Billy Bob Thornton Reveals Health Struggles and Extreme Dietary Restrictions

Actor Billy Bob Thornton has disclosed a lifelong struggle with severe health challenges and allergies that have necessitated a highly restrictive diet. During an appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, the 70-year-old actor detailed how his biological makeup and dietary sensitivities have shaped his eating habits and unconventional food choices.

Thornton attributed much of his restricted diet to his blood type, stating that he has type AB negative blood. He noted that Here’s the rarest blood type in the world, occurring in less than 1% of the global population. According to Thornton, this specific blood type is associated with having fewer digestive enzymes, which contributes to his overall health struggles.

My diet’s very restricted. Well, I’m allergic to wheat, dairy. I have type AB negative blood, which is the rarest type in the world. It’s like less than 1% of the population of the world has it. It means you have less digestive enzymes. That’s one of the things that goes along with it. But I just grew up with a lot of allergies.

Billy Bob Thornton

The actor’s dietary restrictions extend beyond wheat and dairy to include shellfish and various types of meat, including beef and pork. These limitations were not always apparent to him; Thornton recalled that while growing up in East Texas and Arkansas, he ate a wide variety of foods. He admitted that as a child, he assumed that feeling poorly after eating was a universal experience and was unaware that his reactions were tied to allergies.

Unconventional Dietary Habits

To manage his health and nutrition, Thornton now adheres to a strict regimen. He mentioned that his breakfast on the morning of the interview consisted of a bowl of blueberries. For later snacks, he planned to eat dairy-free cream cheese paired with gluten-free chips.

These restrictions have occasionally led to adventurous food pairings when safe options are unavailable. Thornton described an incident in a green room prior to a Q&A event for the show Landman, where he found the available catering—consisting of crackers, cheeses, and deli meats—to be unsafe for his consumption. After finding grapes, he decided to pair them with Dijon mustard to avoid boredom.

Thornton stated that the combination of grapes and Dijon mustard was one of the best things he had ever eaten, and it has since become a regular snack for him.

Shift in Physical Approach to Acting

The actor’s focus on health marks a departure from his earlier career, during which he frequently underwent drastic physical transformations for film roles. In an interview on Late Night with Seth Meyers in January 2026, Thornton stated that he will no longer undergo such changes because the process does not feel good.

During the late 1990s, Thornton gained 60 pounds for his roles in the films Tombstone and U Turn. Conversely, for the movie Pushing Tin, he reduced his weight to 128 pounds. Reflecting on those years, he noted that while younger actors are often willing to make extreme changes—including gaining significant weight or altering their physical appearance—he has stopped those practices as he has aged.

Current Projects and Industry Observations

Thornton is currently appearing in the Paramount+ series Landman, starring alongside Sam Elliott, Demi Moore, and Ali Larter. The series is set in West Texas and explores the intersection of billionaires and roughnecks within the oil industry.

In an interview with Fox News Digital in November 2025, Thornton shared his observations regarding the workforce in the Texas oil fields. He noted that the industry often employs individuals with broken lives, including former convicts, who utilize the high-paying work to support their families and stabilize their lives.

One of the things that surprised me was how many people who had had broken lives are working in the oil fields. Got ex-cons and all kinds of things working out there because they can make from $120,000 to $180,000 a year to take care of their families when they try to straighten their lives out.

Billy Bob Thornton