{"id":2142123,"date":"2025-11-08T02:14:09","date_gmt":"2025-11-08T02:14:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2142123"},"modified":"2025-11-08T02:14:09","modified_gmt":"2025-11-08T02:14:09","slug":"billy-bob-thornton-claims-theres-a-prejudice-in-hollywood-against-southerners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/billy-bob-thornton-claims-theres-a-prejudice-in-hollywood-against-southerners\/","title":{"rendered":"Billy Bob Thornton claims there&#8217;s a &#8216;prejudice in Hollywood&#8217; against Southerners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Billy Bob Thornton still believes Hollywood looks down on people from the South.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">During an appearance on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/person\/joe-rogan\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Joe Rogan;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Joe Rogan<\/a>&#8216;s podcast, Thornton lit a cigarette and said there was a &#8220;prejudice&#8221; when he first arrived on the scene in Los Angeles, and it hasn&#8217;t fully gone away.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;There was a prejudice in Hollywood when I first got out there. There still kind of is,&#8221; Thornton, who was born and raised in Arkansas, said on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=0loSsJ1mHVE\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:&quot;The Joe Rogan Experience.&quot;;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">&#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience.&#8221;<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Billy Bob Thornton believes Hollywood still carries a prejudice against people from Southern states.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The &#8220;1883&#8221; star said once actors &#8220;reach a certain level,&#8221; it doesn&#8217;t matter where they&#8217;re from, but it was a struggle for Thornton to land roles early on in his career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/rocky-star-sylvester-stallone-reveals-brutal-hollywood-snub-how-he-clawed-his-way-back-top\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:'Rocky' Star Sylvester Stallone Reveals Brutal Hollywood Snub And How He Clawed His Way Back To The Top;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>&#8216;Rocky&#8217; Star Sylvester Stallone Reveals Brutal Hollywood Snub And How He Clawed His Way Back To The Top<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;The first thing I ever auditioned for <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/los-angeles\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:in LA;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">in LA<\/a> was a student film. The part was some guy that just got off the turnip truck from Alabama, and I thought, &#8216;Well, I probably got this.&#8217; And I was broke, and it wasn&#8217;t going to pay anything, but I didn&#8217;t care,&#8221; Thornton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS\/mvaj7wvj\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Read On The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong><u>Read On The Fox News App<\/u><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">To his recollection, the casting director and producer were both from New York.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I did my little audition, and they said, \u2018Can you do it more Southern?\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018Are you sh&#8212;ing me? I actually did just get off the truck from back there, and this is how you talk,'&#8221; Thornton said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Podcaster Joe Rogan pictured\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/rt1oO1kNnV60J5N3yLhCJQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/c17b4e6ea9199c00afc9d41cf77bea25\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Joe Rogan had Billy Bob Thorton on Friday&#8217;s episode of &#8220;The Joe Rogan Experience.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The men told him he wasn&#8217;t &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/food-drink\/recipes\/cuisines\/southern\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Southern enough;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Southern enough<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;They wanted the Foghorn Leghorn accent. I never heard anybody talk \u2014 I grew up down there \u2014 I never heard that,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/harrison-ford-third-marriage-says-old-people-can-love-too-he-shares-what-hes-learned\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Harrison Ford, On Third Marriage, Says \u2018Old People Can Love Too\u2019 As He Shares What He's Learned;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Harrison Ford, On Third Marriage, Says \u2018Old People Can Love Too\u2019 As He Shares What He&#8217;s Learned<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Billy Bob Thornton onstage during an event\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/njf1rJ3zp6S6YS5zHw4rHQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/a5b03f50aad913d863f081a90190ccf7\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Billy Bob Thornton&#8217;s career took off in the &#8217;90s.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Thornton did not get the part. It went to a guy from the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/northeast\/new-york\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Bronx, New York;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Bronx, New York<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">According to Thornton, people from the South rarely get noticed for roles in Hollywood. He also pointed out that people who are not from the South often get cast for Western roles and <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/entertainment\/events\/oscars\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:win Academy Awards for them;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">win Academy Awards for them<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Like What You\u2019re Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Like What You\u2019re Reading? Click Here For More Entertainment News<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Southerners don\u2019t often get picked or even noticed for things. Like, let\u2019s say, you\u2019re doing a gangster movie in the &#8217;30s in New York. Even if you can do the accent, people from New York can get parts playing Southerners. That still goes on,&#8221; Thornton said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Rogan chimed in and said, &#8220;That\u2019s the stereotype of the coastal cities, right? It&#8217;s the stereotype that comes out of New York and LA. It\u2019s like everything else is stupid.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Yes,&#8221; Thornton replied.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/newsletters?cmpid=fnfirstnl\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Click Here To Sign Up For The Entertainment Newsletter<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;They literally would call it the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/category\/us\/us-regions\/midwest\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:flyover states;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">flyover states<\/a>,&#8221; Rogan continued. &#8220;And when you\u2019re in control of casting and all the great films and albums, you dismiss the people in the middle as less than or that the people are not as bright. That stereotype still exists today.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Billy Bob Thornton in 1990\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"540\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/D13Y2b_twquzGsGRljq1qA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/fox_news_text_979\/b1c2f958b6d45401a602d670da8940aa\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Billy Bob Thornton in 1990.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/christie-brinkley-admits-forever-might-too-long-modern-marriage\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Christie Brinkley Admits Forever Might Be Too Long For Modern Marriage;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Christie Brinkley Admits Forever Might Be Too Long For Modern Marriage<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Thornton&#8217;s breakout came with &#8220;Sling Blade&#8221; in 1996, a film he wrote, directed and starred in. The movie earned the star an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay and a nomination for best actor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">His other notable roles include &#8220;A Simple Plan,&#8221; &#8220;Friday Night Lights&#8221; and &#8220;The Alamo.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Thorton returned to his Southern roots in the TV show &#8220;Landman&#8221; in which he stars as Tommy Norris, a senior-level executive in the oil industry in West Texas. The show, created by &#8220;Yellowstone&#8221; founder Taylor Sheridan, will debut its second season on Paramount+ on Nov. 16.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/foxnews.onelink.me\/xLDS?pid=AppArticleLink&amp;af_dp=foxnewsaf%3A%2F%2F&amp;af_web_dp=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fapps-products\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Click Here To Download The Fox News App;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><strong>Click Here To Download The Fox News App<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>Original article source:<\/em> <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/entertainment\/billy-bob-thornton-claims-theres-prejudice-hollywood-against-southerners\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Billy Bob Thornton claims there's a 'prejudice in Hollywood' against Southerners;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Billy Bob Thornton claims there&#8217;s a &#8216;prejudice in Hollywood&#8217; against Southerners<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Billy Bob Thornton still believes Hollywood looks down on people from the South. During an appearance on Joe Rogan&#8216;s podcast, Thornton lit a cigarette and said there was a &#8220;prejudice&#8221; when he first arrived on the scene in Los Angeles, and it hasn&#8217;t fully gone away. &#8220;There was a prejudice in Hollywood when I first [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2142124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[115196,22860,33082,408841],"class_list":["post-2142123","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-billy-bob-thornton","tag-hollywood","tag-joe-rogan","tag-prejudice"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Billy-Bob-Thornton-claims-theres-a-prejudice-in-Hollywood-against.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142123","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2142123"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2142125,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142123\/revisions\/2142125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2142124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2142123"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2142123"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2142123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}