Actor and musician Billy Bob Thornton opened 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 touched on his life with ex-wife Angelina Jolie, his OCD, dyslexia and autism spectrum disorder, while also prompting both musicians to reminisce about their youthful encounters with hallucinogens – including Wilson’s vivid memory of watching ‘Rosemary’s Baby’ on acid.
The interview arrives just as the second season of ‘Landman’, produced 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, the 70-year-old Thornton reflected on his complicated relationship with Hollywood fame, which intensified during his high-profile marriage to Angelina Jolie. The Oscar-winner, who became an unlikely leading man after ‘Sling Blade’, explained why he has always kept his distance from the glitz.
“You don’t see me in ‘People’ magazine, on the star tracks, red carpet stuff, I just don’t deal with it. People say, ‘How do you describe your longevity? How does that happen?’ I said, ‘Well, I never really joined,’” Thorton said.
He added that even at the height of his marriage to Jolie, he preferred to stay away from industry circles, parties and power networks. Thornton has since been married to Connie Angland since 2014.
The two artists also discussed the evolution of the music industry and the generational gap they often feel while speaking to younger fans who may not recognise 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 has remained a steady parallel career to his Hollywood work.
Despite his decades-long success, Thornton revealed how personal challenges shaped his craft.
“I have severe obsessive compulsive disorder; I have an anxiety disorder. I grew up dyslexic,” he recalled. He believes these conditions, rather than hindering him, strengthened his creative instincts.
Thornton also opened up about his daughter, who, like him, is on the autism spectrum and deals 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 that are looked at by the public as detriments,” he said. “But they’re actually strengths, especially in the arts.”
As the discussion shifted into personal memories, both Thornton and Wilson revisited their past drug experiences. Thornton spoke about how psychedelics impacted his artistic growth.
“I do believe it did unlock my mind to be a better artist,” he said, though he admitted to quitting after a frightening moment of self-realisation.
Wilson followed with a story of her own – a disastrous 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 ever the worst trip I ever had.”
The episode, filled with revelation, nostalgia and surprising honesty, showcases two celebrated artists reflecting on the highs and lows of decades spent in the public eye.
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Published By:
Pritinanda Behera
Published On:
Nov 21, 2025