Long before red carpets, protest signs, and late-night interviews, Woody Harrelson lived a very different life. No Hollywood buzz and no counterculture image. Just a young college student in Indiana trying to figure things out.

That chapter included an unexpected friendship with Mike Pence, a man who would later land one of the most powerful political roles in the country. It sounds made up. Well, it is not.

Their bond began quietly in the late 1970s at Hanover College. Two students. One campus. Shared faith. No hint of how far apart their futures would land.

Woody / IG / At Hanover, religion shaped daily life. Harrelson arrived on a Presbyterian scholarship and planned to become a minister. That idea feels wild now, but back then it made sense to him.

Pence was already a known figure on campus. He was older, serious, and deeply involved in religious life. He took Harrelson under his wing in small ways. One of those moments stuck.

Harrelson has said Pence helped him work on a sermon for a Wednesday night service. Not casually. Pence pushed him to sharpen the message and stay focused. Harrelson later joked that Pence made sure it was “on point.” At the time, that guidance mattered.

They talked about faith, purpose, and shared values. This was years before Harrelson starred in “Cheers” or became known for films like “Natural Born Killers” and “No Country for Old Men.” It was also long before Pence entered public office. They were just students in the same place, walking the same paths.

One Campus, Two Very Different Roads

After college, everything changed. Pence stayed rooted in his beliefs. He moved toward law, radio, and then politics. That path led him to Congress, the Indiana governor’s office, and eventually the vice presidency.

Harrelson went the other way. Hard. He started questioning his theology studies. The answers no longer lined up. He later said he began seeing the Bible as man-made, not divine.

That shift cracked the door open to a new life. He switched majors to English and theater. Acting replaced preaching. Structure gave way to exploration.

Harrelson has described his twenties and thirties as full-throttle chaos. He leaned into freedom, risk, and pleasure. Hollywood followed. So did fame. Films like “White Men Can’t Jump” and “True Detective” turned him into a household name.

Along the way, he became outspoken about marijuana legalization and environmental causes. That public image could not be further from Pence’s clean-cut political persona. The contrast says a lot. Same school, same start, and totally different conclusions.

Looking Back Without Rose Colored Glasses

Woody / IG / Years later, Harrelson has talked about Pence with surprising warmth. During an appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, he said he liked Pence back then.

He called him a good guy, sincere, committed, and serious about his faith.

That respect is real. It is also limited to the past.

Harrelson has been clear that they would not be close today. He sees Pence as representing a stricter, more intense form of religion. One that leaves little room for questioning or play. He said that kind of fervor makes connections hard. Not hostile. Just distant. He summed it up simply. They are not in the same ballpark anymore.

Pence was not the only political figure to cross Harrelson’s path. Years later, he found himself at dinner with Donald Trump in the early 2000s. The dinner was long. The talk was strange. Trump was reportedly trying to recruit Jesse Ventura as a possible running mate.