Billy Bob Thornton opens up about Hollywood, mental health and psychedelics

Actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton opens up about his Hollywood journey, personal challenges and past experiences with psychedelics in an intimate interview with rock icon Ann Wilson on her podcast, ‘After Dinner Thinks’. The wide-ranging conversation discussed his life with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, his OCD, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder, as well as leading both musicians to recall their youthful experiences with hallucinogens – including Wilson’s vivid memory of watching ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ on acid.

The interview comes just as the second season of ‘Landman,’ created by Taylor Sheridan and starring Thornton, begins streaming on Paramount+. Recorded in Nashville, the chat marks the ninth episode of Wilson’s podcast, which also features musical performances, including her energetic cover of the 1963 classic ‘You Don’t Own Me’.

In the free-flowing conversation, Thornton, 70, reflected on his complicated relationship with Hollywood fame, which deepened during his high-profile marriage to Angelina Jolie. The Oscar winner, who became an unlikely leading man after ‘Sling Blade’, explains why he has always kept his distance from the limelight.

“You don’t see me in ‘People’ magazine, on Star Trek, on the red carpet, I don’t deal with it. People say, ‘How do you explain your longevity? How does it happen?’ I said, ‘Well, I never really got involved,'” Thorton said.

He said that even at the height of his marriage to Jolie, he preferred to stay away from the industry, parties and power networks. Thornton has been married to Connie Englund since 2014.

Both artists also discussed the evolution of the music industry and the generational gap they often feel when talking to younger fans who don’t recognize icons like Bill Anderson or Steven Lee Cropper. Thornton, who has released four solo albums and 19 albums with his band The Boxmasters, shared how music remains a steady career parallel to his Hollywood work.

Despite his decades-long success, Thornton reveals how personal challenges shaped his art.

He recalled, “I have severe obsessive compulsive disorder; I have an anxiety disorder. I grew up dyslexic.” He believes that these conditions have strengthened his creative instincts, rather than hindering them.

Thornton also opened up about her daughter, who, like her, is on the autism spectrum and struggles with anxiety and OCD. He reflected on how they openly discuss these shared traits and how society often misinterprets them.

“(We talk about) how these things are viewed by the public as harm,” he said. “But those are really strengths, especially in the arts.”

As the discussion turned to personal memories, both Thornton and Wilson recounted their past drug experiences. Thornton explained how psychedelics influenced his artistic development.

He said, “I believe it opened my mind to become a better artist,” though he admitted quitting after a scary moment of self-realization.

Wilson offered a story of her own – a devastating acid trip during a screening of ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ that left her terrified.
“Everything was wrong with the picture,” Wilson said. “And man, was that the worst trip I’ve ever had.”

Filled with revelations, nostalgia and surprising honesty, the episode features two renowned artists reflecting on the highs and lows of their decades spent in front of the public.