WTF Happened to Billy Bob Thornton?

Billy Bob Thornton is an unlikely but enduring movie star. He blasted onto the scene as a character actor in movies like One False Move and Tombstone before his 1996 passion project, Sling Blade, earned him a best screenplay Academy Award while also netting him a Best Actor nomination. Made for just over $1 million, it was a solid box office hit, grossing 30 times its budget, and from there, Thornton’s career went into high gear. While his directorial career went on the back-burner after Harvey Weinstein cut his Cormac McCarthy adaptation, All the Pretty Horses, to shreds, his acting career was white-hot, earning a best-supporting actor nomination for Sam Raimi’s A Simple Plan and leading movies such as Monster’s Ball, Friday Night Lights, The Man Who Wasn’t There, and netting high profile supporting roles in Armageddon, Primary Colors, Bandits, Love Actually and so many more.

His career really gained momentum when he signed on to play the lead in perhaps his most iconic film, Bad Santa, which became an R-rated Christmas classic. At the same time, the public became fascinated by Thornton’s eccentricities, including the fact that he and his then-wife Angelina Jolie wore pendants of each other’s blood and his well-known aversion to antique furniture. There’s also his viral CBC interview in which he sparred with the now-cancelled Jian Ghomeshi, but through it all Thornton has stayed firmly on the Hollywood A-list, with him especially prominent on TV thanks to roles on Fargo and Goliath. We dig into his career in this episode of WTF Happened to this Celebrity, which is written (with Brad Hamerly), narrated and produced by Taylor James Johnson, and edited by Adam Walton.

What’s your favourite Billy Bob Thornton movie? Let us know in the comments!

#billybobthornton #BadSanta #wtfhappenedtothiscelebrity

[robinmabbott]

Billy Bob in Fargo was one of the best mini movies Ive seen

[JoeJohnSoundsandVisuals]

One time he stopped into our IHOP in Pueblo, Colorado. They said he was very nice and talked to everyone there including the cooks, and then went on his way. What a guy

[TurdFergusson]

A Simple Plan is a unbelievably good under rated movie that just kind of came and went at the box office but it’s really deep and thought provoking

[danielj]

My younger cousin and I we're dropped off at a theatre by our grandma in late 2003 - and somehow was let into Bad Santa. (Probably passed on seeing ELF) Don't remember how - we were too young, especially him. Regardless we never laughed so much inside a theatre before, gave us great memories - as we grew up it was our most quoted movie ... until Step Brothers came out.

[Brian-uytj]

He is one of those people that are immensely talented but I don't think I would ever want to meet him.

[KidFresh]

I recently went on a Coen Brothers movie watching Binge. "The Man Who Wasn't There" was definitely amongst their top 5. So good.

[greg]

I like Billy Bob, I think he's way underrated, he can play many roles, many different characters. Sling blade, the Fargo series and and Goliath, just shows his versatility as an actor, the guy can do it all, and he's doing something right, he has Angelina Jolie druling all over him. Billy Bob's got it going on.

[itslouiemoo]

Bad Santa is literally one of the funniest comedy's ever!!!

[tacoman]

I’m happy they mentioned princess Mononoke ❤

[ChrisRstep]

We all know why Monsters Ball is so Re watchable
All jokes aside how Billy never ended up in a Tarantino movie still blows my mind

[blackamerican]

You forgot Hearts Afire tv show back in the 90s with the late Markie Post and John Ritter; who put John in his Sling Blade movie. It was a short lived show but that's how I first remember him. I was so impressed he did not forget his TV family.

[nasirrasul]

One of the grades he’s had some great performances but for me, it will always be bad Santa. It’s one of those few movies that I can watch anytime and still sit down and go through the whole movie and enjoy it like it. I’m watching it for the first time.😊

[rig-zag]

The Ice Harvest deserves more than a single mention. That movie is the definition of underrated.

[Locadel]

This man for a while between the late 90s and early 2000s was the luckiest man alive. He was dating Angelina Jie in his prime and also making that scene with Hale Berry in Monster's Ball😂.
But also making really great performances like in A simple plan, Primary colors, Armageddon, Sling Blade but also really fun and hilarious roles like in Bandits & Bad santa

[johnchedsey]

I wonder if Canada has forgiven him for that radio interview that went awry. I was living there at the time and Canadians were furious at his rudeness to the host (who, to be fair, simply mentioned in introductions that Thornton had made a movie or two). And Thornton's band was kicked off the Willie Nelson tour before the big Toronto show.

Life lesson: when in Canada, just be polite.

[bz]

Billy Bob Thornton in Fargo was amazing!!!!

[homeaccount]

Billy Bob Thornton is an amazing actor! I'll watch anything he does!

[playerunkown]

Billy bob is the best caracter in fargo

Season 2/3/4 where fun to watch but never catched the quality of the first one

[garyperkovac]

Billy Bob. He's an artist. An uncompromising artist who's adapted to the business of Hollywood. Or maybe. the business adapted to him. Ya gotta respect his work.

[denny]

My favorite actor. I saw The Boxmasters last summer. Great musical act.