Billy Bob Thornton says celebrity status is no reason to suppress political beliefs on fans
Billy Bob Thornton said he has never been interested in using his celebrity status to push his political or personal beliefs on his fans.
“I don’t know anything about politics,” the 70-year-old “Landman” star said on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast last week while discussing the impact of being a celebrity.
“I don’t know. And the things I believe, I don’t want to shove down someone else’s throat because I’m not an expert on that.”
Thornton joked that being quiet about his opinions may be the very reason why he won’t be part of the awards show like he did earlier in his career.
“I’m not a big person like at awards shows all of a sudden you start talking about saving badges and stuff,” said the “Friday Night Lights” actor.
“Like Ricky Gervais said, you know, it’s like getting your little prize and getting the f–k taken away, you know?”
This is not the first time Thornton has made noise about this matter.
Appearing on “The Joe Rogan Experience” in November, he revealed that he’s been skipping award shows over the years after winning “a bunch” of them in the past.
“We’ll go through here and, you know, have dry-aged chicken breast and green beans, you know, and we’ll listen to people get up there and ask how amazing they are,” he told Rogan.
“They’re the ones who get me. It’s like, what if you get one of these things and you’re really honored by it, well, you’re honored by the people who gave it to you. And don’t go up there and talk about saving, you know, the Wisconsin Badgers or something.”
Thornton also fought back against “Landman” creator Taylor Sheridan, accusing award shows of repeatedly canceling the series due to political bias.
“I think a lot of it is political. I really do,” he told Variety in January. “I think some people think Taylor is a right-winger or something, and he’s not.”
Thornton, who stars on “Landman” as oil executive Tommy Norris, explained that awards voters may have the wrong idea about the show’s message.
“Even this show talks about the oil business but it just shows you how it is, it doesn’t say ‘Rah, rah, rah’ oil,” he explained.
“People who only work in this business or are affected by this business, people on the margins and families in the business; that’s what is happening.
Yellowstone, Sheridan’s smash hit series, received just one Emmy nomination during its five-season run — Outstanding Production Design for a Contemporary Narrative Program in 2021.
Thornton burst onto the Hollywood radar in 1996 with Sling Blade – a film he wrote, directed and starred in that earned him an Academy Award for best writing and a nomination for best actor.
