Vault: Billy Bob Thornton Joins The Show

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Bert Show – "Vault: Billy Bob Thornton Joins The Show"

Original Air Date: March 2, 2026
Featured Guest: Billy Bob Thornton
Episode Focus: An open, witty conversation with actor Billy Bob Thornton about his new film “Eagle Eye,” career philosophy, Hollywood culture, and relationships.

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Overview

This episode features an unfiltered interview with iconic actor and filmmaker Billy Bob Thornton. The Bert Show team (Bert, Kristin, Abby, Cassie, Tommy, and co-hosts) mix humor with curiosity, as they dig into Thornton’s approach to fame, his views on Hollywood trends, thoughts about relationships, and what sets “Eagle Eye” apart from his other projects. Thornton’s trademark dry wit and candor make for a lively, engaging listen.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Billy Bob’s Relationship with the Spotlight

• Media Rumors & Celebrity Gossip
  • The conversation opens with the hosts referencing tabloid rumors about Billy Bob’s relationship with Angelina Jolie. Thornton laughs them off and clarifies:
    • Quote: “That’s hysterical. ... Look, I talk to her every once in a blue moon. She’s gone all the time.” (01:21)
  • Perspective on Avoiding Paparazzi:
    • Thornton insists it’s possible to avoid the media frenzy:
      • Quote: “If celebrities in Hollywood want to stay away from the paparazzi and out of the spotlight, it certainly can be done right.” (01:37)
    • Thornton: “I do a pretty good job of it. ... Most of the time, I stay in the basement.” (01:48)

2. Disdain for “The Biz” & Pop Culture Trends

• On Acting vs. the Industry:
  • Thornton says he loves acting itself, but not the celebrity culture:
    • Quote: “I’m not big on the biz, you know.” (02:10)
• Changes in Celebrity Media:
  • Reflects on how celebrity culture has become more invasive:
    • Quote: “When you look at how much reality stuff is on television, ... the only time they want to see celebrities on TV is over a scandal or when they’ve got problems ... It’s not like there are a lot of shows about celebrities saving puppies.” (02:24)
  • Adds: “Liberty Ship or whatever is the most important thing. It’s more important than what they do, you know? ... It’s gotten worse over the years.” (02:43)

3. Hollywood’s Creative Output

• Quality of Modern Movies:
  • Thornton jokes: “I think the last movie I saw was The Sting.” (03:03)
  • Says he mostly watches kids’ movies due to his children: “I end up seeing those kind of things, like Kung Fu Panda.” (03:10)
• On Scripts & Genres:
  • Finds it hard to locate good scripts:
    • Quote: “It’s really hard to find a good script these days ... Independent films generally appealed to me more.” (03:27)
  • Praised his current project: “What was good about Eagle Eye ... is that it was a smartly written script and it was like a thrill ride movie. And you rarely get both of those in one movie.” (03:27)

4. Thoughts on Romantic Comedies

• Thornton would consider a romcom “like the ones from the ‘40s ... like Spencer Tracy and Bogart ... The ones they make these days are kind of stupid. But if I found the right one, you know, maybe.” (03:52)

5. Reflections on Marriage & Relationships

• The Bert Show asks about Thornton’s multiple marriages (five) and his long-term outlook:
  • Thornton: “That’s pretty safe to say.” (In reference to not marrying again) (04:40)
  • On what makes relationships last:
    • Quote: “I guess that it’s good to be friends if you’re going to be in one that lasts very long, but not that good of friends.” (04:47)
    • Explains: “You can’t let it get stagnant.” (04:56)
  • Offers a humorous resignation: “Yeah, well, obviously it [marriage] doesn’t [work] for me.” (05:04)

6. “Eagle Eye” and Reflections on Past Work

• On ‘Eagle Eye’:
  • Thornton describes it as “a good one. ... Very intense ... grabs hold of you, doesn’t let go.” (05:16)
  • Compliments co-star Shia LaBeouf: “Shia is really a good actor for his age.” (05:16)
• Knowing a Film’s Success:
  • “You can usually tell if one’s going to be good and whether the critics are going to like it ... but it’s really hard to tell whether people are going to go [see] them or not.” (05:38)
  • Cites ‘Sling Blade,’ ‘Monster’s Ball,’ and ‘Bad Santa’ as projects that surprised him with their audience reach. (05:38)
• On Box Office Surprises:
  • “I wasn’t surprised that Armageddon did well ... it’s a big thing with a lot of stuff blowing up, right?” (06:27)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rumors & Angelina Jolie:
  • “That’s hysterical. … Look, I talk to her every once in a blue moon.” – Billy Bob Thornton (01:21)
• On Fame & Privacy:
  • “I don’t go out. I mean, when I go out, it’s because I have to work. Most of the time, I stay in the basement.” – Billy Bob Thornton (01:48)
• On the Industry:
  • “I’m not big on the biz, you know.” – Billy Bob Thornton (02:10)
  • “It’s not like there are a lot of shows about celebrities saving puppies.” – Billy Bob Thornton (02:24)
• On Movies:
  • “It’s really hard to find a good script these days ... Independent films generally appealed to me more.” – Billy Bob Thornton (03:27)
  • “Normally, I’m not an action movie kind of guy. ... And this one’s really good. Shia is really a good actor for his age, you know, really, really good.” – Billy Bob Thornton (05:16)
• On Relationships:
  • “It’s good to be friends if you’re going to be in one that lasts very long, but not that good of friends.” – Billy Bob Thornton (04:47)
  • “You can’t let it get stagnant.” – Billy Bob Thornton (04:56)

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Important Timestamps

• 00:47: Billy Bob Thornton joins the show
• 01:07: Tabloid rumor discussion about Angelina Jolie
• 01:37: Thornton’s views on avoiding paparazzi
• 02:10: Opinion on acting vs. the industry
• 02:24: Commentary on reality TV and celebrity culture
• 03:03: Critique of modern movies/scripts
• 03:52: Question about romantic comedies
• 04:40: Discussion about his marriages and relationship lessons
• 05:16: Thornton describes “Eagle Eye”
• 05:38: Insights on knowing if a film will be successful
• 06:27: Talks about surprise box-office successes

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Tone and Atmosphere

• The conversation is relaxed, irreverent, and peppered with Billy Bob’s understated humor.
• The Bert Show team keeps things light with friendly banter, while allowing Thornton’s candid, sometimes jaded perspective on Hollywood and relationships to come through authentically.
• Listeners will enjoy Thornton’s quips, unguarded admissions, and the playful back-and-forth with the hosts.

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For a full listen, check out the episode on thebertshow.com.

Transcript

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Get it the Birch show.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Hello. Hello.

[Birch Show Host]

Hi. Is this Billy Bob Thornton?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Yeah.

[Birch Show Host]

Hi. How are you this morning?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Not too shabby. Good.

[Birch Show Host]

You're on with the Birch show in Atlanta right now.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Excellent.

[Birch Show Host]

And we just started. Hey, man, you got the movie coming out here, and we're going to talk to you about that in just a couple of minutes. But as we were reporting on the entertainment news today sort of side like this. Oh, come on. What a load of crap.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Yeah, we read a story this morning, according to some of the tabloids, about your friendship with Angelina and that you guys are still really great friends and that somehow that that is causing problems in her current relationship.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

That's hysterical.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Yeah, we had a good laugh about that, but we had to bring it up to you.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

That's. Oh, I don't care. I mean, I don't even keep up with that stuff. You know, I never know what's going on. But now they've been saying that for a while that, I mean, look, I talk to her every once in a blue moon. She's gone all the time.

[Birch Show Host]

Is it a pretty fair statement to say that? I mean, because you keep yourself out of the paparazzi and out of the spotlight. Like, if celebrities in Hollywood want to stay away from the paparazzi and out of the spotlight, it certainly can be done right.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

I do a pretty good job of it. I don't go out. I mean, when I go out, it's because I have to work. Most of the time, I stay in the basement.

[Birch Show Host]

I got this sense, you know, just over the last couple of days and doing some research on you, that you just sort of live above this thing. Like, you love acting, but I'm not sure that you're in love with the acting industry. Is that accurate or my way off base?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

That's pretty accurate. Yeah, yeah. I'm not. I'm not big on the biz, you know.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Do you think the business has gotten worse when it comes to pop culture and everybody being able to capture celebrities in candid photos and everything? Do you think it's gotten worse?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Yeah, I absolutely think it has. I mean, when you look at how much reality stuff is on television, you know, the only time they want to see celebrities on TV is over a scandal or when they've got problems or something. It's not like there are a lot of shows about celebrities saving puppies.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Right. And doing good things.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Yeah, but. And also just the Liberty Ship or whatever is the most important thing. It's more important than what they do, you know? Yeah, I definitely think it's gotten worse over the years.

[Birch Show Host]

From the artist standpoint, is Hollywood making better movies? Are you encouraged by what you're seeing or are you just discouraged by the movies that are coming out of Hollywood?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

I think the last movie I saw was the Sting.

[Birch Show Host]

Oh, come on. Come on.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

I really don't go to movies. I take my kids to movies, so I end up seeing those kind of things, like the Kung Fu Panda. That's what I see.

[Birch Show Host]

Just based on scripts that you get, will you say there's a lot of great stuff out there or is it mostly crappy stuff?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

It's really hard to find a good script these days, and it also depends on what genre you're talking about. Independent films generally appealed to me more. What was good about Eagle Eye? This one here that I have out is that it was a smartly written script and it was like a thrill ride movie. And you rarely get both of those in one movie.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Can you ever imagine yourself doing a romantic comedy?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Yeah, I wouldn't mind doing that. When you think about the ones from the 40s and stuff like that, like Spencer Tracy and Bogart and those guys. One of those kind, maybe. I don't know. The ones they make these days are kind of stupid. But if I found the right one, you know, maybe me and Ruth. Buzzy

[Birch Show Host]

just was reminded. Wasn't she on the Image?

[Birch Show Co-host]

She was on the Image, yeah.

[Birch Show Host]

Those are the two Ruth Buzzi references in a week, which is more than we've gotten in a couple of years.

[Birch Show Co-host]

I know.

[Birch Show Host]

On the show.

[Birch Show Co-host]

So, Billy Bob, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions about your personal life, and you can let me know if that's okay. But you have been mar. Several different times. Five that I've read about. And you now say that you probably won't get married again.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

That's pretty safe to say.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Yes, pretty safe to say. So through all of those different things, what do you think is the biggest theme you learned about relationships?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

I guess that it's good to be friends if you're going to be in one that lasts very long, but not that good of friends.

[Birch Show Co-host]

What do you mean by that?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

In other words, you can't let it get stagnant.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Okay.

[Birch Show Host]

Pink said the same thing to us a couple of days ago. She said, you know what? I just don't think the marriage thing works for me.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Yeah, well, obviously it doesn't for me.

[Birch Show Host]

It was not from a lack of trying. You certainly have tried. Well, tell us about the movie. Tell us about Eagle Eye and you real proud of this one.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Yeah, it's a good one. It's very intense. You know, it's one of those movies that grabs hold of you, doesn't let go. And like I said, normally I'm not an action movie kind of guy. I don't really do those kind of movies or watch them. And this one's really good. Shia is really a good actor for his age, you know, really, really good.

[Birch Show Host]

How long into shooting a movie do you know if this thing is going to be really great or you're just going to be embarrassed by the product at the end of the day?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Well, you know, it's kind of hard to tell, really. It's harder to tell which ones are going to be successful. You can usually tell if one's going to be good and whether the critics are going to like it, that kind of thing. But it's really hard to tell whether people are going to go success them or not. Like, for instance, with Sling Blade, I thought, well, the critics are going to like this and 11 people will go see it. And that one turned out to be really surprising and a huge success. The same thing with Monster's Ball and Bad Santa. Those were all like that. And those are the kind of movies that I knew when we were making Bad Santa that this was going to be funny and strange. And I had the same idea about Simple Plan, Monster's Ball, movies like that.

[Birch Show Host]

On the other end of that, which of your movies have done well that have really surprised you?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

I think all of them. See, like, for instance, I wasn't surprised that Armageddon did well, you know, that's the kind of movie that people go see. You know, it's a big thing with a lot of stuff blowing up, Right? Yeah.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Who's the surprise star of Eagle Eye?

[Billy Bob Thornton]

I don't know. I really. Well, you know what I like? How about me?

[Birch Show Host]

You're just damn surprised by how good you are in this.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Thank you guys so much.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Thank you.

[Birch Show Host]

Nice talking to you.

[Billy Bob Thornton]

Okay, Bye.

[Birch Show Co-host]

Bye.

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