HOLLYWOOD star Woody Harrelson puts his head in his hands as he plays chess at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
The No Country For Old Men actor volunteered with a local charity at the category B prison in West London on Thursday.
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Insiders said Woody, 62, played for almost three hours with inmates as part of the initiative which is used to try and rehabilitate offenders.
Woody is currently starring in stage show Ulster American alongside Lord Of The Rings actor Andy Serkis in the Riverside Studios close, which is three miles from the prison.
A source said: “Woody’s visit to Wormwood Scrubs was very low key.
“No one knew he was coming apart from the senior staffers and the inmates he met were delighted.
“Woody knows one of the people at the charity, Chess in Schools and Communities, and he is a huge fan of the game so he asked to get involved.
“He played for almost three hours and had a great time.”
James Wise-Ford, Head of Residence at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, said: “The value this game brings to our prisoners is undeniable – it teaches patience, discipline and aids in their rehabilitation.
“It was fantastic to have Woody Harrelson at our prison, playing against the prisoners and teaching them the value of this important activity.”
Woody’s dad Charles was a hitman who died behind bars in the US 2007.
He was first jailed for murder in 1973 but following his release he was handed two life sentences in 1981 after the assignation of an American judge.
Woody only discovered who his father was when he was aged 12 and confronted his mother.
He said previously she knew what Charles did for a living, saying: “She was pretty hip to all that.
“She was well out of love with him. You know, I’ve got to give her credit because she never really soured us on him, she didn’t talk negative about him, never, ever. And she could have – he wasn’t the greatest husband. Or father. But…”
Woody went on to try and get his father released and spent millions of pounds on lawyers to try and clear his name.
Charles died in 2007 and Woody said they had formed a friendship before he died.
He said: “We got along pretty good. When you can’t hang out and go to a pub, you know what I mean, it’s hard.”
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