LOS ANGELES – Billy Bob Thornton was in the news recently for displaying some odd behavior during a Canadian radio chat show. After some adverse media attention, he went on Jimmy Kimmel Live to explain.

A few years ago, Billy Bob was famous for wearing a vial of blood around his neck, along with then-wife Angelina Jolie. The talented actor, writer, and musician’s peculiarities didn’t stop there. From Wikipedia:

Various idiosyncratic behaviors have been well-documented in interviews with the actor; among these is a phobia of antique furniture — a disorder shared by the Dwight Yoakam character in the Thornton-penned Sling Blade, and by Thornton’s own character in the 2001 film Bandits. Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of flatware, a trait assumed by his character, Hank Grotowski, in 2001’s Monster’s Ball, in which Grotowski insists on a plastic spoon for his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream. In a 2004 interview with The Independent, Thornton explained: “It’s just that I won’t use real silver. You know, like the big, old, heavy-ass forks and knives, I can’t do that. It’s the same thing as the antique furniture. I just don’t like old stuff. I’m creeped out by it, and I have no explanation why…I don’t have a phobia about American antiques, it’s mostly French — you know, like the big, old, gold-carved chairs with the velvet cushions. The Louis XIV type. That’s what creeps me out. I can spot the imitation antiques a mile off. They have a different vibe. Not as much dust.” In addition to his aversion to silver cutlery, velvet, and “creepy, castle-y stuff,” Thornton confesses that “pieces from 1700 and 1800 France and England really freak me out, especially harpsichords.”

Credits: Billy Bob picture from reelmovienews.com. Chairs from s.artquid.com, dresser from ifixantiques.com, harpsichord from maserkit.com.

This entry was posted on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at 3:51 pm and is filed under General, Graphic Design, Late night TV Comedy, Satire, Tales from Hollywood. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.