Billy Bob Thornton Biography (2)

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Academy Award-winning writer, actor, director and musician, Billy Bob Thornton has an extensive and impressive career in motion pictures, television and theatre. Charismatic and uniquely talented, Thornton has established himself as one of the most sought after filmmakers of his generation. Following the completion of Levity, Thornton is currently celebrating a high water mark in his career. Demonstrating the versatility of his acting abilities, Thornton starred in the caper comedy Bandits for director Barry Levinson and co-starring Bruce Willis and Cate Blanchett; the noir The Man Who Wasn't There for the Coen Brothers; and the heart wrenching drama Monster's Ball, in which he co-starred with Oscar-winner Halle Berry, Heath Ledger and Peter Boyle. Each of the three performances garnered Thornton unprecedented critical acclaim, and resulted in him being named Best Actor of 2001 by the National Board of Review, Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor in a Drama for The Man Who Wasn't There and Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for Bandits, and an American Film Institute Award nomination for Best Actor for The Man Who Wasn't There. Thornton's 1996 release of the critically acclaimed and phenomenally popular feature film Sling Blade, which he starred in and directed from an original script he wrote, firmly secured his status as a preeminent filmmaker. For his efforts, he was honored with both an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. The film, produced by The Shooting Gallery and released by Miramax, also starred Robert Duvall, J. T. Walsh, Dwight Yoakum and John Ritter.

Prior to Sling Blade, Thornton already had an extensive motion picture credit list. He wrote and starred in the character drama One False Move, which brought him immediate critical praise. Thornton's powerful script (co-written with Tom Epperson) was enhanced by his intense performance as a hunted criminal. The film, directed by Carl Franklin, was a sleeper success.

In addition, Thornton has been featured in such films as The Winner for director Alex Cox, Indecent Proposal directed by Adrian Lyne, Dead Man for director Jim Jarmusch and in Tombstone, directed by George P. Cosmatos. Thornton has also appeared in the films On Deadly Ground, Bound by Honor, For the Boys and The Stars Fell on Henrietta.

As a writer, Thornton has worked on numerous projects for United Artists, Miramax, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros. , Touchstone Pictures, Island Pictures, David Geffen Productions and HBO. He also scripted A Family Thing, a highly regarded feature film that starred Robert Duvall and James Earl Jones for United Artists.

Thornton co-starred in the blockbuster action-adventure film Armageddon with Bruce Willis for producer Jerry bruckheimer and he has also co-starred opposite Sean Penn, Nick Nolte and Jennifer Lopez in U-Turn, directed by Oliver Stone and in Primary Colors opposite John Travolta and Emma Thompson for director Mike Nichols. He also starred in the dark comedy Pushing Tin opposite John Cusack, Cate Blanchett and Angelina Jolie.

Thornton received an Academy Award nomination and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor for his celebrated work in the drama A Simple Plan for director Sam Raimi, as well as a Best Supporting Actor award from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Best Supporting Actor nomination from the Screen Actors Guild. For his second and third directorial outings, Thornton chose the comedy Daddy and Them, which he again wrote and starred in, and the best-selling Cormac McCarthy novel, All the Pretty Horses, starring Matt Damon, Penelope Cruz and Henry Thomas. Thornton also co-wrote The Gift, starring Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi and Hilary Swank.

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