Woody Harrelson has played a porn publisher in the “The People vs. Larry Flynt” and a
serial killer in “Natural Born Killers,” so portraying a political consultant in HBO’s “Game Change" was not too much of a stretch.
The laid-back actor plays Steve Schmidt, the hard-charging strategist for John McCain in the 2008 election.
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How did Harrelson, whose politics lean toward marijuana law reform, handle the role of
Republican hard-charger?
“I wouldn’t imagine myself wanting to have anything to do with the guy," he told Men's Journal, "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," Harrelson said. "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.”
Harrelson was also asked if making “Game Change” altered his view of Republicans.
“Fuck, no! The shit those people say just makes me weep for humanity!”
Also read: 'Game Change' Review: Sarah Palin Has Nothing to Worry About
Meanwhile, on Monday the real Steve Schmidt told Joe Scarborough on “Morning Joe” that he thought the movie was accurate.
“For all of us in the campaign, it really rang true,” Schmidt said, who admitted the film raised his anxiety level.
"But, look, I think it’s a story of when cynicism and idealism collide," he said, "when you have to do things necessary to win, to try to get in office to do the great things you want to do for the country.
"And I think it showed a process of vetting that was debilitated by secrecy, that was compartmentalized, that failed, that led to a result that was reckless for the country.”
He went on to lament his role in bringing Palin to the national stage.
“I think the notion of Sarah Palin being president of the United States is something that frightens me, frankly. And I played a part in that.”