There is an entertainment-industry truism that the older someone is before they become famous, the nicer and more accommodating a star they are likely to be. (In the corridors of the Music Mix this is known as "The Wayne Coyne Rule.") There are exceptions. Justin Timberlake was hugely famous at a young age, but in person comes across as a very friendly and comparatively grounded guy. Then there is Billy Bob Thornton, who didn’t become a celebrity until he was in his 40s, yet seems like one unpleasant dude.
His prickliness was fully displayed yesterday morning during an utterly bone-chilling radio interview conducted by Canadian radio host (and Moxy Fruvous member) Jian Ghomeshi with Thornton’s country-inclined musical outfit the Boxmasters. Thornton appears to have become upset after Ghomeshi mentioned his acting career while introducing the band. What happens next really has to be seen to be believed. Highlights include Thornton responding to a question about his early musical influences by discussing a magazine about monster movies, and later asking Ghomeshi whether he would refer to Tom Petty’s interest in music as his "first love" if the host interviewed the Full Moon Fever rocker.
The truth is that if you were interviewing Petty about, say, his King of the Hill character and decided to throw in a reference to the fact that he also writes the occasional song, it is highly unlikely he would throw the kind of icy, sulky tantrum that can be witnessed below. And if Thornton is serious about the Boxmasters (and one assumes he is, given that they have released three albums over the past year), then it might behoove him to dial down that prickliness. Because while this clip is a must-see, it’s difficult to imagine too many media outlets lining up to help further publicize the band after seeing it — or many music fans responding to this kind of diva behavior.
What do you think? Has Mr Thornton hurt the Boxmasters’ chances of success? And would anyone care to defend him?
More on Billy Bob Thornton:
Review of his 2001 debut album
Review of his 2007 movie Mr. Woodcock
Comments (1-15) of 312 Add your comment
He’s probably really insecure about his ‘music career’ because when an actor starts a band its usually a big unintentional joke. Oh and he’s REALLY ugly.
Canadian audiences are lame because we don’t throw things at each other at his shows? Maybe that will change. Watch for flying shoes, Billy Bob!
Kudos to Jian Ghomeshi for being so classy with such garbage in his studio.
Do you mean Bad Santa is real?!? And he sings?!!
He’s such a knob. I sincerely hope no one gives him any more publicity opportunities for his band.
Fame and fortune are just like alcohol, if you’re naturally a jerk, they just make you a bigger one.
drm
Imagining him putting his body parts on and into Angelina makes me cringe.
I agree with Clark Collis, if BBT was really serious about his music he wouldn’t pull stunts like this that make him and his band as a whole look bad…if I were either the band mates or the interviewer I hope I would have been able to keep cool enough to give him a polite but harsh verbal smackdown and then proceeded with the rest of the interview as if he wasn’t there. I hope the rest of the band are starting to look at other opportunities to develop and display their talents so they can drop the suck bag asap!
thoughtless douchebag. his bandmates deserve oughta string him up.
Yes he has hurt his and the bands chances here in Canada anyway Jian Gomeshi is a highly respected journalist for CBC as far as I am concerned and handled well. On the other hand Billy Bob should check his attitude and apoligize on the ait with Jian… and than redo the interview with some respect. And hey Billy if it wasn’t for your acting career you would not have this band think about it, embrace it and deal with it.
Obviously Billy Bob is on some really heavy-duty drugs!! Too bad he’s taking up valuable space with the publicity his bizarre behaviour has attracted. God bless CBC radio personality Jian Ghomeshi for being such a professional and staying calm and doing his job. You, Jian, just gained one more fan and that’s me!!!
The interviewer is a flake. Thornton’s graduated comeback is witty and wry – like a bottle of Southern giftwrapped for a 4 year old.
What a butt! I hope his band members aren’t like him. If they’re not, I feel sorry for them.
What a jerk! He came off about as good as Joaquin Phoenix did on Letterman. The interviewer was very professional and kept it together even though Billy Bob acted like an amateur.
By the way, musically he is not in the same time zone as Tom Petty.
“Would you say that to Tom Petty?”
Uh, hey Billy Bob, sorry to break this to you but…you’re not Tom Petty.
What a loser