What is the experience of being married to the most gorgeous woman in the world like? Well, according to Billy Bob Thornton, it’s not a walk in the park. The actor and Academy Award-winning screenwriter, who was previously married to Angelina Jolie from 2000 to 2003, admits that it was challenging for him. He attributes this difficulty not to Jolie herself, but to his own insecurities stemming from her numerous humanitarian achievements and ambitions.
“I always felt like I didn’t measure up to her,” Thornton confesses to GQ in a recent interview, revealing that he preferred staying in to watch sports while she was out socializing with politicians, other philanthropists, and adoption agencies. However, Jolie never criticized him for his simpler lifestyle. The real issue, according to Thornton, was his unease around wealthy and influential individuals. Despite this, he had no intentions of changing himself because he liked who he was.
Despite being divorced for more than ten years, Thornton emphasizes that he and Jolie maintain a positive relationship. He still has tattoos of Jolie’s name, one of which is partially covered up. According to GQ’s Taffy Brodesser-Akner, their friendship is uncommon in Hollywood. They stay in touch every few months, with Jolie being busy with their children, work, and various homes around the world. When they do connect, it feels like old times, minus any unpleasant memories.
In a 2005 cover story for Vanity Fair, Jolie talked about her marriage to Nancy Jo Sales. They first met on the set of Pushing Tin, where they portrayed a quirky married couple. Their relationship drew a lot of media attention, with anecdotes like wearing pendants of each other’s dried blood and arriving disheveled at an awards ceremony after a steamy limo ride. Jolie revealed that there was a period of silence between them after their split in 2002, but they eventually reconciled. She praised Thornton’s artistic sensitivity and ability to express their relationship in meaningful ways. Despite their shared struggles with addiction and pain, their connection was rooted in laughter. Their parting was not due to anything going “wrong,” but rather a shift in interests, with Thornton focusing on music while Jolie was delving into political activism and global issues. Jolie described Thornton as a good man and a source of humor and laughter in her life.
