Billy Bob Thornton

Thornton in 2014, photo by Prphotos

Birth Name: Billy Bob Thornton

Place of Birth: Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S.

Date of Birth: August 4, 1955

Ethnicity: English, as well as some Scottish and Irish

Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, filmmaker, writer, director, singer, songwriter, drummer, and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for Sling Blade (1996). Aside from that film, he has starred in Bad Santa, Friday Night Lights, One False Move, Primary Colors, Armageddon, A Simple Plan, Monster’s Ball, The Man Who Wasn’t There, and Faster, and television’s Fargo and Goliath, among many other works. He has released solo music, and is also the vocalist of blues rock band The Boxmasters.

Billy Bob is the son of Virginia Roberta and Billy Ray Thornton, who was a high school teacher and basketball coach. His ancestry includes English, as well as some Scottish and Irish. He was raised in Alpine, Malvern, and Mount Holly, in Arkansas.

Billy Bob has stated that his mother had Italian and Choctaw Native American ancestry. No traceable Italian or Choctaw ancestry appears in publicly available family trees of Billy Bob Thornton.

Billy Bob is married to make-up effects artist Connie Angland. He has a daughter with his former wife Melissa Lee Gatlin; two children with his former wife, model Pietra Dawn Cherniak; and a daughter with Connie.

Billy Bob’s paternal grandfather was Otis Elston Thornton (the son of John Henry Thornton and Regina/Rejina R. Adams). Otis was born in Arkansas. John was the son of William T. H. Thornton and Arminta/Armita/Araminta E. Turner/Doster. Regina was the daughter of James Leander Adams and Mary Rebecca Neighbors.

Billy Bob’s paternal grandmother was Gertrude Irene Barrett (the daughter of Cloyd Edmund Barrett and Margaret “Maggie” Wood). Gertrude was born in Arkansas. Cloyd was the son of George J. Barrett and Sarah O. Collins. Margaret was the daughter of George Wood and Wiley Ann Johnson.

Billy Bob’s maternal grandfather was Claude David Faulkner (the son of William Noah Faulkner and Eleanora N. McClard). Claude was born in Arkansas. William was the son of Charles/Charlie W. Faulkner and Nancy L. Eleanora was the daughter of Caleb Carmen McClard and Tabitha Donoho.

Billy Bob’s maternal grandmother was Maude/Maud/Maudie May/Mae/Mary Duce (the daughter of James Robert Duce and Levisa Amanda “Jennie”/”Jenny”/Jinnie Payne). Maude was born in Arkansas. James was the son of James Robert Duce and Sarah Frances Calliotte or Ragsdale. Levisa was the daughter of John Rogers Payne and Sarah Ann Langston.

Sources: Genealogy of Billy Bob Thornton – https://www.geni.com

Genealogy of Billy Bob’s father – https://www.findagrave.com

Billy’s paternal grandfather, Otis Elston Thornton, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Billy Bob’s paternal grandmother, Gertrude Irene Barrett, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogies of Billy Bob’s maternal grandparents, Claude David Faulkner and Maude/Maud/Maudie May/Mae/Mary Duce – http://www.findagrave.com

Billy Bob’s maternal grandfather, Claude David Faulkner, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Billy Bob’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Caleb Carmen McClard, on the 1860 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Billy Bob’s maternal grandmother, Maude/Maud/Maudie May/Mae/Mary Duce, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Maude/Maud/Maudie May/Mae/Mary Duce on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Maude/Maud/Maudie May/Mae/Mary Duce on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Some notes on Billy Bob Thornton’s ancestry – http://back-track.blogspot.ca