Woody Boyd

Living… in Boston, by way of Hanover, Ind. Woody hasn’t fully adjusted to big city life and brought a lot of his small-town habits with him: “Most of my furniture comes from the interior of cars. I got to be careful when I shave 'cause objects may be closer than they appear.” He regales his customers and co-workers with stories of his youth in Hanover, where he was a star wrestler and voted the smartest student in his school. Most find the latter hard to believe, and/or a serious indictment of the Hanover school system.

Profession… bartender at Cheers. Woody never planned on replacing Coach Ernie Pantusso; Woody arrived at the bar expecting to finally meet his pen pal, Coach. Instead, Woody learned of the beloved Coach’s passing and filled the open bartender position. Woody quickly gained acceptance of the staff and the regulars, becoming something of a little brother to bar owner Sam Malone.

Interests... sports. In addition to wrestling, Woody was a trophy-winning bowler back in Indiana. Unfortunately, he refused to bowl for years after he accidentally injured a man with a bowling ball. His passion for sports leads him to gamble, at times destructively. Sam once prevented Woody from wagering a $1,000 bet by pretending to place it on his behalf. The plan worked perfectly, until Woody’s team ended up winning. Woody also enjoys traveling in his RV and inventing new cocktails in his spare time.

Relationship Status... married to Kelly Gaines. It wasn’t easy getting Kelly’s rich parents to approve of their daughter settling down with a bartender, but Woody eventually won their respect. Woody had a complicated sexual history before then. He and his small-town girlfriend Beth used to overeat in order to temper their desires for premarital sex. Woody has taken to Sam’s infamous black book in the past, hoping to find himself a match, but he never shared Sam’s womanizing ways.

Challenge… nothing too serious. Woody’s easy-going nature means that his biggest challenges are whatever (relatively minor) mischief he’s gotten himself into that week. Sometimes it’s a bet with Sam – like when they wagered over who could kiss Diane first. Other times, it’s a romantic issue such as jealousy, an old flame rekindled, or loneliness. But mainly it’s comprehending what the erudite waitress Diane is saying, or getting the joke and not embarrassing himself.

Personality... lovably unsophisticated. Woody’s small-town innocence and naïveté keep him on just about everybody’s good side. He doesn’t get a lot of the jokes thrown his way and thus often unintentionally plays the bar’s resident straight man. His humor stems from his misunderstandings. Unlike everyone else at Cheers, he actually thinks Cliff Clavin is smart. But Woody is always there with a fresh beer, a smile and a folksy word. What more could one want from a bartender?