About Billy Bob Thornton
Billy Bob Thornton is an American film actor, filmmaker, singer, and songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing, and starring in the independent drama film Sling Blade , for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. For his role in A Simple Plan he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He is also known for his film roles in One False Move , Dead Man , U Turn , Primary Colors , Armageddon , Monster's Ball , The Man Who Wasn't There , Intolerable Cruelty , Bad Santa , and Friday Night Lights . He has written a variety of films including A Family Thing and The Gift and has directed films such as Daddy and Them , All the Pretty Horses , and Jayne Mansfield's Car .
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 addition to film work, Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter. He 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 keep out of the public eye. He has been married six times, including to Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003 which received significant media attention.
Thornton was born on August 4, 1955, in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the son of Virginia Roberta , a self-proclaimed psychic, and William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton, a high school history teacher and basketball coach. His brother Jimmy Don wrote a number of songs; Thornton recorded two of them 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 in an extended family in a shack that had no electricity or plumbing. He attended Malvern High School. Thornton struggled academically in school due to dyslexia for which he was not conclusively diagnosed until later in life. 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 an actor with future writing partner Tom Epperson. He had a difficult time succeeding as an actor and worked in telemarketing, offshore wind farming, and fast food management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also 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. He struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Map & Directions To Venue
