Billy Bob Thornton admits he thought film was a ‘career ender’

What Have You Overlooked?

Billy Bob Thornton confessed that he believed his successful film Bad Santa would mark the end of his career.

In the 2003 movie, the Hollywood actor portrayed Willie, a con artist who pretends to be Santa Claus in a mall, all while plotting to steal from the stores. The tagline "He doesn't care if you're naughty or nice" captures the essence of this film, featuring Thornton's character as a Santa who is a sexaholic and an alcoholic, engaging in bad behavior with plenty of swearing and smoking.

It turned out to be a hit and gained a dedicated following, something that Thornton described as “a surprise” during his appearance on The One Show.

"Understanding The What, How, And Why"

On Thursday, November 7, Thornton appeared on a BBC show to discuss his new series, Landman, alongside his co-star Jon Hamm. The host, Alex Jones, mentioned that she couldn't resist bringing up Bad Santa during the conversation.

"My boss convinced me to go along with it," he admitted. "He shared the story with me, and I thought, 'This could really ruin my career.'"

Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa. (Photo: PA Images/Alamy)

But everything shifted once the celebrity read the script.

"I tackled about a third of the book," he shared. "I reached out to him right away and told him, 'I have to be a part of this!' It was absolutely hilarious. I was laughing so much that I ended up in tears, and I could feel all that joy pouring out of me."

Thornton stated that they believed the movie would perform decently, but he was surprised by how much it actually gained in popularity.

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"We anticipated it would perform reasonably well," he mentioned. "We believed that many would find it amusing, but we also worried that a significant number might perceive it as overly grim."

"When it achieved iconic status, it was truly surprising."

What Did Billy Bob Thornton Say On The One Show?

That same year, the actor starred in a completely different kind of Christmas movie, Love Actually. He mentioned, "I have two films I watch every Christmas, and one of them is Love Actually, which is a really romantic flick and all that."

Billy Bob Thornton appears on The One Show. (Screenshot from BBC)

"Well, I didn't exactly bring a lot of romance to the role," he joked, talking about his character, a US President who behaves inappropriately with a junior staff member at No 10, portrayed by Martine McCutcheon.

"Every Christmas, it's interesting how you can split people into two groups: those who enjoy Love Actually and those who prefer Bad Santa. Interestingly, there are some who find common ground between the two."

The One Show is broadcast on BBC One at 7 PM every weekday.

Landman will be available on Paramount+ starting Monday, November 18.