Willie Nelson

Acting

Willie Nelson

Born 1933-04-30 · Abbott, Texas, USA

Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 30, 1933) is an American country singer-songwriter, author, poet, actor, and activist. Nelson was one of the main figures of the Outlaw Movement, a subgenre of Country music that developed between the end of 1960s and early 1980s. The critical success of the albums Shotgun Willie, Phases and Stages, and the commercial success of Red Headed Stranger made Nelson one of the most recognized artists in country music. Nelson is also recognized for his contributions to charity, he is the president and one of the founding members of Farm Aid charity concert, and his activism for the legalization of marijuana and for the use of bio-fuels. Nelson started studying music from mail order material that his grandparents gave him. He wrote his first song at age seven and joined his first band at nine. During high school, he toured locally with the Bohemian Fiddlers as their lead singer and guitar player. After graduating from high school in 1950, he joined the Air Force. However, he was discharged due to back problems. After his return, Nelson attended Baylor University for two years but dropped out because he was succeeding in music. During this time, he worked as a disc jockey in Texas radio stations and a singer in honky tonks. Nelson moved to Vancouver, Washington, where he wrote "Family Bible" and recorded the song "Lumberjack" in 1956. In 1960, he signed a publishing contract with Pamper Music which allowed him to join Ray Price's band as a bassist. During that time, he wrote songs that would become country standards, including "Funny How Time Slips Away", "Hello Walls", "Pretty Paper", and "Crazy". In 1962, he recorded his first album, And Then I Wrote. Due to this success, Nelson signed in 1965 with RCA Victor and joined the Grand Ole Opry. Nelson is a major liberal activist and the co-chair of the advisory board of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, which is in favor of marijuana legalization. On the environmental front, Nelson owns the bio-diesel brand Willie Nelson Biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oil. He is the co-founder and president of Farm Aid, and has been contributing to the benefit concert series since the first event in 1985, organizing concerts and performing with other prominent artists. Nelson is also the Honorary Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Texas Music Project, the official music charity of the state of Texas. Description above from the Wikipedia article Willie Nelson, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia

Acting credits

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me poster
6.3

When diabolical genius Dr. Evil travels back in time to steal superspy Austin Powers's ‘mojo,’ Austin must return to the swingin' '60s himself - with the help of American agent, Felicity Shagwell - to stop the dastardly plan. Once there, Austin faces off against Dr. Evil's army of minions to try to save the world in his own unbelievably groovy way.

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me

1999

Zoolander 2 poster
4.9

Derek and Hansel are modelling again when an opposing company attempts to take them out from the business.

Zoolander 2

2016

The Dukes of Hazzard poster
5.6

Cousins, Bo and Luke Duke, with the help of their eye-catching cousin, Daisy and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse, try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County's corrupt commissioner, Boss Hogg. Their efforts constantly find the 'Duke Boys' eluding authorities in 'The General Lee', their 1969 orange Dodge Charger that keeps them one step ahead of the dimwitted antics of the small southern town's Sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltrane.

The Dukes of Hazzard

2005

The Electric Horseman poster
6.1

A former champion rodeo rider is reduced to using his saddle skills to promote a breakfast cereal in a gaudy Las Vegas show. When he's asked to perform with a $12 million horse, he discovers it is being doped to remain docile. He flees into the desert astride the beast in an act of defiance. A story-hungry female reporter gives chase.

The Electric Horseman

1979

The Greatest Night in Pop poster
7.9

On a January night in 1985, music's biggest stars gathered to record "We Are the World." This documentary goes behind the scenes of the historic event.

The Greatest Night in Pop

2024

Half Baked poster
6.3

Three lovable party buds try to bail their friend out of jail. But just when the guys have mastered a plan, everything comes dangerously close to going up in smoke.

Half Baked

1998

Thief poster
7.2

Frank is an expert professional safecracker, specialized in high-profile diamond heists. He plans to use his ill-gotten income to retire from crime and build a nice life for himself complete with a home, wife and kids. To accelerate the process, he signs on with a top gangster for a big score.

Thief

1981

Wag the Dog poster
6.9

During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.

Wag the Dog

1997

Beerfest poster
5.8

During a trip to Germany to scatter their grandfather's ashes, German-American brothers Todd and Jan discover Beerfest, the secret Olympics of downing stout, and want to enter the contest to defend their family's beer-guzzling honor. Their Old Country cousins sneer at the Yanks' chances, prompting the siblings to return to America to prepare for a showdown the following year.

Beerfest

2006

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song poster
8.3

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song is a documentary which examines how the song was written, how producer Quincy Jones and songwriters Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie persuaded some of the most popular performers in America to donate their services to the project, and offers a behind-the-scenes look at the marathon recording session that produced the single.

We Are the World: The Story Behind the Song

1985

Gone Fishin' poster
4.9

Two fishing fanatics get in trouble when their fishing boat gets stolen while on a trip.

Gone Fishin'

1997

Surfer, Dude poster
4.5

A wave twisting tale of a soul searching surfer experiencing an existential crisis.

Surfer, Dude

2008

The Country Bears poster
4.7

For Beary Barrington, The Country Bears' young #1 fan, fitting in with his all-too-human family is proving im-paws-ible. When he runs away to find Country Bear Hall and his heroes, he discovers the venue that made them famous is near foreclosure. Beary hightails it over the river and through the woods to get the Bears in the Band back together for an all-out reunion concert to save Country Bear Hall.

The Country Bears

2002

The Journeyman poster
5.0

In the Wild West at the turn of the century, two young brothers watch as their Grandpa is gunned down in cold blood. The desperados kidnap the older boy while a priest takes in the younger one. Thirteen years later these two brothers will cross paths again as they both seek revenge, each in their own way.

The Journeyman

2001

Outlaw Justice poster
6.4

In the tradition of THE WILD BUNCH and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN comes this fast paced, action filled western with unforgettable performances by an all star cast: Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, Travis Tritt and Waylon Jennings. All hell breaks loose in this riveting story when a group of former outlaws with bad attitudes teams up to catch a killer with murder and revenge on his mind. After Tobey(Jennings), a retired member of the group, is brutally gunned down by a former member and killer, Clinton Reese, our band of reformed gunslingers, Lee (Nelson, Tarence (Kristofferson), and Dalton (Tritt), sets out on Clinton's Trail. They are joined by Tobeys reluctatant young son Bryce (Willett).

Outlaw Justice

1999

Lost in London poster
6.0

Within the course of a night, Woody Harrelson finds himself in a misadventure in London that winds him up in prison.

Lost in London

2017

Swing Vote poster
5.8

In a remarkable turn of events, the result of the presidential election comes down to one man's vote.

Swing Vote

2008

Quincy poster
7.3

An intimate look into the life of icon Quincy Jones. A unique force in music and popular culture for 70 years, Jones has transcended racial and cultural boundaries; his story is inextricably woven into the fabric of America. Jones came to prominence in the 1950s as a jazz arranger and conductor before working on pop music and film scores. He moved easily between musical genres, producing major pop hits of the early 1960s and serving as an arranger and conductor for several collaborations in the same time period.

Quincy

2018

Stagecoach poster
5.4

Story follows a stagecoach ride through Old West Apache territory. On board are a cavalry man's pregnant wife, a prostitute with a broken heart, a Marshal taking in his prisoner Johnny Ringo, a crooked gambler, and the infamous Doc Holliday

Stagecoach

1986

Barbarosa poster
5.9

Karl Westover, an inexperienced farm boy, runs away after unintentionally killing a neighbor, whose family pursues him for vengeance. He meets Barbarosa, a gunman of near-mythical proportions, who is himself in danger from his father-in-law Don Braulio, a wealthy Mexican rancher. Don Braulio wants Barbarosa dead for marrying his daughter against the father's will. Barbarosa reluctantly takes the clumsy Karl on as a partner, as both of them look to survive the forces lining up against them.

Barbarosa

1982

The Big Bounce poster
5.0

A small-time con artist and a Hawaiian real estate developer's mischievous, enterprising mistress team up for a potential $200,000 score.

The Big Bounce

2004

The Man with the Big Hat poster
NR

An unsung pioneer of 1970s Texas Progressive Country, Steven Fromholz had a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Revered by legends like Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett & John Denver, he remained commercially unknown. He sought redemption on the Rio Grande as a river guide until a debilitating stroke erased his musical memory, stripping Fromholz of his artistic identity. With an almost obsessive persistence bolstered by newly discovered archives as well as never-before-heard recordings, this intimate and impressionistic portrayal unveils the evolution of Fromholz, and reshapes the notion of success and artistic fortitude.

The Man with the Big Hat

2026

America | A Tribute to Heroes poster
6.5

A benefit concert and telethon organized by George Clooney and broadcast uninterrupted and commercial-free by the four major television networks just 10 days after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon to raise money for the victims and their families,

America | A Tribute to Heroes

2001

The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning poster
6.1

When mischievous teenaged cousins Bo and Luke Duke are arrested, both boys are paroled to the care of their Uncle Jesse in Hazzard, sentenced to a summer of hard work. It's not long before the Duke boys learn of Boss Hogg's plans to foreclose on Uncle Jesse's farm. Together, with help from their cousin Daisy, Bo and Luke vow to save the family's property and its storied history of producing the best moonshine in all of Hazzard.

The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning

2007

Behind the camera