Billy Bob Thornton refused to star in an action-packed blockbuster Tom Cruise movie 18 years ago. The ex-husband of Angelina Jolie said he rejected the chance to play a Mission: Impossible III villain in 2006. That is because the Oscar winner 'didn't want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise.'.
![[The 69-year-old Bad Santa actor wasn't interested in portraying arms dealer Owen Davian in the successful movie]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/19/93365131-14215177-image-a-131_1734723436086.jpg)
The 69-year-old Bad Santa actor wasn't interested in portraying arms dealer Owen Davian in the successful movie. The film saw the character - who was played by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman - go up against Cruise's Ethan Hunt. Also in the film were Keri Russell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Maggie Q and Michelle Monaghan.
![[Cruise and Timothee Chalamet attend the UK Awards Screening of A Complete Unknown at Ham Yard Hotel on December 17 in London]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/19/93365049-14215177-Cruise_and_Timothee_Chalamet_attend_the_UK_Awards_Screening_of_A-m-141_1734724030480.jpg)
Billy Bob Thornton refused to star in a Tom Cruise movie. The ex-husband of Angelina Jolie said he rejected the chance to play a Mission: Impossible III villain in 2006. That is because the Oscar winner 'didn't want to be the guy trying to kill Tom Cruise'.
![[The star recently received a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Landman, and his on-screen character has developed a big fan following on social media]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/20/19/93324793-14215177-image-a-135_1734723825388.jpg)
The 69-year-old Bad Santa actor wasn't interested in portraying arms dealer Owen Davian in the successful movie. And there was another big movie he said no to. Ahead of Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man movie, Thornton turned down the part of Norman Osborn/ Green Goblin - which went to Willem Dafoe.
That was because he didn't want to wake up in the early hours and sit in a makeup chair for 'five or six hours'. Speaking The Playlist's Bingeworthy podcast, he said: 'I don't have much interest in those kinds of roles. 'With the Green Goblin, I didn't feel like getting up at 4 a.m. for five or six hours of makeup.
