Claim: Billy Bob Thornton has been employed since at least 1996.

Billy Bob Thornton -LRB- born August 4 , 1955 -RRB- is an American actor , filmmaker , singer , songwriter , and musician .   Thornton had his first break when he co-wrote and starred in the 1992 thriller One False Move , and came to international attention after writing , directing , and starring in the independent drama film Sling Blade -LRB- 1996 -RRB- , for which he won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor . He appeared in several major film roles in the 1990s following Sling Blade , including Oliver Stone 's neo-noir U Turn -LRB- 1997 -RRB- , political drama Primary Colors -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , science fiction disaster film Armageddon -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , which was the highest-grossing film of that year , and the crime drama A Simple Plan -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , which earned him his third Academy Awards nomination .   In the 2000s , Thornton achieved further success in starring dramas Monster 's Ball -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , The Man Who Was n't There -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , and Friday Night Lights -LRB- 2004 -RRB- ; comedies Bandits -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , Intolerable Cruelty -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , and Bad Santa -LRB- 2003 -RRB- ; and action films Eagle Eye -LRB- 2008 -RRB- and Faster -LRB- 2010 -RRB- . In 2014 , Thornton starred as Lorne Malvo in the first season of the anthology series Fargo , earning a nomination for the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or TV Movie at the Emmy Awards and won Best Actor in a Miniseries or TV Film at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards . In 2016 , he starred in an Amazon original series , Goliath about a washed up attorney with a great new case .   Thornton has been vocal about his disrespect for celebrity culture , choosing to keep his life out of the public eye . However , the attention of the media has proven unavoidable in certain cases , his marriage to Angelina Jolie being a notable example . Thornton has appeared in at least one film per year nearly every year since 1991 . Thornton has written a variety of films , usually set in the Southern United States and mainly co-written with Tom Epperson , including A Family Thing -LRB- 1996 -RRB- and The Gift -LRB- 2000 -RRB- . After Sling Blade , he directed several other films , including Daddy and Them -LRB- 2001 -RRB- , All the Pretty Horses -LRB- 2000 -RRB- , and Jayne Mansfield 's Car -LRB- 2012 -RRB- .   Thornton has received the President 's Award from the Academy of Science Fiction , Fantasy & Horror Films , a Special Achievement Award from the National Board of Review , and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . He has also been nominated for an Emmy Award , four Golden Globes , and three Screen Actors Guild Awards . In addition to film work , Thornton began a career as a singer-songwriter . He has released four solo albums and is the vocalist of the blues rock band The Boxmasters .