Thornton, Billy Bob (1955– )

US actor and screenwriter. The film roles he takes often explore dark themes of inner conflict, human greed, and isolation, and tend to be influenced by his impoverished upbringing in rural Arkansas. He has written and starred in both dramas and comedies, first achieving wide acclaim for his drama Sling Blade (1996). He starred in the Coen brothers' drama The Man Who Wasn't There and opposite Halle Berry in the drama Monster's Ball (both 2001).

He wrote, directed, and starred in Sling Blade, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and a nomination for Best Actor. Other film appearances include the political drama Primary Colors (1998), the science-fiction adventure Armageddon (1998), the psychological drama A Simple Plan (1998; Academy Award nomination for Best Actor), and the comedy Pushing Tin (1999). He co-wrote the thriller The Gift (2000).

He was born in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and grew up in the small town of Alpine. He played drums and sang for a band called Tres Hombres during the late 1970s. He moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to pursue an entertainment career, and for several years he struggled as a musician, and then as a screenwriter. He had few successes during the 1980s and was hospitalized after a severe heart attack. His first major starring role was in the crime drama One False Move (1992), which he co-wrote with school friend and frequent collaborator Tom Epperson. Other acting roles include Dead Man (1995), U-Turn (1997), The Apostle (1997), Intolerable Cruelty (2003), Bad Santa (2004), and The Alamo (2004).

He has been married five times; his fifth wife was actor Angelina Jolie (2000–03).