Billy Bob Thornton (born William Robert Thornton on August 4 1955) is an Academy Award-winning American screenwriter, actor, as well as occasional director, playwright and singer. He came to fame in the mid 1990s, after writing, directing, and starring in the film Sling Blade, and has since established a career as a Hollywood leading actor, having appeared in several successful films, including 2003's Bad Santa. Thornton, who has been described in media reports as "Hollywood's go-to alpha male", is also known for his former marriage to actress Angelina Jolie..