10 Subtle Instances Of Method Acting You Didn't Even Know About

2. Billy Bob Thornton Put Crushed Glass In His Shoes To Nail His Character's Limp In Sling Blade

Sling Blade
Miramax Films

If you thought Michelle Williams tying a belt around her knees to perfect a character's walk was weird, it's nothing compared to the lengths Billy Bob Thornton went to for a similar reason.

To nail the shuffled movement of his character Karl in Sling Blade, Thornton walked around in shoes filled with crushed glass. And to keep it consistent, he did it for every single scene.

You'd obviously have no way of knowing this on screen, although it does actually fit perfectly with the character, and adds to an excellent overall performance from Thornton (who also directed the movie), which earned him an Oscar nomination and served as a breakout role.

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NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.