Billy Bob Thornton

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Birthday:

4 August 1955, Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

Birth Name:

William Robert Thornton

Height:

178 cm

Billy Bob Thornton was born on August 4, 1955 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Virginia Roberta (Faulkner), a psychic, and William Raymond (Billy Ray) Thornton, an educator, high school history teacher, and basketball coach (now deceased). He is the older brother of James Donald (Jimmy Don) (born in 1958 and now deceased) and John David (born in 1969). He has been married six times and has four children: daughter Amanda Brumfield, with Melissa Lee Gatlin (now Parish); sons William and Harry, both with Pietra Dawn Cherniak; and daughter Bella with Connie Angland.Billy Bob began his artistic career as a musician, playing drums and singing in a band called Tres Hombres, which once opened for Hank Williams Jr.. In 1981, he moved to Los Angeles with childhood friend Tom Epperson to pursue an acting and writing career. On the side, Billy Bob also sought work as a singer and drummer. He and Epperson tried for years to sell their scripts but no one was buying. During those rough times, Billy Bob neglected his health and subsequently landed in the hospital with heart problems due to malnutrition. In 1992, Billy Bob starred in One False Move (1992), a movie he co-wrote with Epperson. The team finally received attention because of this work, which was very well received in Hollywood. His popularity increased steadily, especially after Sling Blade (1996) which he wrote, directed and in which he starred. Show less «

[on his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor (Sling Blade (1996)] Getting the nomination is like gravy. Winning would be like whatever is...Show more »

[on his Academy Award nomination for Best Actor (Sling Blade (1996)] Getting the nomination is like gravy. Winning would be like whatever is better than gravy. Show less «

I was the fattest baby in Clark County, Arkansas. They put me in the newspaper. It was like a prize turnip.

Acting is playing--it's actually going out on a playground with the other kids and being in the game, and I need that. Writing satisfies tha...Show more »

Acting is playing--it's actually going out on a playground with the other kids and being in the game, and I need that. Writing satisfies that part of myself that longs to sit in my room and dream. Show less «

I can't sit through plays and musical theatre. I just want to run up onstage and mess up their hair and turn over the furniture.

It's not that I don't understand it. But people think if you speak with an English accent it somehow makes you smarter.

I've been married five times, and people think that's some bizarre thing, yet I've got buddies who refuse to get married and have sex with 1...Show more »

I've been married five times, and people think that's some bizarre thing, yet I've got buddies who refuse to get married and have sex with 15 people a week. I'm like "Which is better?" At least I was trying. Show less «

People think the hard thing for an actor is crying and screaming, but that's easy. What's hard is a character who never tips his hand, who t...Show more »

People think the hard thing for an actor is crying and screaming, but that's easy. What's hard is a character who never tips his hand, who toes the line all the time. The hard stuff is never telling yourself, "Hey, I better do something here.". Show less «

[2007] I am fairly embraced by the Hollywood community, and I love making movies and I love acting, but I'm not real crazy about the Hollywo...Show more »

[2007] I am fairly embraced by the Hollywood community, and I love making movies and I love acting, but I'm not real crazy about the Hollywood system. So the fact that they embrace me is a shock to me because I tell them to kiss my ass all the time. I don't understand why they haven't thrown me out on my ear. The other thing is I don't participate much. I have very few friends within the movie community. I hang out with some guys I've known forever. They're all broke and eat me out of house and home. But I stay home mostly and I don't go to the parties. Maybe that preserves me. Show less «

Most of the movies that are easy to get financed are movies about models in gladiator uniforms and wacky comedies with kids who get caught w...Show more »

Most of the movies that are easy to get financed are movies about models in gladiator uniforms and wacky comedies with kids who get caught with sheep in hotel rooms. Show less «

[on as a director, if there's more interference on a film, the bigger the budget is] Yes, I experienced that one time, I've only done one bi...Show more »

[on as a director, if there's more interference on a film, the bigger the budget is] Yes, I experienced that one time, I've only done one big-budget movie as a director (All the Pretty Horses (2000)). And there is much more interference, to the point where it shows you that if there's something wrong in the film business - that's what it is. Not to say that there aren't good big-budget movies, and that it can't be done, and some people aren't interfered with. Show less «

[on Fargo (2014)] It was one of the best experiences I've had and the people that were involved were really terrific and It was well put tog...Show more »

[on Fargo (2014)] It was one of the best experiences I've had and the people that were involved were really terrific and It was well put together. I've been humbled by the whole thing. I don't think there is such a thing as movie actors and television actors anymore I just think there are just actors now. If I had a friend who asked about going into television I would say yes because you have so much freedom in television now that you don't necessarily get in film. Show less «