Early life
Thornton was born in Arkansas to Billy Ray Thornton, a high school history teacher and basketball coach, and Virginia R. Faulkner, a psychic. Thornton has three younger brothers, Jimmy Don, born in 1958 and now deceased, Jim Bean, 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. He attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he studied psychology but dropped out after two semesters. Thornton is the cousin of noted professional wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, which Terry Funk notes in his autobiography Terry Funk: More Than Hardcore.
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. He also played drums and sang with South African rock legend Piet Botha's band Jack Hammer. 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.
Career
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, Bound By Honor, Grey Knight, 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. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name, starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz. Also in 2000 he and Tom Epperson wrote The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes and Giovanni Ribisi.
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.[2] He also performed the Warren Zevon song The Wind on the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon. Thornton also recorded a cover of the Johnny Cash classic Ring of Fire for the Oxford American magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001. As of September 2006, Thornton is working on another album.[3]
Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man".[1] He appeared in several major film roles 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"[1] and "they [casting directors] call me up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be".[4] 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.[1] His upcoming roles include The Astronaut Farmer, a drama scheduled for a February 23, 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,[5] based on the book Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins by Robert K. Murray and Roger Brucker.
Thornton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.
Personal life
Thornton has stated on several occasions that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder; he and rock singer Warren Zevon became close friends after sharing their common experiences with the disorder.[6] He is known for various idiosyncratic behaviors, well-documented in interviews with the actor. Among these is a phobia of 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,[7] 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 later clarified this to be that the two of them wore small lockets that contained a drop of blood from each of them inside.[1][8] Thornton and Jolie adopted a child from Cambodia renamed Maddox. Jolie's divorce petition named the child as being both hers and Thornton's offspring and requested the Court grant her custody and Thornton reasonable parenting time.[9] He is the father of four other children: Amanda Spence with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin; William Langston and Harry James with his fourth wife, Pietra Cherniak; 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.[1]
On September 11, 2003, Thornton had received word that his ex-Hearts Afire star, John Ritter had passed away, while filming the last movie Bad Santa, which was dedicated to him. He along with Markie Post attended Ritter's funeral four days after his co-star's death.
Angelina
Billy Bob Thornton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You said you wanted to be with me
I never dreamed I had it all
But something changed hat day inside me
And I believe it changed inside you too
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
They all said we'd never make it
Two crazy panthers on the prowl
They said we would only fake it for a while
But we just looked at them and growled
You were massed and tied an' cut and weary
But I said, that's okay, you can be a girl
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Angelina, what's come between us
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
This ain't no chance we're taking
It's a real love that we're making
Blindfolds off and now we see
Yeah, we see, Angelina, oh Angelina
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Angelina, what's come between us
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
Angelina, what's come between us
Could it bee the magic and the mystery of love?
Could it bee the magic and the mystery of love?
Angelina
The song "Angelina" by Billy Bob Thornton is a romantic track that celebrates the magic of love. The song describes the moment when the singer met Angelina and how things changed for them that day. They were initially attracted to each other, but their love was met with opposition from others who doubted their relationship could work. However, the two lovers persisted and eventually found true love.
The lyrics paint a picture of two people who are deeply in love and who are willing to face any obstacle to be together. There is a sense of vulnerability and honesty in the way the singer describes his feelings for Angelina. It is clear that their love is not just a passing infatuation but a real connection that is built on trust and mutual respect. The reference to angels dancing above adds a metaphorical layer to the song, suggesting that their love is pure and divine.
Overall, "Angelina" is a heartfelt love song that captures the intensity of a true connection. The lyrics are simple, but they convey a depth of emotion that is sure to resonate with anyone who has ever been in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I walked into an elevator and you walked into a wall
We were going opposite ways when we first met
You said you wanted to be with me
You expressed your desire to be in a relationship with me
I never dreamed I had it all
I didn't think I had everything I could ever want
But something changed hat day inside me
Something happened that day that affected me deeply
And I believe it changed inside you too
I think it affected you in the same way
Yeah, Angelina, can you feel it?
Angelina, do you feel what I feel?
Watching angels as they're dancing up above
Observing the beauty of the world around us
Angelina, what's come between us
What has caused a rift between us, Angelina?
Could it be the magic and the mystery of love?
Perhaps it's the unexplainable wonder of love that's causing our issues
They all said we'd never make it
People doubted our relationship from the beginning
Two crazy panthers on the prowl
We were unpredictable and wild together
They said we would only fake it for a while
They thought our love wouldn't last
But we just looked at them and growled
We fiercely defended our love and proved them wrong
You were massed and tied an' cut and weary
You were worn down and exhausted
But I said, that's okay, you can be a girl
I reassured you that it was ok to be vulnerable with me
This ain't no chance we're taking
Our love is not a risky gamble
It's a real love that we're making
Our love is genuine and true
Blindfolds off and now we see
We were oblivious to the wonders of each other, but now we understand
Angelina, oh Angelina
Addressing Angelina directly
Could it bee the magic and the mystery of love?
Perhaps our love's indescribable quality is causing our problems
Could it bee the magic and the mystery of love?
Maybe love's power created our issues
Angelina
Calling out to Angelina
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: PETER GORDENO, JOSEF LAROSSI, ANDREAS ROMDHANE, ANDRES ALCARAZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Hậu (TT-MAR) Nguyễn Quang
Director, Writer, Actor, Singer, and Lady killer. Such a brilliant talent!
Mr Fake
9 incher to boot
T8NGU
A very bad Santa 🤣👍
ConnieLynchitz
Billy does a masterful job of skirting the fine line between cheesy bad, unintentional hilarity and a well crafted love song that drives with a pure earnestness that makes it work in spite of itself.
Duh Sunnyday
He actually has a good voice
h8r Raider
when the chorus hits there are 2 singers ..his voice was dubbed over another guy but ..gotta say it makes the tune sound great! awesome song
Sunshine Lindsay
I love billy bob. I don’t understand why people can’t appreciate his music ♥️♥️♥️
Todd Gaak
Because it SUCKS.
Navoo2008
I actually think this is a very sweet and moving song. It's obvious he meant every word of it at the time. Nice to be loved so much. (-:
Flower Fields
Same here. I agree 100%