Billy Bob Thornton
Encyclopedia
Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, screenwriter, director and musician. Thornton gained early recognition as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire
and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground
and Tombstone
. In the mid-1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the independent film
Sling Blade
, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan
. During the late 1990s, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He has released three albums and was the singer of a blues rock band.
, the son of Virginia Roberta (née Faulkner), a psychic
, and William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton (November 1929–August 1974), a high school history teacher and basketball coach who died when Thornton was 18. He has two younger brothers, Jimmy Don (April 1958–October 1988), who died abruptly of a heart attack at 30, and John David (born 1969), who resides in California. Jimmy Don Thornton wrote a number of songs, two of which--"Island Avenue" and "Emily"--Thornton has recorded on his solo albums. During his childhood, Thornton lived in both Alpine, Arkansas
, and Malvern, Arkansas
. He was raised a Methodist, in an extended family in a shack that had neither electricity nor plumbing. Thornton graduated from high school in 1973. A good high school baseball
player, he tried out for the Kansas City Royals
, but was let go after an injury. After a short period laying asphalt for the Arkansas State Transportation Department
, he attended Henderson State University
to pursue studies in psychology, but he 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. Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing
, offshore
wind farm
ing, and fast food
management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also played drums and sang with South African rock band Jack Hammer. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director and screenwriter Billy Wilder
, who is famous for films such as Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard
. Thornton struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Another one of Thornton's early screen roles was as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire
with John Ritter
and Markie Post
. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move
, which he also co-wrote, brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal
, On Deadly Ground
, Bound by Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone
. Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film
Sling Blade
, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade
, introduced the story of Karl Childers, a mentally handicapped man imprisoned for a gruesome and seemingly inexplicable murder. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award
, and an Edgar Award
, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild
nominations for Best Actor.
In 1998, he portrayed the James-Carville
-like Richard Jemmons in Primary Colors. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name
, starring Matt Damon
and Penélope Cruz
. The negative experience (he was forced to cut more than an hour) led to his decision to never direct another film (a subsequent release, Daddy and Them
, had been filmed earlier). Also in 2000, an early script which he and Tom Epperson wrote together was made into The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett
, Hilary Swank
, Keanu Reeves
, Katie Holmes
, Greg Kinnear
, and Giovanni Ribisi
. In 2000, he also appeared in Travis Tritt
's music video for the song "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde
".
Thornton's 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 Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon with Ben Affleck
and Bruce Willis
, and A Simple Plan
. In 2001, he directed Daddy and Them
, while also securing starring roles in three hollywood pictures, Monster's Ball
, Bandits
and The Man Who Wasn't There
, for which he received many awards. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus
in 2003's Bad Santa
, a black comedy
that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor, and in the same year, portrayed a womanizing President of the United States in the British romantic comedy Love Actually
. Thornton has stated that, following Bad Santas success, audiences "like to watch [him] play that kind of guy," and "they [casting directors] call [him] up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be." In 2004 he played Davy Crockett
in The Alamo
.
He appeared in the comic film School for Scoundrels
, which was released on September 29, 2006. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor; the role was written specifically for Thornton. More recent films include The Astronaut Farmer
, a drama released on February 23, 2007, and the comedy, Mr. Woodcock
, in which Thornton plays a sadistic gym
teacher. In September 2008, Thornton starred in the big brother action movie Eagle Eye
alongside Shia LaBeouf
and Michelle Monaghan
. He will next star in the drama Peace Like a River
. Thornton has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a period piece
about cave explorer Floyd Collins
, based on the book Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins by Robert K. Murray and Roger Brucker
. Thornton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
on October 7, 2004.
album titled Private Radio
in 2001, and three more albums, The Edge of the World
(2003), Hobo (2005) and Beautiful Door (2007). Thornton's manager, David Spero
, helped his Edge of the World album get off the ground with a summer tour. Thornton was the singer of a blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist Billy Gibbons
referred to the band as "The best little cover band
in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it. He performed the Warren Zevon
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
" for the Oxford American
magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001.
appeared on CBC Radio One
program Q
which was widely criticized and received international attention after Thornton was persistently unintelligible and discourteous to host Jian Ghomeshi
. 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
at Toronto's Massey Hall
, 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.
, whom he cast in his writing debut, One False Move
(1992). In 1993, Thornton married Playboy
model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, with whom he had two sons; the marriage ended in 1997, with Cherniak accusing Thornton of spousal abuse.
Thornton was engaged to be married to actress Laura Dern
, whom he dated from 1997 to 1999, but in 2000, he married actress Angelina Jolie
, with whom he starred in Pushing Tin
(1999). 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, instead, two small lockets, each containing only a single drop of blood. Thornton and Jolie announced the adoption of a child from Cambodia
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.
Since 2003, Thornton has been in a relationship with makeup effects crew member Connie Angland, with whom he had a daughter. The family resides in Los Angeles, California. Thornton has stated that he likely will not marry again, specifying that he believes marriage "doesn't work" for him.
, a heart condition brought on by malnutrition.
Thornton has obsessive-compulsive disorder
. 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
'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 Hank Grotowski in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which Grotowski insists on a plastic spoon for his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream. In a 2004 interview with The Independent
, Thornton explained: "It's just that I won't use real silver
. You know, like the big, old, heavy-ass forks and knives, I can't do that. It's the same thing as the antique furniture. I just don't like old stuff. I'm creeped out by it, and I have no explanation why...I don't have a phobia about American antiques, it's mostly French—you know, like the big, old, gold-carved chairs with the velvet
cushions. The Louis XIV type. That's what creeps me out. I can spot the imitation antiques a mile off. They have a different vibe. Not as much dust."
. He has said that his childhood dream was to play for the Cardinals. He narrated The 2006 World Series Film, the year-end retrospective DVD chronicling the Cardinals' championship season. Thornton is also a professed fan of American football team the Indianapolis Colts
.
Thornton is the cousin of professional wrestling legends Terry Funk
and Dory Funk, Jr.
Hearts Afire
Hearts Afire is a sitcom that aired from September 14, 1992 to February 1, 1995 on CBS. It starred John Ritter and Markie Post, with Post portraying a journalist and Ritter playing a senator's aide....
and in several early 1990s films including On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground is a 1994 environmental action-adventure film, co-produced, directed by and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring in an all-star cast, Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley, R. Lee Ermey, Kenji Nakano, and Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early appearances. The film held a...
and Tombstone
Tombstone (film)
Tombstone is a 1993 American action film set in the Old West directed by George P. Cosmatos, along with uncredited directorial efforts by actor Kurt Russell and writer Kevin Jarre. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jarre....
. In the mid-1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Sling Blade
Sling Blade
Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film set in rural Arkansas, written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, who also stars in the lead role. It tells the story of a mentally impaired man named Karl Childers who is released from a psychiatric hospital, where he has lived since killing his mother...
, he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan
A Simple Plan (film)
A Simple Plan is a 1998 drama film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film. It was shot in Delano, Minnesota and Ashland and Saxon, Wisconsin. Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
. During the late 1990s, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He has released three albums and was the singer of a blues rock band.
Early life
Thornton was born in Hot Springs, ArkansasHot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, the son of Virginia Roberta (née Faulkner), a psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
, and William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton (November 1929–August 1974), a high school history teacher and basketball coach who died when Thornton was 18. He has two younger brothers, Jimmy Don (April 1958–October 1988), who died abruptly of a heart attack at 30, and John David (born 1969), who resides in California. Jimmy Don Thornton wrote a number of songs, two of which--"Island Avenue" and "Emily"--Thornton has recorded on his solo albums. During his childhood, Thornton lived in both Alpine, Arkansas
Alpine, Arkansas
Alpine is an unincorporated community in Clark County, Arkansas, United States, approximately 8 miles east of Amity. The community center located in its heart is a popular draw for Clark County citizens during Christmas, 4th of July and Halloween celebrations annually.- External links :*...
, and Malvern, Arkansas
Malvern, Arkansas
Malvern is the county seat of Hot Spring County, Arkansas. The city had a population of 10,318 at the time of the 2010 census and is also called the "Brick Capital of the World" because of the three Acme Brick plants in the area...
. He was raised a Methodist, in an extended family in a shack that had neither electricity nor plumbing. Thornton graduated from high school in 1973. A good high school baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player, he tried out for the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
, but was let go after an injury. After a short period laying asphalt for the Arkansas State Transportation Department
Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department is a government department in the U.S. state of Arkansas. Its mission is to provide a safe, efficient, aesthetically pleasing and environmentally sound intermodal transportation system for the user...
, he attended Henderson State University
Henderson State University
Henderson State University, founded in 1890 as Arkadelphia Methodist College, is a four-year public liberal arts university located in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, United States. It is Arkansas's only member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges...
to pursue studies in psychology, but he 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. Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing
Telemarketing
Telemarketing is a method of direct marketing in which a salesperson solicits prospective customers to buy products or services, either over the phone or through a subsequent face to face or Web conferencing appointment scheduled during the call.Telemarketing can also include recorded sales pitches...
, offshore
Offshore construction
Offshore construction is the installation of structures and facilities in a marine environment, usually for the production and transmission of electricity, oil, gas and other resources....
wind farm
Wind farm
A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...
ing, and fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also played drums and sang with South African rock band Jack Hammer. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director and screenwriter Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
, who is famous for films such as Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard (film)
Sunset Boulevard is a 1950 American film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett...
. Thornton struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Film
Billy Bob's first screen role was in 1988's South of Reno, where he played a small role as a counter man in a restaurant.Another one of Thornton's early screen roles was as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire
Hearts Afire
Hearts Afire is a sitcom that aired from September 14, 1992 to February 1, 1995 on CBS. It starred John Ritter and Markie Post, with Post portraying a journalist and Ritter playing a senator's aide....
with John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
and Markie Post
Markie Post
Marjorie Armstrong "Markie" Post is an American actress, best known for her roles as bail bondswoman Terri Michaels in The Fall Guy on ABC from 1982 to 1985, as public defender Christine Sullivan on the NBC sitcom Night Court from 1985 to 1992, and as Georgie Anne Lahti Hartman on the CBS sitcom...
. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move
One False Move
One False Move is a 1992 thriller film co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film, also starring Thornton, Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams was directed by Carl Franklin. The low-budget B-movie was to be released straight to home video when it was finished. The film became popular through word of...
, which he also co-wrote, brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal
Indecent Proposal
Indecent Proposal is a 1993 drama film, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Engelhard. It was directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson.-Plot:...
, On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground
On Deadly Ground is a 1994 environmental action-adventure film, co-produced, directed by and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring in an all-star cast, Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley, R. Lee Ermey, Kenji Nakano, and Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early appearances. The film held a...
, Bound by Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone
Tombstone (film)
Tombstone is a 1993 American action film set in the Old West directed by George P. Cosmatos, along with uncredited directorial efforts by actor Kurt Russell and writer Kevin Jarre. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jarre....
. Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
Sling Blade
Sling Blade
Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film set in rural Arkansas, written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, who also stars in the lead role. It tells the story of a mentally impaired man named Karl Childers who is released from a psychiatric hospital, where he has lived since killing his mother...
, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade
Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade
"Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade" is a short film directed by George Hickenlooper and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Molly Ringwald, and J. T. Walsh...
, introduced the story of Karl Childers, a mentally handicapped man imprisoned for a gruesome and seemingly inexplicable murder. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Award
The Writers Guild of America Award for outstanding achievements in film, television, and radio has been presented annually by the Writers Guild of America, East and Writers Guild of America, West since 1949...
, and an Edgar Award
Edgar Award
The Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
nominations for Best Actor.
In 1998, he portrayed the James-Carville
James Carville
Chester James Carville, Jr. is an American political consultant, commentator, educator, actor, attorney, media personality, and prominent liberal pundit. Carville gained national attention for his work as the lead strategist of the successful presidential campaign of then-Arkansas governor Bill...
-like Richard Jemmons in Primary Colors. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name
All the Pretty Horses (film)
All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American romance western film, directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same title by author Cormac McCarthy. It stars Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz...
, starring Matt Damon
Matt Damon
Matthew Paige "Matt" Damon is an American actor, screenwriter, and philanthropist whose career was launched following the success of the film Good Will Hunting , from a screenplay he co-wrote with friend Ben Affleck...
and Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz
Penélope Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress. Signed by an agent at age 15, she made her acting debut at 16 on television and her feature film debut the following year in Jamón, jamón , to critical acclaim...
. The negative experience (he was forced to cut more than an hour) led to his decision to never direct another film (a subsequent release, Daddy and Them
Daddy and Them
Daddy and Them is a 2001 American film written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.Jim Varney died before the movie's release. It was the last movie he appeared in.-Plot:...
, had been filmed earlier). Also in 2000, an early script which he and Tom Epperson wrote together was made into The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett
Cate Blanchett
Catherine Élise "Cate" Blanchett is an Australian actress. She came to international attention for her role as Elizabeth I of England in the 1998 biopic film Elizabeth, for which she won British Academy of Film and Television Arts and Golden Globe Awards, and earned her first Academy Award...
, Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
, Keanu Reeves
Keanu Reeves
Keanu Charles Reeves is a Canadian actor. Reeves is perhaps best known for his roles in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Speed, Point Break and the science fiction-action trilogy The Matrix...
, Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes
Katherine Noelle "Katie" Holmes is an American actress who first achieved fame for her role as Joey Potter on The WB television teen drama Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003. Her movie roles have included the blockbuster Batman Begins along with art house films such as The Ice Storm and thrillers...
, Greg Kinnear
Greg Kinnear
Gregory "Greg" Kinnear is an American actor and television personality who first rose to stardom in 1991. He has appeared in more than 20 motion pictures, and was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in As Good as It Gets.-Early life:Kinnear was born in Logansport, Indiana, the son of...
, and Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi
Giovanni Ribisi is an American actor. His film credits include Gone in 60 Seconds, Boiler Room, Saving Private Ryan, The Mod Squad, The Gift, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Lost in Translation and more recently, Public Enemies and Avatar...
. In 2000, he also appeared in Travis Tritt
Travis Tritt
James Travis Tritt is an American country music singer from Marietta, Georgia. 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 2000s, he released two albums on Columbia Records and one for the defunct...
's music video for the song "Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde
Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde
"Modern Day Bonnie and Clyde" is a song written by Walt Aldridge and James LeBlanc, and recorded by American country music artist Travis Tritt. It was released in January 2002 as the fourth and final single from his 2000 album Down the Road I Go...
".
Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute
Hirsutism
Hirsutism or frazonism is the excessive hairiness on women in those parts of the body where terminal hair does not normally occur or is minimal - for example, a beard or chest hair. It refers to a male pattern of body hair and it is therefore primarily of cosmetic and psychological concern...
man's man". He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon with Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
and Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
, and A Simple Plan
A Simple Plan (film)
A Simple Plan is a 1998 drama film directed by Sam Raimi, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Smith, who also wrote the screenplay of the film. It was shot in Delano, Minnesota and Ashland and Saxon, Wisconsin. Billy Bob Thornton was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor...
. In 2001, he directed Daddy and Them
Daddy and Them
Daddy and Them is a 2001 American film written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.Jim Varney died before the movie's release. It was the last movie he appeared in.-Plot:...
, while also securing starring roles in three hollywood pictures, Monster's Ball
Monster's Ball
Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment....
, Bandits
Bandits
Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001...
and The Man Who Wasn't There
The Man Who Wasn't There
The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon...
, for which he received many awards. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
in 2003's Bad Santa
Bad Santa
Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star...
, a black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor, and in the same year, portrayed a womanizing President of the United States in the British romantic comedy Love Actually
Love Actually
Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress...
. Thornton has stated that, following Bad Santas success, audiences "like to watch [him] play that kind of guy," and "they [casting directors] call [him] up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be." In 2004 he played Davy Crockett
Davy Crockett
David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S...
in The Alamo
The Alamo (2004 film)
The Alamo is a 2004 American war film about the Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. The film was directed by Texan John Lee Hancock, produced by Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, and Mark Johnson, and distributed by Touchstone Pictures....
.
He appeared in the comic film School for Scoundrels
School for Scoundrels (2006 film)
School for Scoundrels is a 2006 American comedy film, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder, and directed by Todd Phillips. The film is based on the 1960 British film of the same name...
, which was released on September 29, 2006. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor; the role was written specifically for Thornton. More recent films include The Astronaut Farmer
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 story focuses on a Texas rancher who constructs a rocket in his barn and, against all odds, launches himself into outer space.-Plot:Charles Farmer is a former...
, a drama released on February 23, 2007, and the comedy, Mr. Woodcock
Mr. Woodcock
Mr. Woodcock is a 2007 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.-Plot:...
, in which Thornton plays a sadistic gym
Gym
The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
teacher. In September 2008, Thornton starred in the big brother action movie Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye
Eagle Eye is a 2008 thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization...
alongside Shia LaBeouf
Shia LaBeouf
Shia Saide LaBeouf is an American actor who became known among younger audiences for his part in the Disney Channel series Even Stevens and made his film debut in Holes . In 2007, he starred as the leads in Disturbia and Transformers...
and Michelle Monaghan
Michelle Monaghan
Michelle Lynn Monaghan is an American actress known for her roles in Mission: Impossible III, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Gone Baby Gone, Made of Honor, The Heartbreak Kid, Eagle Eye, and Source Code.-Early life:...
. He will next star in the drama Peace Like a River
Peace Like a River
This article is about the novel by Leif Enger. For the song written by Paul Simon, see Paul Simon Peace Like a River is a best-selling novel by Leif Enger, who took the title from the lyrics of the hymn "It Is Well with My Soul", which was performed at his wedding...
. Thornton has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a period piece
Period piece
-Setting:In the performing arts, a period piece is a work set in a particular era. This informal term covers all countries, all periods and all genres...
about cave explorer Floyd Collins
Floyd Collins
William Floyd Collins was a celebrated pioneer cave explorer in central Kentucky, an area that is the location of hundreds of miles of interconnected caves, including the Mammoth Cave National Park...
, based on the book Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins by Robert K. Murray and Roger Brucker
Roger Brucker
Roger W. Brucker is an American cave explorer and author of books about caves. He is most closely associated with Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, the world's longest cave, which he has been exploring and writing about since 1954.-Early life:...
. Thornton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Hollywood Walk of Fame
The Hollywood Walk of Fame consists of more than 2,400 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along fifteen blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California...
on October 7, 2004.
Music
During the late 1990s, Thornton, who has had a life-long love for music, began a career as a singer-songwriter. He released a roots rockRoots rock
Roots rock is a term now used to describe rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music. It is particularly associated with the creation of hybrid sub-genres from the later 1960s including country rock and Southern rock, which have been seen as responses to the...
album titled Private Radio
Private Radio
Private Radio is the debut album by American actor and singer/songwriter Billy Bob Thornton. His first foray into recorded music following a successful movie career up to the time of the album's release, it was a traditional country music album released by Universal Records in September 2001.The...
in 2001, and three more albums, The Edge of the World
The Edge of the World (album)
The Edge of the World is the second album by American actor and singer/songwriter Billy Bob Thornton. It was released in 2003 on Sanctuary Records.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Billy Bob Thornton; except where indicated...
(2003), Hobo (2005) and Beautiful Door (2007). Thornton's manager, David Spero
David Spero
David Spero was a "rock-radio pioneer" in the 1970s and is a "high-profile" music manager and owner of the Cleveland office of Alliance Artists Ltd.-Radio DJ:...
, helped his Edge of the World album get off the ground with a summer tour. Thornton was the singer of a blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist Billy Gibbons
Billy Gibbons
William Frederick "Billy" Gibbons is an American musician, actor and car customizer, best known as the guitarist of the Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top. He is also the lead singer and composer for many of the band's songs. Gibbons is known for playing his Gretsch Billy Bo guitar and his famous 1959...
referred to the band as "The best little cover band
Cover band
A cover band , is a band that plays mostly or exclusively cover songs. New or unknown bands often find the cover band format marketable for smaller gigs, and these bands may be known as a wedding band, party band and function band. A band whose covers consist mainly of songs that were chart hits is...
in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it. He performed the Warren Zevon
Warren Zevon
Warren William Zevon was an American rock singer-songwriter and musician noted for including his sometimes sardonic opinions of life in his musical lyrics, composing songs that were sometimes humorous and often had political or historical themes.Zevon's work has often been praised by well-known...
song The Wind on the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon
Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon
Enjoy Every Sandwich: The Songs of Warren Zevon is a tribute album released in 2004 to the late Warren Zevon by many famous musicians. It includes two unreleased Zevon songs: "The Wind," sung by actor Billy Bob Thornton; and "Studebaker," sung by Warren's son Jordan Zevon.The album's title comes...
. Thornton recorded a cover of the Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
classic "Ring of Fire
Ring of Fire (song)
"Ring of Fire" or "The Ring of Fire" is a country music song popularized by Johnny Cash and co-written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. The single appears on Cash's 1963 compilation album, Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash...
" for the Oxford American
Oxford American
The Oxford American is an American quarterly literary magazine "dedicated to featuring the very best in Southern writing while documenting the complexity and vitality of the American South."-First publication:...
magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001.
CBC incident
On April 8, 2009, Thornton and his musical group The BoxmastersThe Boxmasters
The Boxmasters are an American country rock/rockabilly band founded in Bellflower, California in 2007. It features actor Billy Bob Thornton on drums and vocals with J.D. Andrew on Rhythm Guitar , Danny Baker aka. Unknown Hinson on guitars, Brad Davis Vocals and Lead Guitar, and vocals as well as...
appeared on CBC Radio One
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 both local and national programming...
program Q
Q (radio show)
Q is a Canadian radio show, which airs on CBC Radio One. Hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, the program is a national arts magazine show. The program is also now syndicated to public radio stations in the United States through Public Radio International....
which was widely criticized and received international attention after Thornton was persistently unintelligible and discourteous to host Jian Ghomeshi
Jian Ghomeshi
Jian Ghomeshi is a Canadian broadcaster, writer, musician and producer of Iranian descent who was raised in Thornhill, Ontario. Now based in Toronto, he is the host of the national daily cultural affairs talk program, Q, on CBC Radio One and Bold TV...
. 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 Nelson
Willie Hugh Nelson is an American country music singer-songwriter, as well as an author, poet, actor, and activist. The critical success of the album Shotgun Willie , combined with the critical and commercial success of Red Headed Stranger and Stardust , made Nelson one of the most recognized...
at Toronto's Massey Hall
Massey Hall
Massey Hall is a venerable performing arts theatre in the Garden District of downtown Toronto. The theatre originally was designed to seat 3,500 patrons but, after extensive renovations in the 1940s, now seats up to 2,765....
, Thornton said mid-set he liked Canadians but not Ghomeshi, which was greeted with boos and catcalls. The Boxmasters
The Boxmasters
The Boxmasters are an American country rock/rockabilly band founded in Bellflower, California in 2007. It features actor Billy Bob Thornton on drums and vocals with J.D. Andrew on Rhythm Guitar , Danny Baker aka. Unknown Hinson on guitars, Brad Davis Vocals and Lead Guitar, and vocals as well as...
did not continue the tour in Canada as, according to Thornton, some of the crew and band had the flu.
Relationships and children
Thornton has been married five times, with each marriage ending in divorce, and he has four children by three women. From 1978 to 1980, he was married to Melissa Lee Gatlin, with whom he had a daughter. 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 WilliamsCynda Williams
Cynda Williams is an American television and film actress.-Early life:Born in Chicago, Illinois as Cynthia Williams, she was known by her birth name of Cindy Williams until she started her film career...
, whom he cast in his writing debut, One False Move
One False Move
One False Move is a 1992 thriller film co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film, also starring Thornton, Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams was directed by Carl Franklin. The low-budget B-movie was to be released straight to home video when it was finished. The film became popular through word of...
(1992). In 1993, Thornton married Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
model Pietra Dawn Cherniak, with whom he had two sons; the marriage ended in 1997, with Cherniak accusing Thornton of spousal abuse.
Thornton was engaged to be married to actress Laura Dern
Laura Dern
Laura Elizabeth Dern is an American actress, film director and producer. Dern has acted in such films as Smooth Talk , Blue Velvet , Fat Man and Little Boy , Wild at Heart , Jurassic Park and October Sky...
, whom he dated from 1997 to 1999, but in 2000, he married actress Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie is an American actress. She has received an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards, and was named Hollywood's highest-paid actress by Forbes in 2009 and 2011. Jolie is noted for promoting humanitarian causes as a Goodwill Ambassador for the...
, with whom he starred in Pushing Tin
Pushing Tin
Pushing Tin is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Newell. It centers on a cocky air traffic controller who quarrels over proving "who's more of a man" with fellow employee Bell...
(1999). 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, instead, two small lockets, each containing only a single drop of blood. Thornton and Jolie announced the adoption of a child from Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
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.
Since 2003, Thornton has been in a relationship with makeup effects crew member Connie Angland, with whom he had a daughter. The family resides in Los Angeles, California. Thornton has stated that he likely will not marry again, specifying that he believes marriage "doesn't work" for him.
Health issues
During his early years in Los Angeles, Thornton couldn't afford to eat properly and lived on a diet of potatoes. When his health began to suffer, he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with myocarditisMyocarditis
Myocarditis is inflammation of heart muscle . It resembles a heart attack but coronary arteries are not blocked.Myocarditis is most often due to infection by common viruses, such as parvovirus B19, less commonly non-viral pathogens such as Borrelia burgdorferi or Trypanosoma cruzi, or as a...
, a heart condition brought on by malnutrition.
Thornton has obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive–compulsive disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry, by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety, or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions...
. Various idiosyncratic behaviors have been well documented in interviews with Thornton; among these is a phobia
Phobia
A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder, usually defined as a persistent fear of an object or situation in which the sufferer commits to great lengths in avoiding, typically disproportional to the actual danger posed, often being recognized as irrational...
of antique furniture—a disorder shared by Dwight Yoakam
Dwight Yoakam
Dwight David Yoakam is an American singer-songwriter, actor and film director, most famous for his pioneering country music...
'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
Cutlery
Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...
, a trait assumed by his character Hank Grotowski in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which Grotowski insists on a plastic spoon for his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream. In a 2004 interview with The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, Thornton explained: "It's just that I won't use real silver
Sterling silver
Sterling silver is an alloy of silver containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals, usually copper. The sterling silver standard has a minimum millesimal fineness of 925....
. You know, like the big, old, heavy-ass forks and knives, I can't do that. It's the same thing as the antique furniture. I just don't like old stuff. I'm creeped out by it, and I have no explanation why...I don't have a phobia about American antiques, it's mostly French—you know, like the big, old, gold-carved chairs with the velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
cushions. The Louis XIV type. That's what creeps me out. I can spot the imitation antiques a mile off. They have a different vibe. Not as much dust."
Other
A baseball fan, Thornton's favorite team is the St. Louis CardinalsSt. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. He has said that his childhood dream was to play for the Cardinals. He narrated The 2006 World Series Film, the year-end retrospective DVD chronicling the Cardinals' championship season. Thornton is also a professed fan of American football team the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
Thornton is the cousin of professional wrestling legends Terry Funk
Terry Funk
Terrence "Terry" Funk is an American professional wrestler and actor known chiefly for the hardcore wrestling style he adopted in the latter part of his career that inspired many younger wrestlers, including Mick Foley...
and Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Funk, Jr.
Dory Ernest Funk Jr. known professionally as Dory Funk, Jr. is a professional wrestler and wrestling trainer. He is the son of Dory Funk Sr. and brother of Terry Funk. He is credited with the invention of the Texas cloverleaf submission hold and runs the Funking Conservatory, a professional...
Filmography
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter's Blood | 1986 | Billy Bob | |
| South of Reno | 1988 | Counterman | |
| Going Overboard Going Overboard Going Overboard is a 1989 American comedy film released on May 11, 1989. It was Adam Sandler's first starring role, It features Burt Young, Allen Covert, Billy Zane, Terry Moore, Milton Berle, and a small role by Billy Bob Thornton. The movie frequently ranks very "high" on the top 100 worst... |
1989 | Dave | |
| Chopper Chicks in Zombietown Chopper Chicks in Zombietown Chopper Chicks In Zombietown is a 1989 comedy horror movie released by Troma, featuring Billy Bob Thornton.The film is about an all-female motorcycle gang named the 'Cycle Sluts', who cruise into the isolated town of Zariah looking for a good time... |
1989 | Tommy | |
| 1991 | Patron at Sloppy's | (uncredited) | |
| For the Boys For the Boys For the Boys is a 1991 film which tells the story of Dixie Leonard, a 1940s actress/singer who teams up with Eddie Sparks, a famous performer to entertain American troops. The film traces her life through 50 years. The original music score was composed by Dave Grusin.The film was adapted by... |
1991 | Marine Sergeant, Korea | |
| One False Move One False Move One False Move is a 1992 thriller film co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film, also starring Thornton, Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams was directed by Carl Franklin. The low-budget B-movie was to be released straight to home video when it was finished. The film became popular through word of... |
1992 | Ray Malcolm | also co-wrote |
| Tombstone Tombstone (film) Tombstone is a 1993 American action film set in the Old West directed by George P. Cosmatos, along with uncredited directorial efforts by actor Kurt Russell and writer Kevin Jarre. The storyline was conceived from a screenplay written by Jarre.... |
1993 | Johnny Tyler | |
| Blood In Blood Out Blood in Blood out Blood In Blood Out is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Taylor Hackford. It follows the intertwining lives of the three Chicano relatives, Miklo , Cruz and Paco from 1972 to the mid 1980s... |
1993 | Lightning | |
| Indecent Proposal Indecent Proposal Indecent Proposal is a 1993 drama film, based on the novel of the same name by Jack Engelhard. It was directed by Adrian Lyne and stars Robert Redford, Demi Moore, and Woody Harrelson.-Plot:... |
1993 | Day Tripper | |
| 1993 | Langston | ||
| Trouble Bound | 1993 | Coldface | |
| On Deadly Ground On Deadly Ground On Deadly Ground is a 1994 environmental action-adventure film, co-produced, directed by and starring Steven Seagal, and co-starring in an all-star cast, Michael Caine, Joan Chen, John C. McGinley, R. Lee Ermey, Kenji Nakano, and Billy Bob Thornton in one of his early appearances. The film held a... |
1994 | Homer Carlton | |
| Floundering | 1994 | Gun Clerk | |
| Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade "Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade" is a short film directed by George Hickenlooper and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Molly Ringwald, and J. T. Walsh... |
1994 | Karl Childers | Short film |
| Dead Man Dead Man Dead Man is a 1995 American Western film written and directed by Jim Jarmusch. It stars Johnny Depp, Gary Farmer, Billy Bob Thornton, Iggy Pop, Crispin Glover, John Hurt, Michael Wincott, Lance Henriksen, and Robert Mitchum . The film, dubbed an "Acid Western" by its director, includes twisted... |
1995 | Big George Drakoulious | |
| 1995 | Roy | ||
| Sling Blade Sling Blade Sling Blade is a 1996 American drama film set in rural Arkansas, written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton, who also stars in the lead role. It tells the story of a mentally impaired man named Karl Childers who is released from a psychiatric hospital, where he has lived since killing his mother... |
1996 | Karl Childers | also wrote and directed Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Chlotrudis Award for Best Actor Chlotrudis Awards 1997 The 3rd Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented in 1997 by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film.-Best Movie:Sling Blade* Beautiful Thing* Big Night* Fargo* Marvin's Room* Secrets & Lies-Best Director:... Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Kansas City Film Critics Circle to honor the best achievements in acting.-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:*... Nominated—Academy Award for Best Actor Academy Award for Best Actor Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry... Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| Don't Look Back Don't Look Back (1996 film) Don't Look Back is a made-for-HBO action movie/thriller directed by Geoff Murphy starring Eric Stoltz, John Corbett, Josh Hamilton and Billy Bob Thornton. It's the story of Jesse Parish, a heroin addict living in Los Angeles, who steals a suitcase full of drug money and immediately finds himself... |
1996 | Marshall | also co-wrote |
| 1996 | Jack | ||
| 1997 | Troublemaker | ||
| U Turn | 1997 | Darrell | |
| Princess Mononoke Princess Mononoke is a 1997 epic Japanese animated historical fantasy feature film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli. is not a name, but a general term in the Japanese language for a spirit or monster... |
1997 | Jigo | Voice Only (English Language Version) |
| 1998 | Jacob Mitchell | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor -1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Chlotrudis Award for Best Supporting Actor Chlotrudis Awards 1998 The 4th Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented in 1998 by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film.-Best Movie:L.A. Confidential* The Full Monty* Hollow Reed* Shall We Dance?* The Sweet Hereafter* The Winter Guest... Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor The Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor is one of the annual awards given by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association.This award has been awarded since 1977.-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actor of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor The San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award given by the San Diego Film Critics Society to honor the finest male acting achievementes in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role |
|
| Armageddon | 1998 | Dan Truman, NASA Administrator | |
| Homegrown Homegrown (film) Homegrown is a 1998 comedy / thriller film. It was directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal and starred Billy Bob Thornton, John Lithgow, and Hank Azaria.-Plot:... |
1998 | Jack Marsden | |
| Primary Colors | 1998 | Richard Jemmons | |
| Pushing Tin Pushing Tin Pushing Tin is a 1999 comedy-drama film directed by Mike Newell. It centers on a cocky air traffic controller who quarrels over proving "who's more of a man" with fellow employee Bell... |
1999 | Russell Bell | |
| 2000 | Tar | ||
| South of Heaven, West of Hell South of Heaven, West of Hell South of Heaven, West of Hell is country singer Dwight Yoakam's soundtrack album to the motion picture of the same name in which he both starred and directed. Yoakam portrays a lawman in the early 1900s in the "wild west" of the Arizona Territory. Half of the tracks in the album are country music... |
2001 | Brig. Smalls | |
| Daddy and Them Daddy and Them Daddy and Them is a 2001 American film written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.Jim Varney died before the movie's release. It was the last movie he appeared in.-Plot:... |
2001 | Claude Montgomery | also wrote and directed |
| Monster's Ball Monster's Ball Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.... |
2001 | Hank Grotowski | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Florida Film Critics Circle to honor the finest male acting achievements in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... (also for Bandits Bandits Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001... and The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon... ) National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Actor An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... (also for Bandits Bandits Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001... and The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon... ) Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| Bandits Bandits Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001... |
2001 | Terry Lee Collins | Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Florida Film Critics Circle to honor the finest male acting achievements in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... (also for Monster's Ball Monster's Ball Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.... and The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon... ) National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Actor An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... (also for Monster's Ball Monster's Ball Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.... and The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Alexi-Malle and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon... ) Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:... |
| 2001 | Ed Crane | Chlotrudis Audience Award for Best Actor Chlotrudis Awards 2002 The 8th Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented April 6, 2002, by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film. Honoring the best of the past year's independent, documentary and international film, the awards ceremony took place at the Berklee College of Music's David Friend Recital Hall... Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is an award given by the Florida Film Critics Circle to honor the finest male acting achievements in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... (also for Bandits Bandits Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001... and Monster's Ball Monster's Ball Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.... ) London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor London Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor The London Film Critics Circle Award for Actor of the Year in an annual award given by the London Film Critics Circle.-2000s:-2010s:... National Board of Review Award for Best Actor National Board of Review Award for Best Actor An incomplete list of the winners of the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Best Actor :-1940s:-1950s:-1960s:-1970s:-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... (also for Bandits Bandits Bandits is a 2001 American crime-comedy drama film directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Cate Blanchett. Filming began in October 2000 and ended in February 2001. It helped Thornton earn a National Board of Review Best Actor Award for 2001... and Monster's Ball Monster's Ball Monster's Ball is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Marc Forster, starring Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, and Heath Ledger, and written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos. It was produced by Lionsgate and Lee Daniels Entertainment.... ) Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best lead actor of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Russian Guild of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Actor Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actor The Southeastern Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor is one of the awards given by the Southeastern Film Critics Association to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—American Film Institute Award AFI Actor of the Year American Film Institute Awards 2002 The American Film Institute Awards 2002 honored the best 10 Movies and 10 Television Programs of the year.-Movies:*About a Boy*About Schmidt*Adaptation.*Antwone Fisher... Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Actor Saturn Award for Best Actor The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed, who felt that films within those genres... Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actor The Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role is an award given by the Phoenix Film Critics Society to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:... |
|
| Waking Up in Reno Waking Up in Reno Waking Up in Reno is a 2002 American comedy drama film directed by Jordan Brady. The screenplay by Brent Briscoe and Mark Fauser focuses on two redneck couples taking a road trip from Little Rock to Reno to see a monster truck rally.-Plot:... |
2002 | Lonnie Earl Dodd | |
| 2002 | Sheriff Darl Hardwick | ||
| Bad Santa Bad Santa Bad Santa is a 2003 American screwball black comedy film directed and co-written by Terry Zwigoff, produced by the Coen brothers, and starring Billy Bob Thornton as the title character and Tony Cox as his partner in crime. Actors Bernie Mac and John Ritter co-star... |
2003 | Willie T. Stokes | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| Love Actually Love Actually Love Actually is a 2003 British romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis. The screenplay delves into different aspects of love as shown through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many of whom are shown to be interlinked as their tales progress... |
2003 | The US President | |
| Intolerable Cruelty Intolerable Cruelty Intolerable Cruelty is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Joel and Ethan Coen and starring Academy Award winners George Clooney, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Geoffrey Rush and Billy Bob Thornton with Cedric the Entertainer... |
2003 | Howard D. Doyle | |
| Levity Levity (film) Levity is a 2003 drama movie, directed by Ed Solomon. Its theatrical release was on April 4. The score for this film was composed by Mark Oliver Everett of the band Eels. Levity was filmed in Montreal, Canada.- Plot :... |
2003 | Manuel Jordan | |
| Friday Night Lights | 2004 | Coach Gary Gaines Gary Gaines Gary Gaines is a high school football coach. Gaines was the head coach of the 1988 Permian High School football team which was the focus of the H. G. Bissinger book Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team and a Dream and the 2004 motion picture Friday Night Lights starring Billy Bob Thornton... |
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| 2004 | Davy Crockett Davy Crockett David "Davy" Crockett was a celebrated 19th century American folk hero, frontiersman, soldier and politician. He is commonly referred to in popular culture by the epithet "King of the Wild Frontier". He represented Tennessee in the U.S... |
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| Chrystal | 2004 | Joe | |
| 2005 | Vic Cavanaugh | ||
| Bad News Bears | 2005 | Morris Buttermaker | |
| School for Scoundrels School for Scoundrels (2006 film) School for Scoundrels is a 2006 American comedy film, starring Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder, and directed by Todd Phillips. The film is based on the 1960 British film of the same name... |
2006 | Dr. P/Dennis Sherman | |
| 2007 | Charles Farmer | ||
| Mr. Woodcock Mr. Woodcock Mr. Woodcock is a 2007 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.-Plot:... |
2007 | Jasper Woodcock | |
| Eagle Eye Eagle Eye Eagle Eye is a 2008 thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and starring Shia LaBeouf and Michelle Monaghan. The two portray a young man and a single mother who are brought together and coerced by an anonymous caller into carrying out a plan by a possible terrorist organization... |
2008 | Thomas Morgan | |
| 2009 | William | ||
| My Run My Run My Run is a 2009 documentary film directed and produced by Tim VandeSteeg and produced by Mark Castaldo. The film chronicles Terry Hitchcock's journey of completing 75 marathons in 75 consecutive days to raise awareness for single parent families. It first screened at the Austin Film Festival on... |
2009 | Narrator | |
| 2009 | Patrick | ||
| Faster Faster (2010 film) Faster is a 2010 American action film directed by George Tillman, Jr. It stars Dwayne Johnson, Billy Bob Thornton, Carla Gugino, Moon Bloodgood, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, and Maggie Grace. It was released in the United States on November 24, 2010.-Plot:... |
2010 | Cop | |
| Nashville Rises | 2011 | Narrator | |
| Puss in Boots Puss in Boots (2011 film) Puss in Boots is a 2011 computer-animated adventure Western film produced by DreamWorks Animation, directed by Chris Miller , executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, and written by Brian Lynch, with screenplay by Tom Wheeler. It stars Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek, Zach Galifianakis, Billy Bob... |
2011 | Jack (Voice) | |
| The Baytown Disco The Baytown Disco The Baytown Disco is an upcoming comedy film.-Plot:Three brothers become targets of a hit after helping a young woman escape her abusive father.-Cast:*Paul Wesley as Anthony Reese, a federal agent.*Eva Longoria as Celeste Martin... |
2012 | Carlos | currently filming |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| One False Move One False Move One False Move is a 1992 thriller film co-written by Billy Bob Thornton. The film, also starring Thornton, Bill Paxton and Cynda Williams was directed by Carl Franklin. The low-budget B-movie was to be released straight to home video when it was finished. The film became popular through word of... |
1992 | Writer | Nominated—Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay The Film Independent's Spirit Award for Best Screenplay is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards.-1980s:* 1985: The Trip to Bountiful - Horton Foote** After Hours - Joseph Minion** Blood Simple - Joel and Ethan Coen... |
| Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade "Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade" is a short film directed by George Hickenlooper and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Molly Ringwald, and J. T. Walsh... |
1994 | Writer | |
| A Family Thing A Family Thing A Family Thing is a 1996 film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson and directed by Richard Pearce.-Plot:... |
1996 | Writer | Humanitas Prize Humanitas Prize The Humanitas Prize is an award for film and television writing intended to promote human dignity, meaning, and freedom. It began in 1974 with Father Ellwood "Bud" Kieser — also the founder of Paulist Productions — but is generally not seen as specifically directed toward religious... |
| Sling Blade | 1996 | Director/Writer | Academy Award for Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay) Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay National Board of Review Award for Special Achievement in Filmmaking National Board of Review of Motion Pictures The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures was founded in 1909 in New York City, just 13 years after the birth of cinema, to protest New York City Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr.'s revocation of moving-picture exhibition licenses on Christmas Eve 1908. The mayor believed that the new medium... Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature The Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature is one of the annual Independent Spirit Awards. It is usually given to the director and producer . The "first feature" designation is applied to the director not the producer... Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay The Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay is one of the three screenwriting Writers Guild of America Awards, one that is specifically for film... Nominated—Chlotrudis Award for Best Director Chlotrudis Awards 1997 The 3rd Annual Chlotrudis Awards were presented in 1997 by the Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film.-Best Movie:Sling Blade* Beautiful Thing* Big Night* Fargo* Marvin's Room* Secrets & Lies-Best Director:... Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay The Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay is an annual award given by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :*1996: Lone Star*1996: The People vs... |
| Don't Look Back Don't Look Back (1996 film) Don't Look Back is a made-for-HBO action movie/thriller directed by Geoff Murphy starring Eric Stoltz, John Corbett, Josh Hamilton and Billy Bob Thornton. It's the story of Jesse Parish, a heroin addict living in Los Angeles, who steals a suitcase full of drug money and immediately finds himself... |
1996 | Story and teleplay | |
| All the Pretty Horses All the Pretty Horses (film) All the Pretty Horses is a 2000 American romance western film, directed by Billy Bob Thornton and based on the novel of the same title by author Cormac McCarthy. It stars Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz... |
2000 | Director/Producer | |
| 2000 | Writer | Nominated—Saturn Award for Best Writing Saturn Award for Best Writing The following is a list of people who have won the Saturn Award for Best Writing.-Multiple Winners:*James Cameron - 3 awards*Christopher Nolan - 3 awards*William Peter Blatty - 3 awards-External links:* http://www.saturnawards.org/past.html#writing... |
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| Camouflage | 2001 | Story and screenplay | as Reginald Perry |
| Daddy and Them Daddy and Them Daddy and Them is a 2001 American film written and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.Jim Varney died before the movie's release. It was the last movie he appeared in.-Plot:... |
2001 | Director/Writer |
External links
- Official site of Billy Bob Thornton
- Billy Bob Thornton attacks CBC Radio Host
- Six Degrees of Swampland, Billy Bob Thornton
- Swampland: GRITZ Billy Bob Thornton Interview 2008
- Alamo Sentry Interview with Thornton regarding his role as David Crockett.
- Billy Bob Thornton interview
- "Set For Launch: A Video Interview with the Makers of 'The Astronaut Farmer'" — eFilmCritic.com video interviews with Billy Bob Thornton, Virginia Madsen and the Polish Brothers
- Stumped? Interview
- Billy Bob Thornton: “I Have 5,000 Favorites”