'Landman' star Billy Bob Thornton reveals he was once told he was 'too ugly' to be a lead actor

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Billy Bob Thornton, who has gained notoriety for portraying lead characters in shows like 'Landman' and 'Goliath', is no new name in Hollywood.  

However, during his appearance on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' in November 2024, the 69-year-old revealed he was once told that he was "too ugly to be a leading man," as per Whiskey Riff.

Billy Bob Thornton was told during a fancy LA party that he should try his hands at writing rather than acting

Billy Bob Thornton initially tried to succeed in music before relocating to California in the 1980s and decided to take up a side acting gig when things weren't going well. He received over $350 for his first job, which only involved saying one phrase.

To simply make ends meet, Thornton switched between performing music and acting in the late 1980s and early 1990s. At one point, he was forced to accept an offer from a catering firm since things got very desperate.

He was assigned to serve hors d'oeuvres at a fancy party in Los Angeles, namely shrimp heads. It turned out to be an old money party at the home of Stanley Donen, the director of 'Singing in the Rain'.

While narrating the story on 'The Late Show', Thornton revealed that he met with someone at the party who gave him some "advice."

Thornton said, "I’m passing out the shrimp heads and there’s this little, short guy that spoke in kind of a German accent. I asked him if he wanted one of these things and he said, 'So you want to be an actor?' I thought he was a psychic."

"I wasn’t clued in yet that all of the waiters want to be actors. I said, ‘Yeah, how’d you know about that?’ He goes, 'You all want to be actors. Forget about it.' I said, 'Why?' He said, 'You’re too ugly to be a leading man and you’re too pretty to be a character actor,'" he added.

According to Thornton, the short man he was speaking with suggested that he try writing his way into Hollywood. 

The short man told Thornton, "Don't wait on the sidewalk for these people to pick you, there's actors everywhere. Can you write at all?" To which he replied, "Actually, I do write."

"That's what you do. Write and create your own characters, create your own stories, and make them yourself. And sure enough, that's what I did," Thornton shared.

Billy Bob Thornton essentially portrays a version of himself in 'Landman'

Billy Bob Thornton has portrayed almost every role from a guy attempting to save Earth in 'Armageddon', to a drunk burglar in 'Bad Santa', to a high school football coach in 'Friday Night Lights', to a hitman in Season 1 of 'Fargo'.

Thornton, who has been on screen for more than 40 years, was given a brand-new, unusual task in his latest role as the lead in the Paramount+ drama 'Landman' — portraying a version of himself.

Following Thornton's cameo in his 'Yellowstone' prequel series, '1883', the 69-year-old actor and 'Landman' creator Taylor Sheridan became friends.

Recounting the incident, Thornton told Business Insider, "He told me one night at dinner, 'I'm writing this series for you, it's called 'Landman,' and I'm going to write it in your voice, the character is essentially you.' I thought that was intriguing."

Thornton portrays Tommy Norris, a crisis manager for a West Texas oil firm, in the Paramount+ series. Norris, meanwhile, is by no means a stodgy executive.

Wearing a ripped shirt, jeans, and a cowboy hat, Norris appears to have just emerged from a conflict. He usually has a cigarette hanging from his mouth.

Thronton later revealed in Business Insider's 'Role Play' series that the short man who gave him exclusive advice was none other than legendary director Billy Wilder, who changed his perspective on the industry, and how 'Landman' transported him back to the location of one of his most memorable roles.