Billy Bob Thornton's Villain Stole This Infamous 1990s Action Movie With Only 3 Minutes Of Screentime

This 1990s action movie was famously terrible, but Billy Bob Thornton still managed to steal the show despite appearing for less than five minutes. For every great Billy Bob Thornton movie and TV series, like Sling Blade or Landman, there are plenty of turkeys like Into the Grizzly Maze or Bad Santa 2.

Still, even in his biggest stinkers, Thornton himself is typically the highlight. He seems incapable of giving a bad performance, and Thornton even stole Taylor Sheridan's 1883 with a small cameo as a trigger-happy lawman. Early on in his career, Thornton was usually relegated to small supporting roles, including playing a mercenary in On Deadly Ground.

Billy Bob Thornton Steals On Deadly Ground With Barely Any Screentime

On Deadly Ground was the first (and last) Steven Seagal movie directed by the man himself. This 1994 blockbuster cast him as a firefighter who goes up against Michael Caine's evil oil tycoon. At the time, Seagal was one of the biggest stars in the world, but his directorial debut met with horrific reviews and failed to recoup its budget.

Thornton's character Homer arrives around the midway point as part of a group of mercs sent after Seagal's eco warrior. Thorton stands out amongst the largely anonymous henchmen not only because he's future movie star Billy Bob Thornton, but also because he injects this tiny role with real personality.

Case in point is what has to be an improvised speech, where Thonton's Homer debates using the stock on his machine gun, because it makes him feel wimpy. It's a short scene, but it gives such color and humor during On Deadly Ground's dull, explosion-laden finale that it stands out as a real highlight.

His death is a memorable one too, where he peppers an elevator with gunfire (he decided against using the stock, BTW) but only hits the bomb hidden inside. The movie itself is a folly, but it proved that Thornton was always set for bigger, better things.

On Deadly Ground Ruined Steven Seagal's Career

Seagal had a fairly meteoric rise during the 1990s, where he went from a martial artist who had never acted to one of the most popular action stars in the world. On Deadly Ground was the follow-up to his biggest hit, Under Siege, and looked set to be another blockbuster.

However, Seagal's raging ego and lack of skill behind the camera result in a film that's a baffling mix of tones. It's a silly action flick, a howl of fury against greed and capitalism, a heartfelt ecological screed, and Seagal's love letter to... well, himself and his own greatness.

On Deadly Ground infamously closes with Seagal's hero lecturing the audience about the dangers of pollution, in a sequence that had to be cut significantly when test audiences laughed and booed at it. The movie's reception also dinged Seagal's career, with most of his follow-ups underperforming or outright flopping. Within ten years, he was going straight to DVD.

Billy Bob Thornton Seriously Injured Himself Filming On Deadly Ground

Many years later Thornton recounted his time filming On Deadly Ground with The Guardian, claiming his then agent was attempting to turn him into an action star. Billy Bob cites a particular scene where he and several stuntpeople are riding horses on top of a mountain chasing Seagal's character, which took a nasty turn.

After nailing a few takes going down a hill, he was thrown from his horse and woke up with "... broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a severely bruised pelvis and a concussion." On Deadly Ground's crew then stuck him in a hotel room for a few days with some painkillers to recover. So yeah, it wasn't a great experience for Thornton.

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  Birthdate August 4, 1955

  Birthplace Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

  Height 5 feet 10 inches

  Professions Actor, Director, Musician, Screenwriter

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