Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton (born August 4, 1955) is an American actor, filmmaker, singer and songwriter. He received international attention after writing, directing and starring in the independent drama film ''Sling Blade'' (1996), 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'' (1998) he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Thornton is also known for his film roles in ''One False Move'' (1992), ''Tombstone'' (1993), ''Dead Man'' (1995), ''U Turn'' (1997), ''Primary Colors'' (1998), ''Armageddon'' (1998), ''Monster's Ball'' (2001), ''The Man Who Wasn't There'' (2001), ''Intolerable Cruelty'' (2003), ''Bad Santa'' (2003) and ''Friday Night Lights'' (2004). He has written a variety of films, including ''A Family Thing'' (1996) and ''The Gift'' (2000) and has directed films such as ''Daddy and Them'' (2001), ''All the Pretty Horses'' (2000) and ''Jayne Mansfield's Car'' (2012).

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 2024, he began playing the lead role of Tommy Norris in the Paramount+ series ''Landman''.

In addition to film work, Thornton began his 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. Provided by Wikipedia