Editing Billy Bob Thornton (section)

== Early life ==
Thornton was born on August 4, 1955,<ref>{{cite news|title=Monitor|newspaper=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=August 10, 2012|issue=1219|page=27}}</ref> in [[Hot Springs, Arkansas]],<ref name="actors">{{cite episode |title=Billy Bob Thornton |series=Inside the Actors Studio |series-link=Inside the Actors Studio |airdate=August 18, 2002 |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0611331/ |season=8 |number=18}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biography.com/people/billy-bob-thornton-9542137#awesm=~oIE83Y3cYu4zJL|title=Billy Bob Thornton Biography|work=[[The Biography Channel]]|access-date=June 30, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624204734/https://www.biography.com/people/billy-bob-thornton-9542137#awesm=~oIE83Y3cYu4zJL|archive-date=June 24, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1405849/Billy-Bob-Thornton|title=Billy Bob Thornton (American actor, director, and writer)|encyclopedia=[[Encyclopædia Britannica Online]]|access-date=August 30, 2014}}</ref> the son of Virginia Roberta (''née'' Faulkner), a self-proclaimed [[psychic]], and William Raymond "Billy Ray" Thornton, a high school history teacher and basketball coach.<ref name="actors" /> His brother Jimmy Don (April 1958 – October 1988) wrote a number of songs; Thornton recorded two of them ("Island Avenue" and "Emily") on his solo albums.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com |title=Social Security Death Index |website=Ssdi.rootsweb.ancestry.com |access-date=May 9, 2010}}</ref> He is of [[English diaspora|English]] and part [[Irish people|Irish descent]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2012/0213/435511-thorntonb/|title=Billy Bob's Irish father inspires movie|date=February 13, 2012|website=rte.ie|access-date=November 2, 2018}}</ref> He has two other siblings.<ref>{{cite news|title=Billy Bob Thornton Brother: Jimmy Don, James Bean And John David Thornton|url=https://superfestfilm.com/billy-bob-thornton-brother/|work=Superfest Film|author=Samikshya Humagain|date=December 27, 2023}}</ref>

Thornton lived in numerous places in Arkansas during his childhood, including [[Hot Springs, Arkansas|Alpine]], [[Malvern, Arkansas|Malvern]], and [[Mount Holly, Arkansas|Mount Holly]]. He was raised [[Methodist]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.beliefnet.com/story/212/story_21242.html |title=Billy Bob Thornton, Astronaut Farmer |website=BeliefNet.com}}</ref> .<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/billy-bob-thornton.html|website=[[FYI (American TV channel)|The Biography Channel]]|title=Billy Bob Thornton|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101011125714/http://www.thebiographychannel.co.uk/biographies/billy-bob-thornton.html|archive-date=October 11, 2010}}</ref> He attended [[Malvern High School (Arkansas)|Malvern High School]]. Thornton struggled academically in school due to [[dyslexia]], for which he was not conclusively diagnosed until later in life.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/billy-bob-thornton-2174/|title=Billy Bob Thornton|date=May 31, 2017|website=[[Encyclopedia of Arkansas]]|access-date=February 6, 2020}}</ref> A good high school [[baseball]] player, he tried out for the [[Kansas City Royals]] but was released after an injury.<ref name="driving">{{cite news |url=http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/ingear/cars/article71999.ece |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111032243/http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/ingear/cars/article71999.ece |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 11, 2014 |title=On the Move: Billy Bob Thornton |work=The Times |date=September 23, 2007 | location=London |url-access=subscription | access-date=November 10, 2014 | first=Gill | last=Pringle }}</ref> He graduated from Malvern in 1973 and spent a short period laying asphalt for the [[Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department|Arkansas State Transportation Department]], before attending [[Henderson State University]] to pursue a degree in [[psychology]] but dropped out after two semesters.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Billy Bob Tapes A Cave Full of Ghosts |last1=Thornton |first1=Billy Bob |last2=Friedman |first2=Kinky |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |year=2012 |isbn=9780753541128 |pages=66 }}</ref>

In the mid-1980s Thornton settled in Los Angeles to pursue his career as an actor with future writing partner [[Tom Epperson]].<ref name="actors" /> He had a difficult time succeeding as an actor and worked in [[telemarketing]], offshore [[wind farm]]ing,<ref name="driving" /> and [[fast food]] management between auditioning for acting jobs. He also played the drums and sang with South African rock band [[Jack Hammer (South African band)|Jack Hammer]]. While working as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director and screenwriter [[Billy Wilder]]. He struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.<ref name="actors" />