Billy Bob Thornton Explains Why He Turned Down Villain Roles in Major Franchises

Billy Bob Thornton, the acclaimed actor and director known for his Oscar-nominated role in Sling Blade, recently shared why he passed on villain roles in some of the biggest movie franchises. In a conversation on the Bingeworthy podcast, Thornton opened up about why he declined the opportunity to play antagonists in both Spider-Man (2002) and Mission: Impossible III.

Thornton explained that he simply wasn't interested in those types of roles. “I don’t have much interest in those kinds of roles,” he said. “With the Green Goblin, I didn’t feel like getting up at 4 a.m. for five or six hours of makeup. And with Mission: Impossible III, I didn’t want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise.”

For Thornton, the thought of becoming a permanent fixture in people’s minds as a villain in major franchises didn’t appeal to him. He prefers to take on roles that are more unpredictable, often portraying characters who are “losers” or less conventional. As a result, the Green Goblin role in Spider-Man went to Willem Dafoe, while the antagonist in Mission: Impossible III was played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, who took on the role of arms dealer Owen Davian.

Despite turning down these iconic villain roles, Thornton has still embraced complex, darker characters in his career. His portrayal of the sinister hitman Lorne Malvo in Fargo earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Currently, Thornton is receiving attention for his performance in Landman, a new series from Taylor Sheridan. In the show, he plays Tommy Norris, a tough and driven oil rig executive. Recently nominated for his seventh Golden Globe for this role, Thornton described his character as someone who’s been through the ranks and understands the gritty reality of the oil business.

“My character obviously came up doing more menial jobs in this. So he has been there. He knows how this works,” Thornton explained. As the foreman, Norris is constantly solving problems and is obsessed with achieving success. “There’s always a problem to solve because he is a fixer,” Thornton said. “I think he’s driven and doesn’t really think about that much, though I think he’s a bit fatalistic about it.”

Thornton's career continues to reflect his preference for challenging and multifaceted roles, whether in film or television, proving his ability to take on unique and compelling characters without being defined by traditional villain roles.