Billy Bob Thornton's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Hearts Afire Billy Bob D… The Outsiders Buck Merrill

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Faster 2008 - Eagle Eye 2007 - Mr. Woodcock 2006 - School for Scoundrels 2006 - The Astronaut Farmer 2005 - Bad News Bears 2005 - The Ice Harvest 2004 - Friday Night Lights 2004 - Chrystal 2004 - Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson 2004 - The Alamo 2003 - Levity 2003 - Love Actually 2003 - Bad Santa 2003 - Intolerable Cruelty 2002 - The Badge 2002 - Waking Up in Reno 2001 - Bandits 2001 - Daddy and Them 2001 - The Man Who Wasn't There 2001 - Monster's Ball 2000 - South of Heaven, West of Hell 1999 - Pushing Tin 1998 - Homegrown 1998 - Armageddon 1998 - Primary Colors 1998 - A Simple Plan 1997 - The Apostle 1996 - Sling Blade 1995 - Dead Man 1994 - Some Folks Call it a Sling Blade 1994 - Floundering 1994 - On Deadly Ground 1993 - Tombstone 1993 - Grey Knight 1993 - Bound by Honor 1993 - Indecent Proposal 1992 - One False Move 1989 - Going Overboard 1986 - Hunter's Blood

BIOGRAPHY:

William Robert (Billy Bob) Thornton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas on August 4, 1955 to William Raymond (Billy Ray) Thornton (educator, high school history teacher, basketball coach; deceased) and Virginia R. Faulkner (psychic). He has three younger brothers, James Donald (Jimmy Don), born in 1958 and now deceased, James (Jim) Bean and John David, born in 1969. He has been married 5 times and has 5 children: daughter Amanda (with Gatlin); sons William and Harry (both with Cherniak); son Maddox, adopted with Angelina Jolie; 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 (I) 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.

Billy received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.


TRIVIA:

• Was contacted about inducting his cousins the Funk brothers into the WWE Hall of fame but declined the offer.
• In _Armageddon (1998/I)_ (qv) he was the NASA flight director. In _The Astronaut Farmer (2006)_ (qv) he was a former astronaut who went up against NASA.
• Owns a penthouse in Paris.
• December 2007 - According to Forbes, for each dollar he got paid, Thornton's movies averaged $10 of gross income.
• Agreed to 'Ethan Coen' (qv) and 'Joel Coen' (qv)'s _The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)_ (qv) without reading the script, out of respect for the Coen brothers' talent.
• Claimed in a "USA Today" interview that he has an intense phobia of antique furniture. This fear has been seen on screen in both _Bandits (2001)_ (qv) and _Sling Blade (1996)_ (qv).
• 10/7/04: Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• 4/15/97: Ex-wife Pietra granted a restraining order against Thornton to keep him away from her and their children.