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Billy Bob Thornton is an actor, screenwriter, and musician who also has dyslexia. He grew up in a small town in Arkansas, but soon realized his dream of writing and performance and so relocated to Los Angeles in his early adulthood. Growing up, Thornton was not aware that he had dyslexia; it wasn’t until he was an adult when he was diagnosed. As a result, he had a hard time in school because his teachers and peers just thought he was slow. However, Thornton has overcome his dyslexia challenges to become the success he is today.
Known for his roles in films such as Armageddon, Sling Blade, and The Man Who Wasn't There, Thornton is no stranger to the big screen. However, he says that reading scripts is often difficult for him. To conquer this, Thornton’s technique for learning his lines is oral regurgitation- he first listens to the lines and then repeats them until memorized. This tactic shows his ability to cooperate and work with his dyslexic mind despite the obstacles in his way. Furthermore, Thornton was featured in a recent documentary titled Dislecksia, a movie about growing up as a dyslexic in today’s world. This film shines light on the current condition of educational resources given to children with dyslexia in addition to first-hand accounts of dyslexics, like Thornton.