Billy Bob Thornton Originally Wanted To Be a Musician: Here’s Why He Became an Actor, Too

Billy Bob Thornton has become an internationally known household name thanks to his roles in films Sling Blade, Bad Santa, and Armageddon. The man is a bonified movie star. However, his film career, in a way, was a happy accident. Hailing from Hot Springs, Arkansas, Thornton’s career admiration didn’t really involve the silver screen early on in his life. Instead, he had his eyes set on the stage, as the actor initially planned to become a musician.

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In light of his most recent role as Tommy Norris in Taylor Sheridan’s 2024 television drama, Landman, Thornton spoke to Forbes about his career arc. Thornton shared a lot of vulnerable information, the most surprising being his transition from a musician to an actor early in his career. It’s surprising in the sense that his life would have been entirely different if it wasn’t for his jump into theatrical arts.

Billy Bob Thornton Loved Music but Pivoted To Acting

Following his conversation about his latest role, Thornton opened up about how important music is to him and his career. For context, Thornton still plays music professionally and he founded the band The Boxmasters in 2007. The creation of this band has been a long time coming for Thornton, as the Oscar-winning actor grew up around music his whole life.

“I grew up with music,” Thornton told the publication. “I’ve been touring since I was 16 years old. I was a roadie and did all kinds of stuff for a lot of big-name bands. […] We grew up on The Beatles, The Kinks, The Animals, the British invasion, and that whole thing. Also, the Southern California pop-rock of The Beach Boys, The Byrds, and people like that.”

Given this deep affinity and aspiration to become a musician, Billy Bob Thornton divulged a rather surprising fact.

“I came to California to play music and acting and movies came later,” he said.

Despite the perceived artistic conflict between Thornton and his career, he claims that the two never interfere. He originally came to Los Angeles to become a musician but ended up finding success as an actor. However, these two sides of Thornton rarely ever interfere.

“When it’s time for me to go on tour or make a record, the movie guys know to leave me alone,” he continued. “When I’m making a movie, the music guys know, well, we’ve got to start in September instead of June this year. So, the two have never butted heads. It’s been pretty easy.”

It’s a good thing that Thornton found a balance between his career as a musician and his career as an actor, as the fans of his film work have always enjoyed Billy Bob Thornton’s dramatic, comedic, and hilariously dark acting roles.

Photo by Brynn Osborn/CBS via Getty Images