Since The Grand was an improv comedy movie, it was easy to stage a real poker game for the finale. Everyone was making up their lines anyway, so might as well just see where the cards fall. Woody Harrelson claimed he could pick up his costars tells.
Harrelson Bets a Grand
"I find that I can really see into people just genuinely," he said. "Like I can tell everything about you. One look tells me everything." His assessment of me? "You’re very clean."
Shot in real casinos, the cool air was a welcome respite from the desert heat. "We shot it summer before last, and it was about a month. The month of July in Las Vegas, they’re practically giving away rooms."
Known for certain herbal addictions himself, Harrelson also joneses for the buzz of card action. "I love it. It really is a drug of sorts. It gets you all jacked up and your adrenaline pumping, but I’ve had a lot of very intense poker moments."
With big movie paydays, Harrelson does not need poker winnings, but his victories are hardly about the money. "Most I’ve made? I don't know if I should really say. If I were to say it, I’d say I’ve lost more, but I have won a lot and I did lose a lot, so the IRS should be okay with it."
The Grand
The Grand
After filming wrapped, Harrelson would step out of character and enjoy some poker on his own. "I just went as myself when I played outside, I didn’t stay in wardrobe or character. I was playing in little tournaments. You would think it would be one of those things where they’d be like, 'Actually we really want to keep you in,' but I find that they’re really gunning for you. They want to be the guy that puts you out."
As the character, Jack Faro, Harrelson donned an eye patch, scraggly hair and outrageous outfits. "The character really is One-Eyed Jack Faro. There wasn’t really anything other than that. I didn’t even know why he was called One-Eyed Jack, but then I did bring my eye-patch just in case it came in handy for that tournament. The look, Zak [Penn] had an idea about this guy, I can’t remember, from this band. I just liked the guy’s sideburns and the look of the guy."
Add to Heffee!
