10 Ridiculous Ways Actors Got Into Character For Oscar Nominated Roles

2. Billy Bob Thornton Put Glass In His Shoes - Sling Blade

For his turn as a mentally-disabled cripple in a movie that he himself wrote and directed, Billy Bob Thornton put glass in his shoes to help him get into "proper character." You've got to be a bit mental if you decide to put bits of glass in your shoes for what is essentially an acting job. Like, c'mon, Billy Bob Thornton: was that really necessary? Couldn't you have just pretended to limp like Kevin Spacey did in The Usual Suspects? There were no glass shards involved in the making of that limp, Billy, and yet everyone still believed it that his character was a cripple (to the tune of an Oscar win). No question about it; all convinced (well, until the end). Still, the Academy certainly considered his efforts worthy of an Academy Award nomination, because if there's one thing that Oscar voters love, it's an actor putting themselves through lots and lots of torture. Thornton didn't win, unfortunately, but the man clearly invested himself in the role - and he's probably got the scars to prove it.