Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller ''
One False Move
''One False Move'' is a 1992 American crime thriller film directed by Carl Franklin and co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film stars Thornton alongside Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams. The low-budget production was about to be released strai ...
'', and received international attention after writing, directing, and starring in the
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super ...
''
Sling Blade
A sling blade or kaiser blade is a heavy, hooked, steel blade at the end of a long (around ) handle that is usually made of wood. The blade is double-edged, and both sides are usually kept sharp. It is used to cut brush, briar, and undergrowth. ...
'' (1996), for which he won an
Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay
The Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay Film adaptation, adapted from previously established material. The most frequently adapted media are novels, but other adapted narrative formats include st ...
and was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Actor. He appeared in several major film roles in the 1990s following ''Sling Blade'', including
Oliver Stone's neo-noir ''
U Turn
A U-turn in driving refers to performing a 180° rotation to reverse the direction of travel. It is called a "U-turn" because the maneuver looks like the letter U. In some areas, the maneuver is illegal, while in others, it is treated as a m ...
'' (1997), political drama ''
Primary Colors
A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a br ...
'' (1998), science fiction disaster film ''
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
'' (1998), the highest-grossing film of that year, and the crime drama ''
A Simple Plan'' (1998), which earned him his third
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
nomination.
In the 2000s, Thornton achieved further success in starring dramas ''
Monster's Ball'' (2001), ''
The Man Who Wasn't There'' (2001), and ''
Friday Night Lights'' (2004); and comedy films, ''
Intolerable Cruelty
''Intolerable Cruelty'' is a 2003 American romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Joel and Ethan Coen, and produced by Brian Grazer and the Coens. The script was written by Robert Ramsey and Matthew Stone and Ethan and Joel Coen, with th ...
'' (2003), and ''
Bad Santa
''Bad Santa'' is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy film directed by Terry Zwigoff and written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, Joh ...
'' (2003). In 2014, Thornton starred as
Lorne Malvo
Lorne Malvo is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the first season of the FX television series '' Fargo''. He is portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton, who received critical acclaim for his performance and was nominated for a Primetime ...
in the first season of the anthology series ''
Fargo'', earning a nomination for the
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie at the
Emmy Awards and won
Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film at the
72nd Golden Globe Awards. In 2016, he starred in an Amazon original series, ''
Goliath,'' which earned him a
Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama
The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama is an award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). This Golden Globe Award honors the best performance by an actor in a drama television series. It ...
.
Thornton has written a variety of films, usually set in the Southern United States and mainly co-written with
Tom Epperson
Tom Epperson is an American author and screenwriter, known for his collaborations with Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starr ...
, including ''
A Family Thing
''A Family Thing'' is a 1996 American drama film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was rewritten by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, the original script, "Latent Blood" was written by L Guy Burton, and directed b ...
'' (1996) and ''
The Gift'' (2000). After ''Sling Blade'', he directed several other films, including ''
Daddy and Them
''Daddy and Them'' is a 2001 American comedy-drama, comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Billy Bob Thornton. In addition to Thornton, it stars John Prine, Laura Dern, Andy Griffith, Ben Affleck, Kelly Preston, Diane Ladd, Brenda Bl ...
'' (2001), ''
All the Pretty Horses'' (2000), and ''
Jayne Mansfield's Car
''Jayne Mansfield's Car'' is a 2012 drama film directed by Billy Bob Thornton, marking his first fiction directing job since 2000's '' All the Pretty Horses''. Thornton also stars alongside Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Ray Stevenson, Fran ...
'' (2012).
Thornton has received the President's Award from the
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organization established in 1972 dedicated to the advancement of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Academy is headquarter ...
, a Special Achievement Award from the
National Board of Review
The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...
, and a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame. He has also been nominated for an
Emmy Award, four
Golden Globes, and three
Screen Actors Guild Awards. In addition to film work, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He has released four solo albums and is the vocalist of the
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
the Boxmasters
The Boxmasters is an American rock band founded in Bellflower, California, in 2007 by Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew. The group has released eleven albums, with another one being released on April 15, 2022
Befor ...
.
Thornton has been vocal about his distaste for
celebrity culture
Celebrity culture is a high-volume exposure to celebrities' personal lives on a global scale. It is inherently tied to consumer interests where celebrities transform their fame to become product brands.
Whereas a culture can usually be physically ...
, choosing to keep his life out of the public eye. The attention of the media has proven unavoidable in certain cases, his marriage to
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
being a notable example.
Early life
Thornton was born on August 4, 1955, in
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is a resort city in the state of Arkansas and the county seat of Garland County. The city is located in the Ouachita Mountains among the U.S. Interior Highlands, and is set among several natural hot springs for which the city is n ...
,
the son of Virginia Roberta (''née'' Faulkner; died July 29, 2017), a self-proclaimed psychic, and William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton (November 1929 – August 1974), a high school history teacher and basketball coach.
His brother Jimmy Don (April 1958 – October 1988) wrote a number of songs; Thornton recorded two of them ("Island Avenue" and "Emily") on his solo albums. He is of part Irish descent. He has another brother, John David.
Thornton lived in numerous places in Arkansas during his childhood, including
Alpine
Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to:
Places Europe
* Alps, a European mountain range
** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range
Australia
* Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village
* Alpine National Pa ...
,
Malvern
Malvern or Malverne may refer to:
Places Australia
* Malvern, South Australia, a suburb of Adelaide
* Malvern, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne
* City of Malvern, a former local government area near Melbourne
* Electoral district of Malvern, an e ...
, and
Mount Holly. He was raised
Methodist
Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...
in an extended family in a shack that had no electricity or plumbing. He graduated from
Malvern High School in 1973. A good high school
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
player, he tried out for the
Kansas City Royals, but was released after an injury.
After a short period laying asphalt for the
Arkansas State Transportation Department, he attended
Henderson State University
Henderson State University (HSU) is a public university in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, it is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. Henderson has an undergraduate enrol ...
to pursue studies in psychology but dropped out after two semesters.
In the mid-1980s Thornton settled in Los Angeles to pursue his career as an actor with future writing partner Tom Epperson.
He had a difficult time succeeding as an actor and worked in telemarketing, offshore
wind farm
A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...
ing
and fast food management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also played the drums and sang with South African rock band Jack Hammer. While working as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director and screenwriter
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Hol ...
. He struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Career
Acting and filmmaking
![BillyBobThorntonPointsSXSW2009 (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/BillyBobThorntonPointsSXSW2009_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Thornton's first screen role was in 1988 ''
South of Reno'', where he played a small role as a counter man in a restaurant. He also made an appearance as a pawn store clerk in the 1987 ''
Matlock'' episode "The Photographer". Another one of his early screen roles was as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire and in 1989 he appeared as an angry heckler in Adam Sandler's debut film ''
Going Overboard
''Going Overboard'' is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Valerie Breiman, and stars Adam Sandler in his film debut, Burt Young, Allen Covert, Billy Zane, Terry Moore, Milton Berle and Billy Bob Thornton in a small role. The film was or ...
''. His role as the villain in 1992's ''
One False Move
''One False Move'' is a 1992 American crime thriller film directed by Carl Franklin and co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film stars Thornton alongside Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams. The low-budget production was about to be released strai ...
'', which he also co-wrote, brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the 1990s films ''
Indecent Proposal
''Indecent Proposal'' is a 1993 American erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Amy Holden Jones. It is based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, in which a couple's marriage is disrupted by a stranger's offer of a million d ...
'', ''
On Deadly Ground
''On Deadly Ground'' is a 1994 American environmental action adventure film directed, co-produced by, and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley and R. Lee Ermey. It is Seagal's only directorial effort ...
'', ''
Bound by Honor
''Blood In Blood Out'' (also known as ''Bound by Honor'' and ''Blood In Blood Out: Bound By Honor'') is a 1993 American epic crime drama film directed by Taylor Hackford that has become a cult-classic film with a cult following among the Mexic ...
'', and ''
Tombstone''. He went on to write, direct, and star in the 1996
independent film ''
Sling Blade
A sling blade or kaiser blade is a heavy, hooked, steel blade at the end of a long (around ) handle that is usually made of wood. The blade is double-edged, and both sides are usually kept sharp. It is used to cut brush, briar, and undergrowth. ...
''.
The film, an expansion of the short film ''
Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade'', introduced the story of a
mentally disabled
Developmental disability is a diverse group of chronic conditions, comprising mental or physical impairments that arise before adulthood. Developmental disabilities cause individuals living with them many difficulties in certain areas of life, espe ...
man imprisoned for a gruesome and seemingly inexplicable murder.
''Sling Blade'' garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Adapted Screenplay, a
Writers Guild of America Award, and an
Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
nominations for Best Actor.
In 1998, Thornton portrayed the
James Carville
Chester James Carville Jr. (born October 25, 1944) is an American political consultant, author, and occasional actor who has strategized for candidates for public office in the United States and in at least 23 nations abroad. A Democrat, he is a ...
-like Richard Jemmons in ''
Primary Colors
A set of primary colors or primary colours (see spelling differences) consists of colorants or colored lights that can be mixed in varying amounts to produce a gamut of colors. This is the essential method used to create the perception of a br ...
''. He adapted the book ''
All the Pretty Horses'' into a 2000
film of the same name. The negative experience (he was forced to cut more than an hour of footage) led to his decision to never direct another film; a subsequent release, ''
Daddy and Them
''Daddy and Them'' is a 2001 American comedy-drama, comedy-drama film written, directed by, and starring Billy Bob Thornton. In addition to Thornton, it stars John Prine, Laura Dern, Andy Griffith, Ben Affleck, Kelly Preston, Diane Ladd, Brenda Bl ...
'', had been filmed earlier. Also in 2000, an early script which he and
Tom Epperson
Tom Epperson is an American author and screenwriter, known for his collaborations with Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker and musician. He had his first break when he co-wrote and starr ...
wrote together was made into ''
The Gift''.
In 2000, Thornton appeared in
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt (born February 9, 1963) is an American country music singer and songwriter. He signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1989, releasing seven studio albums and a greatest hits package for the label between then and 1999. In the 20 ...
's music video for the song "
Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde". His screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man".
He appeared in several major film roles following the success of ''Sling Blade'', including 1998's ''
Armageddon
According to the Book of Revelation in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, Armageddon (, from grc, Ἁρμαγεδών ''Harmagedōn'', Late Latin: , from Hebrew: ''Har Məgīddō'') is the prophesied location of a gathering of armies ...
'' and ''
A Simple Plan''. In 2001, he directed ''Daddy and Them'' while securing starring roles in three Hollywood films: ''
Monster's Ball'', ''
Bandits'', and ''
The Man Who Wasn't There'', for which he received many awards.
Thornton played a malicious mall
Santa
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
in 2003's ''
Bad Santa
''Bad Santa'' is a 2003 American Christmas black comedy film directed by Terry Zwigoff and written by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa. It stars Billy Bob Thornton, with a supporting cast of Tony Cox, Lauren Graham, Brett Kelly, Lauren Tom, Joh ...
'', a
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discu ...
that performed well at the box office and established him as a leading comic actor, and in the same year, portrayed a womanizing President of the United States in the British romantic comedy film ''
Love Actually
''Love Actually'' is a 2003 Christmas romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. It features an ensemble cast, composed predominantly of British actors, many of whom had worked with Curtis in previous film and television proje ...
''. He stated that, following the success of ''Bad Santa'', audiences "like to watch him play that kind of guy" and that "casting directors call him up when they need an asshole".
He referred to this when he said that "it's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be".
In 2004, Thornton played
David Crockett
David Crockett (August 17, 1786 – March 6, 1836) was an American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier, and politician. He is often referred to in popular culture as the "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S. House of ...
in ''
The Alamo''. Later that year, he received a star on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7. He appeared in the 2006 comic film ''
School for Scoundrels School for Scoundrels may refer to:
* ''School for Scoundrels'' (1960 film), a British comedy film starring Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas and Alistair Sim
* ''School for Scoundrels'' (2006 film), an American film based on the above, featuring Bil ...
''. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor, which was written specifically for him.
More recent films include 2007 drama ''
The Astronaut Farmer
''The Astronaut Farmer'' is a 2006 American drama film directed by Michael Polish, who co-wrote the screenplay with his brother Mark. The film stars Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen, Bruce Dern and Max Thieriot. The plot is about a Texas rancher ...
'' and the comedy ''
Mr. Woodcock
''Mr. Woodcock'' is a 2007 American comedy film directed by Craig Gillespie, and starring Seann William Scott, Billy Bob Thornton, Susan Sarandon, Amy Poehler, and Ethan Suplee. The film was released on September 14, 2007 to mostly negative review ...
'', in which he played a
sadistic
Sadism may refer to:
* Sadomasochism, the giving or receiving of pleasure from acts involving the receipt or infliction of pain or humiliation
* Sadistic personality disorder, an obsolete term proposed for individuals who derive pleasure from the s ...
gym teacher. In September 2008, he starred in the action film ''
Eagle Eye
''Eagle Eye'' is a 2008 American action-thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and with a screenplay by John Glenn, Travis Adam Wright, Hillary Seitz and Dan McDermott from a story by McDermott. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan ...
''. He has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a
period piece
A historical drama (also period drama, costume drama, and period piece) is a work set in a past time period, usually used in the context of film and television. Historical drama includes historical fiction and romances, adventure films, and swas ...
about cave explorer
Floyd Collins
William Floyd Collins (July 20, 1887 – February 13, 1925) was an American cave explorer, principally in a region of Kentucky that houses hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, today a part of Mammoth Cave National Park, the longes ...
, based on the book ''Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins''.
upleft, Thornton in 2012
In 2014, Thornton starred as sociopathic hitman
Lorne Malvo
Lorne Malvo is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the first season of the FX television series '' Fargo''. He is portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton, who received critical acclaim for his performance and was nominated for a Primetime ...
in the FX miniseries ''
Fargo'', inspired by the 1996
film of the same name, for which he won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Mini-Series.
Thornton made a guest appearance on ''
The Big Bang Theory
''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on C ...
'' in 2014, where he played a middle-aged
urologist
Urology (from Greek οὖρον ''ouron'' "urine" and '' -logia'' "study of"), also known as genitourinary surgery, is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the urinary-tract system and the reproductive org ...
who gets excited about every woman who touches him.
"
Goliath", a television series by Amazon Studios, features Thornton as a formerly brilliant and personable lawyer, who is now washed up and alcoholic. It premiered on October 13, 2016, on Amazon Video. On February 15, 2017, Amazon announced the series had been renewed for a second season.
In 2017, Thornton starred in the music video ''Stand Down'' by
Kario Salem
Kario Salem (born May 23, 1955) is an American television, film, stage actor and screenwriter.
Early life
Salem, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is a 1973 graduate of Agoura High School in Agoura, California.
Career
In 1997, Salem ea ...
(musically known as K.O.). It received the Best Music Video award from the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival and has had 13 million views on Facebook and counting.
Music
In the 1970s, Thornton was the drummer of a
blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick Gibbons (born December 16, 1949) is an American musician who is the guitarist and lead singer of the rock band ZZ Top. He began his career in the band the Moving Sidewalks, which recorded a full-length album entitled, ''Flas ...
referred to the band as "the best little
cover band
A cover band (or covers band) is a band that plays songs recorded by someone else, sometimes mimicking the original as accurately as possible, and sometimes re-interpreting or changing the original. These remade songs are known as cover songs. ...
in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it.
![BillyBobThornton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/BillyBobThornton.jpg)
In 1985, Thornton joined
Piet Botha
Piet Botha (18 July 1955 – 2 June 2019) was a South African musician
at Musicians.co.z ...
in the South African rock band Jack Hammer, while Botha worked in Los Angeles. Thornton recorded one studio album with Jack Hammer, ''Death'' ''of'' ''a'' ''Gypsy'', which was released in 1986. September
In 2001, Thornton released the album ''
Private Radio'' on Lost Highway Records. Subsequent albums include ''
The Edge of the World
''The Edge of the World'' is a 1937 British film directed by Michael Powell, loosely based on the evacuation of the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. It was Powell's first major project. The title is a reference to the expression '' ultima Th ...
'' (2003), ''
Hobo'' (2005) and ''
Beautiful Door
''Beautiful Door'' is the fourth (and most recent) album by American actor and singer-songwriter Billy Bob Thornton. It was released by New Door Records in 2007.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians
* Teddy Andreadis - Accordion, Main Personnel, ...
'' (2007). He performed the
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician.
Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...
song ''The Wind'' on the tribute album ''
Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon''. Thornton recorded a cover of the
Johnny Cash classic "
Ring of Fire
The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring o ...
" with
Earl Scruggs, for the ''
Oxford American
The ''Oxford American'' is a quarterly magazine that focuses on the American South.
First publication
The magazine was begun in late 1989 in Oxford, Mississippi, by Marc Smirnoff (born July 11, 1963).
The name "Oxford American" is a play on ''T ...
'' magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001. The song also appeared on Scruggs' 2001 album ''Earl Scruggs and Friends''.
In 2007, Thornton formed
The Boxmasters
The Boxmasters is an American rock band founded in Bellflower, California, in 2007 by Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew. The group has released eleven albums, with another one being released on April 15, 2022
Befor ...
with J.D. Andrew.
CBC incident
On April 8, 2009, Thornton and his musical group
The Boxmasters
The Boxmasters is an American rock band founded in Bellflower, California, in 2007 by Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton and J.D. Andrew. The group has released eleven albums, with another one being released on April 15, 2022
Befor ...
appeared on the
CBC Radio One
CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of C ...
program ''
Q''. The appearance was widely criticized and received international attention after Thornton was persistently unintelligible and discourteous to host
Jian Ghomeshi
Jian Ghomeshi (born June 9, 1967) is a British-born Persian-Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician, producer and former CBC personality. From 1990 to 2000, he was a vocalist and drummer in the Thornhill-based folk-pop band Moxy Früvous. In ...
. Thornton eventually explained he had "instructed" the show's producers to not ask questions about his movie career. Ghomeshi had mentioned Thornton's acting in the introduction. Thornton had also complained Canadian audiences were like "mashed potatoes without the gravy." The following night, opening for
Willie Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson (born April 29, 1933) is an American country musician. The critical success of the album '' Shotgun Willie'' (1973), combined with the critical and commercial success of '' Red Headed Stranger'' (1975) and '' Stardust'' (1 ...
at Toronto's
Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a performing arts theatre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1894, it is known for its outstanding acoustics and was the long-time hall of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. An intimate theatre, it was originally designed to sea ...
, Thornton said mid-set he liked Canadians but not Ghomeshi, which was greeted with boos and catcalls. The Boxmasters did not continue the tour in Canada as, according to Thornton, some of the crew and band had the flu.
Filmography
Discography
;Studio albums
* ''
Private Radio'' (2001)
* ''
The Edge of the World
''The Edge of the World'' is a 1937 British film directed by Michael Powell, loosely based on the evacuation of the Scottish archipelago of St Kilda. It was Powell's first major project. The title is a reference to the expression '' ultima Th ...
'' (2003)
* ''
Hobo'' (2005)
* ''
Beautiful Door
''Beautiful Door'' is the fourth (and most recent) album by American actor and singer-songwriter Billy Bob Thornton. It was released by New Door Records in 2007.
Track listing
Personnel
Musicians
* Teddy Andreadis - Accordion, Main Personnel, ...
'' (2007)
Awards
Personal life
Relationships and children
![Billy Bob Thornton](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Billy_Bob_Thornton.jpg)
Thornton has been married six times. He has four children by three women.
From 1978 to 1980, he was married to Melissa Lee Gatlin, who in her divorce petition cited "incompatibility and adultery on his part". They had a daughter Amanda (Brumfield),
who in 2008 was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of her friend's one-year-old daughter. Amanda was freed in 2020 after a deal was reached with prosecutors prior to an evidentiary hearing to provide medical and scientific evidence of her innocence.
Thornton married actress Toni Lawrence in 1986; they separated the following year and divorced in 1988.
From 1990 to 1992, he was married to actress
Cynda Williams
Cindy Ann "Cynda" Williams (born May 17, 1966) is an American actress.
Early life and education
Williams was born Cindy Ann Williams in Chicago, Illinois to Charles, a police officer and Beverly, a medical lab technician. She was raised in th ...
, whom he cast in his writing debut ''
One False Move
''One False Move'' is a 1992 American crime thriller film directed by Carl Franklin and co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film stars Thornton alongside Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams. The low-budget production was about to be released strai ...
'' (1992).
In 1993, Thornton married ''
Playboy
''Playboy'' is an American men's Lifestyle magazine, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from H ...
'' model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, with whom he had two sons Harry James and William. The marriage ended in 1997 with Cherniak accusing Thornton of
spousal abuse
Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner v ...
, sometimes in front of his children.
Thornton was engaged to be married to actress
Laura Dern
Laura Elizabeth Dern (born February 10, 1967) is an American actress. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards.
Born to actor Bruce Dern and a ...
, whom he dated from 1997 to 1999, but in 2000, he married actress
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie (; born Angelina Jolie Voight; June 4, 1975) is an American actress, filmmaker, humanitarian and former Special Envoy to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award ...
, with whom he starred in ''
Pushing Tin
''Pushing Tin'' is a 1999 American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Newell. It centers on Nick Falzone (John Cusack), a cocky air traffic controller who quarrels over proving "who's more of a man" with fellow employee Russell Bell (Billy Bob ...
'' (1999) and who was 20 years his junior. The marriage became known for the couple's eccentric displays of affection, which reportedly included wearing vials of each other's blood around their necks; Thornton later clarified that the "vials" were actually two small lockets, each containing only a single drop of blood.
Thornton and Jolie announced the adoption of a child from
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailan ...
in March 2002, but it was later revealed that Jolie had adopted the child as a single parent. They separated in June 2002 and divorced the following year.
In 2003, Thornton began a relationship with makeup effects crew member Connie Angland with whom he has a daughter Bella. Although he once said that he likely would not marry again since marriage "doesn't work" for him, his representatives confirmed that he and Angland were married on October 22, 2014, in Los Angeles.
Health problems
During his early years in Los Angeles, Thornton was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed with
myocarditis, a heart condition brought on by malnutrition. He has since said that he follows a
vegan
Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal product—particularly in diet—and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. An individual who follows the diet or philosophy is known as a vegan. ...
diet and is "extremely healthy", eating no junk food as he is allergic to wheat and dairy.
Thornton has
obsessive–compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental and behavioral disorder in which an individual has intrusive thoughts and/or feels the need to perform certain routines repeatedly to the extent where it induces distress or impairs general ...
. Various idiosyncratic behaviors have been well documented in interviews with Thornton; among these is a
phobia of antique furniture, a disorder shared by
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam (born October 23, 1956) is an American singer-songwriter, actor, and film director. He first achieved mainstream attention in 1986 with the release of his debut album ''Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc.''. Yoakam had considerabl ...
's character Doyle Hargraves in the Thornton-penned ''Sling Blade'' and by Thornton's own character in the 2001 film ''Bandits''.
Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of silverware, a trait assumed by his character in 2001's ''Monster's Ball'', in which Grotowski insists on a plastic spoon for his daily bowl of ice cream.
In a 2004 interview with ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'', Thornton explained,
Other
Thornton is a baseball fan and a devout fan of the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
. In his movie contracts, one of his demands is a television in his trailer with a satellite dish so he can watch the Cardinals play. He narrated ''The 2006 World Series Film'', the year-end retrospective DVD chronicling the Cardinals' championship season. He is also a professed fan of the
Indianapolis Colts football team.
Thornton is a self-described
Brony
'' My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' is an animated television series produced by Hasbro as part of the ''My Little Pony'' toy franchise, which is tied in with the 2010 relaunch of dolls and play sets and original programming for the Amer ...
, a male fan of ''
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic''.
References
External links
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Billy Bob Thorntonon
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Thornton, Billy Bob
1955 births
20th-century American male actors
20th-century American writers
21st-century American male actors
21st-century American singers
21st-century American writers
Actors from Hot Springs, Arkansas
American country drummers
American country rock singers
American country singer-songwriters
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male singer-songwriters
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American rock drummers
American rock singers
American people of Irish descent
Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award winners
Best Drama Actor Golden Globe (television) winners
Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actor Golden Globe winners
Country musicians from Arkansas
Edgar Award winners
Film directors from Arkansas
Living people
Male actors from Arkansas
Male Western (genre) film actors
Malvern High School (Arkansas) alumni
Musicians from Hot Springs, Arkansas
People from Garland County, Arkansas
People from Malvern, Arkansas
People with obsessive–compulsive disorder
Rockabilly musicians
Screenwriters from Arkansas
Singer-songwriters from Arkansas
Writers from Arkansas
Writers Guild of America Award winners
21st-century American male singers