--- name: "Willie Nelson" canonical: "https://film.one/person/willie-nelson" fi1m_id: "willie-nelson" imdb_id: "nm0005268" tmdb_id: 8261 wikidata_id: "Q206112" roles: ["Actor"] born: "30 April 1933" reviewed_on_fi1m: 3 average_fi1m_score: 72 average_as: "actor" average_over: 2 updated: "2026-09-25T05:39:37.863713+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Willie Nelson ## Identity Willie Nelson - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/willie-nelson - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** willie-nelson - **IMDb ID:** nm0005268 - **TMDB ID:** 8261 - **Wikidata ID:** Q206112 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Nelson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206112, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005268/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8261 Actor. Born 30 April 1933 in Abbott, Texas, USA. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 30 April 1933, Abbott, Texas, USA - **Active:** 1997–2017 - **Also known as:** The Highwaymen, Willie Hugh Nelson - **Titles on Fi1m:** 3: 2 acting, 1 other - **Frequently works with:** [Woody Harrelson](https://film.one/person/woody-harrelson.md) - **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination - **Average Fi1m score:** 72, as actor, over 2 titles - **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 77 (1), 2010s 66 (2) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willie_Nelson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206112, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005268/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8261 ## Streaming the US now - **Tubi:** [*Lost in London*](https://film.one/film/lost-in-london.md) (68) For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country. ## Fi1m on Willie Nelson > Willie Nelson brings a drawl, dignity and an unforced ease to parts that seldom stray far from his public self. We like him best when that familiarity serves a character, rather than merely supplying a cameo. Willie Nelson delivers dialogue with a drawl that leaves room for the words to settle. The weathered cowboy is a familiar casting choice, and he rarely asks us to forget the man we recognise. We value his dignity and understatement, though the habit of playing close to himself puts a clear limit on what these performances attempt. The early leading parts gave that presence room to hold a film together. After a supporting debut in *The Electric Horseman* (1979), he played a touring musician in *Honeysuckle Rose* (1980) and the title outlaw in *Barbarosa* (1982). The western particularly suits the dignity of his screen manner. These are useful reminders that the later succession of supporting parts and cameos was not the whole acting career. Nelson plays songwriter Johnny Dean in Barry Levinson's *Wag the Dog* (1997), casting that puts his familiar musical identity to work. We laughed because Dustin Hoffman treats deception as a production problem. The performances and dialogue earn their laughs, even when the satire is less searching than its confidence suggests. For Nelson, the advantage is having an occupation within the comedy: there is a reason for him to be there beyond being recognised. In *Lost in London* (2017), he appears as Willie Nelson, a casting habit that became increasingly common in his later screen work. Woody Harrelson's live, single-take comedy has good jokes, with Owen Wilson particularly helpful when the squabbling starts. Its looser stretches need the cuts that the premise will not allow. The pleasure of encountering a familiar performer belongs to this sort of comedy, but it gives us less to judge than a character with a job to do. The cameos are a poor place to assess how much he can do. We would start with *Wag the Dog*, where his familiarity serves a part within the comedy. For something less dependent on recognition, try Michael Mann's crime film *Thief* (1981), where he has a serious supporting role. ## Biography Willie Nelson is an American actor and musician. He made his film debut in *The Electric Horseman* (1979) and has appeared in numerous films and television series, often in supporting roles or as himself. His acting credits include *Honeysuckle Rose* (1980), *Thief* (1981), *Wag the Dog* (1997) as Johnny Dean, *Half Baked* (1998), *The Dukes of Hazzard* (2005) as Uncle Jesse Duke, and *Zoolander 2* (2016). He has also voiced characters in animated series such as *The Simpsons* and *King of the Hill*. *Sources: imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com.* ## On Fi1m (3) ### Performed in (2) — the average rests on these - *Lost in London* (2017), Fi1m 68, as Willie Nelson — [page](https://film.one/film/lost-in-london.md) - *Wag the Dog* (1997), Fi1m 77, as Johnny Dean — [page](https://film.one/film/wag-the-dog.md) ### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited - *Quincy* (2018), Fi1m 63, as Self — [page](https://film.one/film/quincy.md) ## Complete filmography (64) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Willie Nelson Presents: King of the Roadies* (2025), Executive Producer - *Willie and Me* (2024), as Willie Nelson / Bones - *Waiting for the Miracle to Come* (2019), as Jimmy Riggs - *Also Starring Austin* (2018), Actor - *Paradox* (2018), as Red - *Revolution: The Legacy of the Sixties* (2017), Actor - *Lost in London* (2017), as Willie Nelson — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/lost-in-london.md) - *Zoolander 2* (2016), as Willie Nelson - *Country Kings at the BBC* (2014), Actor - *Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds - Farm Aid Live* (2014), Production Artist - *Angels Sing* (2013), as Nick - *Save the Farm* (2011), Actor - *I Ride* (2011), as Willie Nelson - *OK Buckaroos* (2010), Actor - *Willie Nelson / Wynton Marsalis - Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC* (2008), as Chanteur - *Surfer, Dude* (2008), as Farmer Bob - *Beer for My Horses* (2008), as Charlie - *Swing Vote* (2008), as Willie Nelson - *Blonde Ambition* (2007), as Pap Paw - *The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning* (2007), as Uncle Jesse - *Fighting With Anger* (2007), as Will - *Squidbillies* (2005), series, as Theme Song Performance - *The Dukes of Hazzard* (2005), as Uncle Jesse Duke - *Willie Nelson & Leon Russel - Partners In Music* (2005), Actor - *The Big Bounce* (2004), as Joe Lurie - *Monk* (2002), series, as Willie Nelson - *This Land Is Your Land - Folk Years* (2002), Actor - *The Journeyman* (2001), as Samuel Hancock - *Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me* (1999), as Willie Nelson — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/austin-powers-the-spy-who-shagged-me.md) - *Outlaw Justice* (1999), as Lee Walker - *Half Baked* (1998), as Historian Smoker - *Wag the Dog* (1997), as Johnny Dean — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/wag-the-dog.md) - *Gone Fishin'* (1997), as Billy 'Catch' Pooler - *King of the Hill* (1997), series, as Willie Nelson (voice) — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/king-of-the-hill-1997.md) - *Starlight* (1996), Actor - *Big Dreams & Broken Hearts: The Dottie West Story* (1995), as Willie Nelson - *Dust to Dust* (1994), Actor - *Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman* (1993), series, as Marshall Elias Burch - *Delta* (1992), series, Actor - *Adventures in Wonderland* (1992), series, as The Troubadour - *Hot Country Nights* (1991), series, Actor - *Wild Texas Wind* (1991), as Willie Nelson - *Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind* (1991), as Billy Roy Rodriguez - *The Highwaymen: Live at Nassau Coliseum* (1990), Author - *Pair of Aces* (1990), as Billy Roy Barker - *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Willie Nelson (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md) - *Where the Hell's That Gold?!!?* (1988), as Cross - *Once Upon a Texas Train* (1988), as John Henry Lee - *Joan Rivers and Friends Salute Heidi Abromowitz* (1988), as Willie Nelson - *Willie Nelson, Texas Style* (1988), Writer - *Chet Atkins and Friends* (1987), Actor - *Red Headed Stranger* (1986), as Rev. Julian Shay · Producer, Music, Original Music Composer - *Stagecoach* (1986), as Doc Holliday · Original Music Composer, Executive Producer - *The Last Days of Frank and Jesse James* (1986), as Gen. Jo Shelby - *Streetwise* (1984), Executive Producer - *Songwriter* (1984), as Doc Jenkins, Songs - *Miami Vice* (1984), series, as Texas Ranger Jake Pierson — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md) - *Coming Out of the Ice* (1982), as Red Loon - *Barbarosa* (1982), as Barbarosa - *Thief* (1981), as David 'Okla' Bertinneau - *Honeysuckle Rose* (1980), as Buck · Original Music Composer - *The Midnight Special Legendary Performances 1980* (1980), Actor - *The Electric Horseman* (1979), as Wendell, Songs - *Willie Nelson's 4th of July Celebration* (1979), Actor ## Gallery - ![Willie Nelson](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-1777a2ee7a1f.jpg) Willie Nelson — Minette Layne, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/76/Willie_Nelson_in_Redmond%2C_Washington_2008.jpg/1280px-Willie_Nelson_in_Redmond%2C_Washington_2008.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-f979c2af07e6.jpg) Balaban and Katz Chicago Theatre — Nevnels, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Chicago_Theatre_Willie_Nelson_marquee.jpg/1280px-Chicago_Theatre_Willie_Nelson_marquee.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Farm Aid (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-1f46c038e616.jpg) Farm Aid (2010) — Tom Barrett from Milwaukee, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Farm_Aid_%285048313762%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![The Rock Memorabilia (2012)](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-0fb50570ebab.jpg) The Rock Memorabilia (2012) — Simon Q from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/60/Flickr_-_simononly_-_The_Rock_Memorabilia_%286%29.jpg/1280px-Flickr_-_simononly_-_The_Rock_Memorabilia_%286%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Willie Nelson](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-c87045b6940d.jpg) Willie Nelson — Image via TMDB - ![The Honeysuckle Rose IV photographed in Ann Arbor on June 19, 2008.](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-3922a5036260.jpg) The Honeysuckle Rose IV photographed in Ann Arbor on June 19, 2008. — Ben+Sam, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3c/Honeysuckle_Rose_1.jpg/1280px-Honeysuckle_Rose_1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Back of the Honeysuckle Rose, photographed in 2009](https://film.one/media/person/87497/gallery-d63fa9c9354b.jpg) Back of the Honeysuckle Rose, photographed in 2009 — David Hilowitz, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Honeysuckle_Rose_3.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated - 1981: Best Original Song (nominated), for *On the Road Again* ### Other awards — 28 won, 42 nominated - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (won) - Gershwin Prize 2015: Gershwin Prize (won) - Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award 2012: Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award (won) - Grammy Award for Best Americana Album 2010: Grammy Award for Best Americana Album (nominated), for *Country Music* - Grammy Hall of Fame 2010: Grammy Hall of Fame (won) - Grammy Award for Best Americana Album 2009: Grammy Award for Best Americana Album (nominated), for *Willie and the Wheel* - Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals 2009: Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 2009: Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (nominated), for *American Classic* - Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting 2007: Americana Lifetime Achievement Award for Songwriting (won) - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 2007: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (won) - Grammy Hall of Fame 2007: Grammy Hall of Fame (won) - Grammy Award for Best Country Album 2006: Grammy Award for Best Country Album (nominated), for *You Don't Know Me: The Songs of Cindy Walker* - Grammy Hall of Fame 2006: Grammy Hall of Fame (won), for *Wanted! The Outlaws* - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 2005: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 2005: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 2004: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 2004: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Album 2003: Grammy Award for Best Country Album (nominated), for *Live and Kickin'* - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 2003: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Album 2002: Grammy Award for Best Country Album (nominated), for *The Great Divide* - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 2002: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (won) - Grammy Award for Best Country Album 2001: Grammy Award for Best Country Album (nominated), for *Rainbow Connection* - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 2001: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Grammy Hall of Fame 2001: Grammy Hall of Fame (won), for *Red Headed Stranger* - Grammy Award for Best New New Jack Swing Artist 2000: Grammy Award for Best New New Jack Swing Artist (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 1999: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance 1999: Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance (nominated), for *Night and Day* - Kennedy Center Honors 1998: Kennedy Center Honors (won) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1997: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album 1994: Grammy Award for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album (nominated), for *Moonlight Becomes You* - Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals 1990: Grammy Award for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals (nominated), for *Highwayman 2* - Grammy Legend Award 1990: Grammy Legend Award (won) - People's Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist 1990: People's Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist (nominated) - American Music Award of Merit 1989: American Music Award of Merit (won) - Favorite Country Male Artist 1987: Favorite Country Male Artist (won) - American Music Award for Favorite Country Album 1986: American Music Award for Favorite Country Album (nominated), for *City of New Orleans* - Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year 1986: Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year (nominated) - Favorite Country Male Artist 1986: Favorite Country Male Artist (won) - Favorite Country Single 1986: Favorite Country Single (won), for *Forgiving You Was Easy* - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1985: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1985: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Favorite Country Male Artist 1984: Favorite Country Male Artist (won) - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1984: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1984: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - People's Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist 1984: People's Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist (nominated) - American Music Award for Favorite Country Album 1983: American Music Award for Favorite Country Album (won), for *Always on My Mind* - American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album 1983: American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Album (won), for *Always on My Mind* - Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year 1983: Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1983: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (nominated), for *Take It to the Limit* - People's Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist 1983: People's Choice Award for Favorite Country Artist (nominated) - Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year 1982: Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year (nominated) - Favorite Country Male Artist 1982: Favorite Country Male Artist (won) - Favorite Country Single 1982: Favorite Country Single (won), for *On the Road Again* - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1982: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1982: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (won) - Grammy Award for Record of the Year 1982: Grammy Award for Record of the Year (nominated) - Favorite Country Male Artist 1981: Favorite Country Male Artist (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1981: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated), for *Somewhere Over the Rainbow* - Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year 1980: Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year (nominated) - Favorite Country Male Artist 1980: Favorite Country Male Artist (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Song 1980: Grammy Award for Best Country Song (won), for *On the Road Again* - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1980: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year 1979: Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year (won) - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1979: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1979: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal 1978: Grammy Award for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal (won) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1978: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (won) - Favorite Country Single 1977: Favorite Country Single (won), for *Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain* - Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year 1976: Country Music Association Award for Entertainer of the Year (nominated) - Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance 1975: Grammy Award for Best Male Country Vocal Performance (won) *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/willie-nelson