I saw him, he was in prison again.”

On his father watching Cheers in prison:
“One cool thing that happened: He was, at the time, in Huntsville — no, I think it was Atlanta. They’d vote on what to watch, and they used to always vote for this other show that was on at the same time Cheers was on. My father never told anybody I was on it. Somehow, someone got wind of it, told everybody, and every Thursday night after that, they voted Cheers unanimously. That’s one of the cool things that happened.”

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Plus:

• Dan Duane rides the Arizona Trail, the newest national scenic trail.
• Our expert-guided plan to retooling your golf game, from tee to green, in just six months.
• Gina Kolata investigates the downside of MRIs.
• Eight intuitive, easily-controlled devices for making your house safer, more comfortable, and more efficient.
• Hollywood legend Nick Nolte talks about the pain of divorce, the joy of gardening, and the art of handling fear.

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