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Billy Bob Thornton

Born 1955-08-04 in Hot Springs, Arkansas
A Director
An Actor
A Writer

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In Brief:

Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. He came to fame in the mid 1990s, after writing and starring in the film Sling Blade, and has since established a career as a Hollywood leading actor, having appeared in several successful films, including 2003's Bad Santa. Thornton, who has been described in media reports as "Hollywood's go-to alpha male", is also known for his former marriage to actress Angelina Jolie.

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Bio:

Thornton was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas to Billy Ray Thornton, a high school history teacher and basketball coach, and Virginia R. Faulkner, a psychic. Thornton has two younger brothers, Jimmy Don, born in 1958 and now deceased, and John David, born in 1969. Thornton lived in both Alpine, Arkansas and Malvern, Arkansas during his childhood, and also spent time with his grandfather, Otis Thornton, a forest ranger, in a small shack in the woods.

In the late 1980s, Thornton settled in Los Angeles to pursue his career as an actor alongside future writing partner Tom Epperson. Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing, off-shore wind farming and fast food management while auditioning for acting jobs. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director Billy Wilder and struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.

Thornton first came to semi-prominence as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Markie Post. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal, On Deadly Ground, and Tombstone.

Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film Sling Blade, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, told the story of Karl Childers, a mentally retarded man. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim and won Thornton an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay (as well as a "Best Actor" nomination for his performance).

During the late 1990s, Thornton, who has had a life-long love for music, began a career as a singer-songwriter. He released a roots rock album entitled Private Radio in 2001, and two more albums, The Edge of the World (2003) and Hobo (2005). Thornton was the singer of a blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist Billy Gibbons referred to the band as "The best little cover band in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it. He also performed the Warren Zevon song The Wind on the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon. As of September 2006, Thornton is working on another album.

Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man". He appeared in several major film roles during following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan, 2001's Monster's Ball and 2004's The Alamo, in which he played Davy Crockett. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus in 2003's Bad Santa, a black comedy that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor. Thornton has stated that following Bad Santa's success, audiences "like to watch [him] play that kind of guy" and "they [casting directors] call me up when they need an (expletive)a hole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be". His most recent role is in the comic film School for Scoundrels, which was released on September 29, 2006. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor; the role was written specifically for Thornton. His upcoming roles include The Astronaut Farmer, a drama scheduled for a February 2, 2007 release; another comedy, Mr. Woodcock, in which Thornton will play a sadistic gym teacher; and the drama Peace Like A River, which is scheduled to begin filming in early 2007. Thornton has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a period piece about cave explorer Floyd Collins.

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

Thornton has stated on several occasions that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder. He is known for various idiosyncratic behaviors, well-documented in interviews with the actor. Among these is a phobia for antique furniture, something shared by the Dwight Yoakam character in the Thornton-penned Sling Blade. That trait was also added to Thornton's character in the 2001 film Bandits. Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of silverware, a trait which was included for his character in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which his character requests a plastic spoon each time he consumes his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Thornton lives in Los Angeles. He has been married five times, perhaps most notably to actress Angelina Jolie. The pair were known for their eccentric behavior, including reports that they wore vials of each others' blood around their necks. He is the father of five children: Amanda Spence with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin; William Langston and Harry James with his fourth wife, Pietra Cherniak; son Maddox, adopted with Angelina Jolie; and Bella, with Connie Angland, who is Thornton's current girlfriend. Thornton has also stated that he will likely not marry again; he has specified that he believes that marriage "doesn't work" for him.

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Awards:

• 1997 - Won Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay - SLING BLADE

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Filmography:

• School For Scoundrels (2006)
• The Ice Harvest (2005)
• Bad News Bears (2005)
• Friday Night Lights (2004)
• The Alamo (2004)
• Crystal (2004)
• Bad Santa (2003)
• Love Actually (2003)
• Intolerable Cruelty (2003)
• Levity (2003)
• Monster's Ball (2001)
• Bandits (2001)
• The Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
• Pushing Tin (1999)
• A Simple Plan (1998)
• Armageddon (1998)
• Homegrown (1998)
• Primary Colors (1998)
• The Apostle (1997)
• U-Turn (1997)
• Princess Mononoke (1997)
• Sling Blade (1996)
• Don't Look Back (1996)
• On Deadly Ground (1994)
• Tombstone (1993)
• Bound By Honor (1993)
• Indecent Proposal (1993)
• One False Move (1992)
• Chopper Chicks from Zombietown (1989)

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