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.
Walk of Shame
Billy Bob Thornton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was perfect for the night
She looked like an angel
By the candlelight
He had his lines all down
Like a work of art
He made every word sound
Like it was straight from the heart
He said, "Do you believe in magic?"
As he reached for her hand
She said, "I always have
But I should try understand"
He watched like a hawk
As she tripped on her gown
He said, "I'll give you a ride
'Cause this is a dangerous town"
She stepped inside like a woman
And took that walk of shame
She stepped into his car
She didn't even know his name
She felt less of nothing
And no guilt, no pain
Two hungry souls
On the walk of shame
He called her a lady
It went straight to her head
He spoke hollow words in a motel room
In a dusty bed
When the morning broke
The truth came with the light
The mirror told her the magic
Well, it just disappeared with the night
And there she stood like a woman
And took that walk of shame
She didn't make a sound
She didn't even know his name
She felt less of nothing
And no guilt, no pain
No tears allowed
On the walk of shame
No tears allowed
On the walk of shame
The first two lines of the song set the scene for a mysterious and possibly seedy encounter. The woman in question is wearing black and looks like an angel in the candlelight. The man she meets has his lines down pat and is smooth-talking her, making every word sound like it's straight from the heart. He asks her if she believes in magic and reaches for her hand, which she takes but with some hesitation.
After the initial encounter, the two continue on a walk of shame, with the woman feeling less and less of anything as they go. She steps into his car, not even bothering to ask his name. In the motel room, he calls her a lady, but the truth comes out in the morning - it was all just hollow words and she's left feeling empty. As she takes that final walk of shame, she doesn't shed any tears, knowing that this isn't the first or the last time this will happen.
Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the fleeting nature of human connections, especially those of a romantic or intimate nature. The woman in the song is looking for magic and connection, but ultimately finds nothing and is left feeling empty and alone.
Line by Line Meaning
She wore black on black
She dressed in all black attire
It was perfect for the night
Her outfit matched the mood of the night
She looked like an angel
She appeared very beautiful
By the candlelight
The lighting made her look even more beautiful
He had his lines all down
He had rehearsed what he was going to say
Like a work of art
His words were very well crafted
He made every word sound
He spoke very convincingly
Like it was straight from the heart
His words seemed very genuine
He said, "Do you believe in magic?"
He asked her if she believed in magic
As he reached for her hand
He held out his hand to her
She said, "I always have
She replied that she always had believed in magic
But I should try understand"
But she felt she should try to better understand it
He watched like a hawk
He observed her very closely
As she tripped on her gown
She stumbled on her dress
He said, "I'll give you a ride
He offered her a ride
'Cause this is a dangerous town"
Because he felt the town was dangerous
She stepped inside like a woman
She got into his car confidently
And took that walk of shame
She knew she was doing something wrong
She stepped into his car
She entered his car
She didn't even know his name
She didn't know the man's name
She felt less of nothing
She had no remorse
And no guilt, no pain
She didn't feel guilty or ashamed
Two hungry souls
Both of them were craving something
On the walk of shame
They were both engaging in something wrong
He called her a lady
He referred to her respectfully
It went straight to her head
She became conceited
He spoke hollow words in a motel room
He gave her insincere compliments in a cheap motel
In a dusty bed
The bed was unclean
When the morning broke
When the morning arrived
The truth came with the light
She faced the harsh truth
The mirror told her the magic
She saw her true reflection
Well, it just disappeared with the night
The magic had vanished
And there she stood like a woman
She stood tall and confidently
And took that walk of shame
She knew she had done something wrong
She didn't make a sound
She stayed silent
No tears allowed
She refused to cry
On the walk of shame
She was walking home after doing something wrong
No tears allowed
She didn't want to cry
On the walk of shame
She was walking home after doing something wrong
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY BOB THORNTON, MARTY STUART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Melissa Williams
Oh, my goodness. I didn't know that Billy Bob Thornton could sing, wow! What a great actor he is.
Bobbi Spaur
I love Billy Bob Thornton. That said, he can't.
Adam Bogues
You call that singing?
Digging the west
@Skulky Wraith tres hombres band
Skulky Wraith
I believe he was a singer before an actor no?
Gavin Duggan
Melissa Williams He can’t!
ChocoMouse1
I love Billy Bob Thornton! ❤️
Becker's Adventure
I don't know about the rest of you, but Billy Bob is one hell of a great singer, He should play a singer in a future movie.
Remington Riders
@Becker's Adventure There's been talk for years that Billy Bob would do a film about Merle Haggard. Now that would be a great one to start with!
Jovan Davidovic
Lovely old tune!!!