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.
Pretty People
Billy Bob Thornton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And people love to hear it
They hang on every line
Even though they fear it
As long as it's someone else
Who's suffering the pain
They'll suck their beer and belch
But people tell me why it's so
When a man kills his pregnant wife
It becomes a prime time show
If they're living in the high life
They'll change the channel just like that
When they're drowning in the ninth ward
But they're hypnotised by some cat
Who killed a beauty queen in his yard
And I can tell you what I think
But the news just won't admit it
Ooh, Pretty people did it
Yeah, ooh, pretty people did it
Seems murder only lasts a minute
When it's poor or red or black
They always have a way to spin it
When the big chiefs get bushwhacked
If your child goes missing you've got to know
You better put out some flyers
Unless you're rolling in the dough
You won't get much help through the wires
Here's the newsflash, here's the scoop
Here is why your story bit it
Ooh, 'cause pretty people did it
Ooh, pretty people did it
Yeah, ooh, pretty people did it
The song “Pretty People” by Billy Bob Thornton is a social commentary on how the news media only covers crime and violence when it involves people who are famous, rich or good-looking. The lyrics describe how the public seems to be more interested in the suffering of others as long as it's not happening to them, and how the media glorifies the heinous acts of certain individuals if they have a “pretty” face. The song highlights how the media normalizes these tragic events to the point where people become desensitized to them.
The chorus of the song is particularly striking as Billy sings, “Ooh, pretty people did it, yeah, ooh, pretty people did it”. This line reveals the singer’s disdain for how the media covers crimes committed by attractive people. The song makes a statement about the obsession of the public with the misdeeds of the rich and the famous, as well as the way that society ignores the suffering of those who are less fortunate.
Overall, “Pretty People” is a poignant critique of the sensationalist news media and the culture that it cultivates. By encouraging people to focus on appearances instead of substance, the media creates a society that is obsessed with celebrity, beauty, and wealth.
Line by Line Meaning
The news is full of crime
The media reports on crimes happening in the world
And people love to hear it
People are interested to know what's happening around them
They hang on every line
People pay close attention to every detail of the news
Even though they fear it
Although people feel scared and anxious hearing about it, they still want to know more
As long as it's someone else
People are only interested in crimes that happen to others
Who's suffering the pain
They're only interested in hearing about others' pain and suffering
They'll suck their beer and belch
People will casually sip their drinks while hearing about other people's misery
And watch the blood pour like it's rain
People will glorify the violence happening and see it as entertainment
But people tell me why it's so
The artist questions why we're attracted to violence happening around us
When a man kills his pregnant wife
Crimes involving murder and domestic violence are highly publicized
It becomes a prime time show
Television programmes prioritize airing such crime stories
If they're living in the high life
The media tends to focus on the crimes of the wealthy and famous
They'll change the channel just like that
Viewers can move onto other things swiftly
When they're drowning in the ninth ward
Viewers can ignore natural disasters happening to people
But they're hypnotised by some cat
People can easily become fascinated with infamous criminals
Who killed a beauty queen in his yard
The media reports with great detail about horrendous crimes that involve good-looking people
And I can tell you what I think
The artist knows that these crimes continue to happen regardless of our reactions
But the news just won't admit it
Media companies often do not take accountability for the impact of the content they produce
Ooh, Pretty people did it
The singer thinks that many attractive and privileged people are responsible for committing crimes
Seems murder only lasts a minute
Crimes involving violence quickly become news, but are only in the spotlight for a short time
When it's poor or red or black
Crimes involving poverty or people of color tend to receive less media attention
They always have a way to spin it
The media can easily manipulate events to tell a particular story
When the big chiefs get bushwhacked
When the wealthy and powerful do experience violence, it's covered more comprehensively
If your child goes missing you've got to know
Parents who experience such events have to resort to finding their own way of seeking help
You better put out some flyers
Posters have been a traditional way in which to find missing persons
Unless you're rolling in the dough
People who are financially well-off can afford to add further resources and search options
You won't get much help through the wires
Law enforcement will have less manpower on such cases, involving missing persons
Here's the newsflash, here's the scoop
The media presents some of the details of missing children cases, but it rarely yields positive results
Here is why your story bit it
The story has been presented in a way that doesn't offer any new information
Ooh, 'cause pretty people did it
The singer believes that great resources are expended on cases that involve handsome/wealthy people causing harm
Ooh, pretty people did it
The singer reiterates that privileged individuals often cause harm to others
Contributed by Bella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.