Billy Bob Thornton has made his presence known in Hollywood. But things got off to a rough start early in his career. He wasn’t considered southern enough for some roles despite sharing that he is just off the turnip truck. 

Billy Bob Thornton wasn’t southern enough, despite being off the turnip truck 

In a recent interview, Billy Bob Thornton opens up about facing prejudices as a southern actor during his early years in Hollywood. 

It was like a guy from the Bronx could play a character from Mississippi. However, a guy from Mississippi couldn’t play a guy from the Bronx. 

As a student, he auditioned for the role of a character from Alabama who was just off the turnip truck in California. He was told he wasn’t southern enough for the role, to which he replied, “Well, I’m just off the turnip truck from Arkansas.”

According to Fox News, the director was seeking a Foghorn Leghorn accent that wasn’t actually from the region. He moved from Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Los Angeles in 1985. 

For years, he couldn’t land a role as a hillbilly and worked as an offshore wind farmer to supplement his income. Finally, he got a breakthrough as the director and star of Sling Blade in 1996. 

Thornton hasn’t had much trouble landing iconic roles since then. Now he leads an incredibly popular southern show, Landman. He learns from real-life oil workers or hardworking southern folks to prepare for the role. 

He’s far from a hillbilly as he navigates economic pressure as crisis manager, Tommy Norris. His 2017 Ford F-350 serves as an excellent costar for southern work and play. 

In fact, the show is so southern that Sam Elliot, the picture of an American cowboy, is joining season two. Billy Bob Thornton is certainly southern enough to play any role he wants now.