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Billy Bob Thornton refused to star in an action-packed blockbuster Tom Cruise movie 18 years ago
The ex-husband of Angelina Jolie said he rejected the chance to play a Mission: Impossible III villain in 2006.
That is because the Oscar winner 'didn't want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise.'
The 69-year-old Bad Santa actor wasn't interested in portraying arms dealer Owen Davian in the successful movie.
The film saw the character - who was played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman - go up against Cruise's Ethan Hunt.
Also in the film were Keri Russell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Maggie Q and Michelle Monaghan.
Billy Bob Thornton refused to star in a Tom Cruise movie. The ex-husband of Angelina Jolie said he rejected the chance to play a Mission: Impossible III villain in 2006. That is because the Oscar winner 'didn't want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise'
The 69-year-old Bad Santa actor wasn't interested in portraying arms dealer Owen Davian in the successful movie
And there was another big movie he said no to.
Ahead of Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man movie, Thornton turned down the part of Norman Osborn/ Green Goblin - which went to Willem Dafoe.
That was because he didn't want to wake up in the early hours and sit in a makeup chair for 'five or six hours'.
Speaking The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast, he said: 'I don't have much interest in those kinds of roles.
'With the Green Goblin, I didn't feel like getting up at 4 a.m. 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,' added the ex of Laura Dern.
Cruise and Timothee Chalamet attend the UK Awards Screening of A Complete Unknown at Ham Yard Hotel on December 17 in London
The star recently received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Landman, and his on-screen character has developed a big fan following on social media
Thornton prefers not to be typecast as a 'bad guy in a big movie'.
He added: 'If you're the bad guy in a big movie like that, audiences remember it forever.
'I prefer to keep things looser and less predictable.'
When Thornton does accept roles, he doesn't always watch himself back - because he gets 'nervous' about seeing his work on screen.
The star recently received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Landman, and his on-screen character has developed a big fan following on social media, but Billy Bob has made a concerted effort to avoid the online acclaim.
The actor - who plays Tommy Norris, a landman at an oil company, in the drama series - told 'Extra': 'I get nervous watching myself, so I haven't actually seen them myself.'
English (US) ·