Billy Bob Thornton reflects on rejecting iconic villain roles in ‘Spider-Man’, ‘Mission: Impossible III’

Washington [US], December 20 (ANI): Oscar-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton has long been known for his versatility, but he recently revealed that he has never been eager to embrace the typical villainous roles.

As per Deadline, in a recent interview, the actor shared the reasons behind his decision to turn down key “bad guy” roles in major films such as ‘Spider-Man’ (2002) and ‘Mission: Impossible III’ (2006).

In a candid conversation on the Bingeworthy podcast, Thornton explained that his reluctance to take on these roles stemmed from his desire for “less predictable”, more varied characters.

“I don’t have much interest in those kinds of roles,” he said, adding, “With the Green Goblin, I didn’t feel like getting up at 4 am for five or six hours of makeup. And with Mission: Impossible III, I didn’t want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise,” as per Deadline.

Thornton’s reasoning also reflects a deep understanding of the long-lasting impact these villainous roles can have on an actor’s career.

“If you’re the bad guy in a big movie like that, audiences remember it forever,” he noted, adding, “I prefer to keep things looser and less predictable.”

The roles he passed on ultimately went to Willem Dafoe, who portrayed the Green Goblin in ‘Spider-Man’, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, who took on the role of arms dealer Owen Davian in ‘Mission: Impossible III’.

Despite turning down these high-profile villain parts, Thornton later embraced darker characters in other projects, notably in the acclaimed TV series ‘Fargo’.

In season 1, he portrayed Lorne Malvo, a ruthless hitman, for which he won a Golden Globe. Thornton’s nuanced portrayal of Malvo earned him praise for his ability to bring a unique spin to a villainous role.

More recently, Thornton has earned his seventh Golden Globe nomination for his performance as the titular landman in Landman, a series created by Taylor Sheridan.

Reflecting on this new role, Thornton shared that his character is driven by a deep obsession with success, with little time for reflection due to the high-pressure, constant problem-solving nature of the job.

“My character obviously came up doing more menial jobs in this,” he explained, adding, “So he has been there. He knows how this works, and now suddenly he’s like the foreman between the guy that owns the oil company and the people who work in the oil fields,” as per Deadline.

Thornton’s approach to acting continues to prioritize roles that are unpredictable, complex, and grounded in realism, which explains his hesitation to embrace the stereotypical blockbuster villain.

“There’s not even much time to think in the job of being a landman. You’re on the move all the time. There’s always a problem to solve because he is a fixer really,” he said, adding, “You develop an obsession with being successful. I think he’s driven and doesn’t really think about that much, though I think he’s a bit fatalistic about it.”