Billy Bob was starting to make a name for himself as a likable character actor when he was cast in Tombstone, where he got to share one of the films best scenes with Kurt Russell. In the story Wyatt Earp arrives in town and walks into a bar, where Thornton plays a bullying gambler ruining everyones good time; Wyatt quickly shows him the error of his ways. Even in such a small part Billy Bob is able to make a fully fleshed out character, who quickly goes from being a loudmouth weasel to a simpering coward when confronted with a real man. Wyatt berates and embarrasses the fool in front of the bar, and when Tyler threatens to go for his gun Earp just slaps him a few times, before delivering the epic line Are you gonna do something or just stand there and bleed? He wisely takes the second option. Tombstone has plenty of standout performances, but for a relative unknown like Thornton to hold his own against such an amazing cast was proof he had something special.