During a break in filming the comedy movie, School for Scoundrels, the film’s stars – Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Heder – treated those on the set to a meeting between Thornton’s Karl from Sling Blade and Heder’s Napoleon from Napoleon Dynamite. Thornton says it’s become a tradition on his films to do a little bit of Karl-speak for the cast and crew, and being on a set with another actor who brought to life an iconic character was the perfect set-up for a little skit.
Unfortunately, unless you were lucky enough to be present that day, you’ll never get the chance to see Karl and Napoleon discussing tater tots and fried potatoes. Although Thornton and Heder were up for filming the bit, everyone was in a rush and the opportunity was missed.
But fear not, you can still see Thornton and Heder square off as teacher and pupil in School for Scoundrels. Thornton stars as a hard-nosed self-help instructor who mentors Heder’s loser character on how to stand up for himself and how to unleash his inner lion.
Billy Bob Thornton Says It’s All in the Script: Thornton didn’t base his obnoxious self-help teacher character on anyone in particular. “Not really. Everything was in the script. I just basically did what was in the script and what Todd [Phillips] told me to do. I don’t do a lot of commercial comedies you know, so I trust them. That’s their world; I just kind of go and do it. When I do my type of movie that’s when I boss people around. I’ve known some people similar, I guess, like a couple of teachers maybe, and a coach or two along the lines… I used to play ball and I’ve run into a couple of coaches who were pretty [stubborn]. They liked to do things their way.”
Thornton’s never picked up a self-help book. “I always thought it was pretty stupid. I never got into that stuff, especially sort of like the New Age ones of the ‘80s. Remember when they first started wanting us to be sensitive? I never got into that stuff.”
Taking a Break from Darker Roles: “It’s different than when I’m doing like a really heavy movie or something, which I’m known more for. Yeah, it’s different. Monsters Ball or Man Who Wasn’t There or Sling Blade, those are heavier kind of movies and you’re in some sort of zone with your character and everything. In a movie like this you have to go and have fun. Then they say ‘Action’ and I look like an a**hole."
Thornton added, “Plus, you’re doing a movie that you’re not worried about its fate as much, because it’s a commercial comedy and those usually make enough money to get by on. You don’t sweat it as much.”
Billy Bob Thornton on His Friendship with Michael Clarke Duncan: “Michael and I go way back. We did Armageddon together, so we’ve been messing with each other a long time.” Thornton and Duncan don’t just screw around with one another on the set, they stage arguments just to get a reaction from the cast and crew. Thornton says when the time comes for them to fake argue, Duncan’s much better at selling it than he is. “He’s pretty good at them. I would usually crack up before he did. He was really good at them. No matter what I do in movies or in scenes, when I try to just be like anybody acting out some incredible thing to fool somebody, I’m not very good at it. I’ve always been the first one to crack or say, ‘Oh no, I was just joking.’ But sometimes when we’re in the middle of it, it looked pretty real and we would freak people out. People are convinced that he’s terrified of me. ‘Huh? (speaking of himself) This guy’s like a toothpick. Look at him!’ And he’s like being real nervous around me and stuff. It was pretty funny. We’ve been doing that ever since Armageddon.”
Working with Jon Heder: While Thornton and Heder are polar opposites, Thornton had a good time on the set with the Napoleon Dynamite star. “Jon’s a lot looser than people might think. He’s a really good kid; I like him. Everybody talks about how he’s a Mormon and stuff like that, but it’s not like you had to just sit there and keep your collar up like this (puts up his collar) and don’t curse and stuff. He wasn’t like that. But yeah, my life experience has been very different than his. There’s no doubt about that part.”
On Playing It Straight: Thornton’s character is a genuinely mean guy who tells off his students without mincing words. Asked if it was difficult to keep a straight face during filming, Thornton responded, “No, you kind of get in that mood and then you don’t. Maybe in between takes sometimes you joke about it a little bit. Actually with Todd Phillips…I think Todd’s a funny guy. Until you get to really know Todd, you think he’s just real quiet and sort of dark or whatever. But when you get to know him he’s actually a really wry, funny guy. He and I laughed between takes quite a bit. But during scenes I usually [kept it together], except for with Michael. Sometimes I couldn’t get through something with him.”
Page 2: Billy Bob Thornton on Losers, His Tennis Skills, and the Status of the Floyd Collins Movie
