Billy Bob Thornton
Academy Award-winning actor, filmmaker, and musician known for Sling Blade, Fargo, and Goliath.
Billy Bob Thornton was born on August 4, 1955, in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His mother, Virginia Roberta, claimed to be a psychic; his father, William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton, taught history and coached basketball at a high school. Thornton has English and some Irish ancestry, and he grew up Methodist in several Arkansas towns, including Alpine, Malvern, and Mount Holly. He attended Malvern High School, where he struggled academically because of undiagnosed dyslexia. After graduating in 1973, he worked a string of odd jobs—roadie, drill press operator, bulldozer operator, sawmill worker—and briefly tried out for the Kansas City Royals before an injury ended that path. He laid asphalt for the state transportation department, then enrolled at Henderson State University to study psychology but left after two semesters.
In the mid-1980s, Thornton moved to Los Angeles to make it as a musician, teaming up with future writing partner Tom Epperson. He had little luck and took work in telemarketing, offshore wind farming, and fast-food management while auditioning for acting roles. He played drums and sang with the South African rock band Jack Hammer. While waiting tables at an industry event, he served director Billy Wilder, who advised him to try screenwriting.
Thornton’s first on-screen role came in the exploitation film *Hunter’s Blood*, where he played a hillbilly named Billy Bob and also worked as a stand-in. He followed that with small parts in *South of Reno*, an episode of *Matlock*, and Adam Sandler’s debut *Going Overboard*. He was a cast member on the CBS sitcom *Hearts Afire* from 1992 to 1995. In 1992, he played the villain in *One False Move*, a film he also co-wrote. Other early roles included *Indecent Proposal*, *On Deadly Ground*, *Bound by Honor*, and *Tombstone*.
Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in the 1996 independent film *Sling Blade*, which expanded his earlier short *Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade*. The story follows a mentally disabled man imprisoned for a brutal murder. The film earned Thornton an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild Award, and an Edgar Award, plus Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor. After *Sling Blade*, he landed major roles in *Primary Colors* (as a James Carville-like strategist), *Armageddon*, and *A Simple Plan*, the last earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The press often described his screen persona as a “tattooed, hirsute man’s man.”
He adapted *All the Pretty Horses* into a 2000 film but was forced to cut over an hour of footage, a negative experience that led him to swear off directing for a while. (He had already filmed *Daddy and Them* earlier.) That same year, an early script he co-wrote with Epperson became *The Gift*. In 2001, he directed *Daddy and Them*. He later directed *Jayne Mansfield’s Car* in 2012.
On television, Thornton starred as Lorne Malvo in the first season of FX’s *Fargo* in 2014, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination and winning a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film. From 2016 to 2021, he played Billy McBride on Amazon’s *Goliath*, winning another Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Drama. In 2024, he began playing Tommy Norris on the Paramount+ series *Landman*.
Thornton has released four solo albums and fronts the rock band the Boxmasters. He has been open about his dislike for celebrity culture and avoids the public eye. He has been married six times, including to Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003.
- born
- August 4, 1955
- field
- Actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, singer-songwriter
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Sling Blade (1996), Fargo (2014), Goliath (2016–2021), Bad Santa (2003)
Lore & Background
Thornton was born on August 4, 1955, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the son of Virginia Roberta (née Faulkner; 1934–2017), a self-proclaimed psychic, and William Raymond 'Billy Ray' Thornton (1929–1974), 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 English and part Irish descent. He has two other siblings. Thornton lived in numerous places in Arkansas during his childhood, including Alpine, Malvern, and Mount Holly. He was raised Methodist. He attended Malvern High School. Thornton struggled academically in school due to dyslexia, for which he was not conclusively diagnosed until later in life. He worked several odd jobs the next few years, including as a roadie, drill press operator, bulldozer operator, and a sawmill worker. A good high school baseball player, he tried out for the Kansas City Royals but was released after an injury. He graduated from Malvern in 1973 and spent a short period laying asphalt for the Arkansas State Transportation Department, before attending Henderson State University to pursue a degree in psychology but dropped out after two semesters. In the mid-1980s Thornton settled in Los Angeles to pursue his career as a musician with future writing partner Tom Epperson. He had a difficult time succeeding as a musician and worked in telemarketing, offshore wind farming, and fast food management while also auditioning for acting jobs. He 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, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Reader's Guide
Thornton is known for his film roles in One False Move (1992), Tombstone (1993), Dead Man (1995), Sling Blade (1996), U Turn (1997), Primary Colors (1998), Armageddon (1998), Monster's Ball (2001), The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Bad Santa (2003), and Friday Night Lights (2004). He has written a variety of films, including A Family Thing (1996) and The Gift (2000) and has directed films such as All the Pretty Horses (2000), Daddy and Them (2001) and Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012). Thornton is also known for his roles on television acting in the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire from 1992 to 1995. In 2014, he starred as Lorne Malvo in the first season of the FX anthology series Fargo, earning a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie and winning a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film. From 2016 to 2021, he played Billy McBride in the Amazon legal drama series Goliath, which earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Drama. In 2024, he began playing the lead role of Tommy Norris in the Paramount+ series Landman. Thornton has released four solo albums and is the vocalist of the rock band the Boxmasters. Thornton has been vocal about his distaste for celebrity culture, choosing to avoid the public eye. He has been married six times, including to Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003.
Did You Know?
- Thornton won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sling Blade (1996).
- He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for Sling Blade and for Best Supporting Actor for A Simple Plan (1998).
- He won a Golden Globe for his role in Fargo (2014) and another for Goliath (2016–2021).
- Thornton has been married six times, including to Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003.
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