Billy Bob Thornton said he has no interest in using his celebrity status to impose his political or personal beliefs on his fans.
“I don’t know anything about politics,” the 70-year-old “Landman” star said last week on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast, discussing the impact of being a prominent public figure.
“I don’t know. And as for what I believe, I don’t want to impose it on others because I’m not an expert on it.”
Thornton joked that staying silent about his opinions might be the reason he doesn’t appear on award shows as much as he did early in his career.
“I don’t really like it when people suddenly start talking about saving badgers or something at an awards ceremony,” the “Friday Night Lights” actor said.
“As Ricky Gervais said, it’s like winning a small award and then quitting, right?”
This is not the first time Thornton has spoken out on the subject.
Appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience in November, he revealed that he had been absent from awards shows for years after winning “so many awards” in the past.
“We go here and eat dry chicken breast and green beans, and we hear people coming in and raving about how great they are,” he told Logan.
“That’s the kind of people I care about. If you’re going to get these things and you’re really honored by it, why don’t you honor the people who gave it to you? And don’t go out there and talk about saving the Wisconsin badgers or something.”
Thornton also stood in for Landman creator Taylor Sheridan, who accused the awards show of repeatedly ignoring the series due to political bias.
“I think a lot of it is political. I really do,” he told Variety in January. “I think some people think Taylor is a right-winger or something, but that’s not really the case.”
Thornton, who stars in The Landman as oil executive Tommy Norris, explained that awards voters may have the wrong idea about the show’s message.
“Even though this show is about the oil business, he’s just showing us what it’s like. He’s not saying ‘rah, rah, rah for oil,'” he explained.
“It’s only happening to the people who work in this business, or those who are affected by this business, or those around the business and their families.”
Sheridan’s hit series Yellowstone has only been nominated for an Emmy Award once during its five-season run, winning for Outstanding Production Design in a Narrative Contemporary Program in 2021.
Thornton came to Hollywood’s attention in 1996 with “Sling Blade.” He wrote, directed, and starred in the film, which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Actor.
