The “Landman” star got candid about his beliefs on the “Howie Mandel Does Stuff” podcast.

Billy Bob Thornton explains why he keeps his mouth shut about politics

The "Landman" star got candid about his beliefs on the "Howie Mandel Does Stuff" podcast.

By Marina Watts

Marina Watts

Marina Watts is a news writer for with seven years experience covering entertainment, pop culture and celebrity news. Her previous work appears in PEOPLE, Bustle and Newsweek.

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May 12, 2026 4:58 p.m. ET

Billy Bob Thornton in Los Angeles in April 2026. Credit:

JC Olivera/Deadline via Getty

- Billy Bob Thornton revealed why he won't talk politics publicly while on the *Howie Mandel Does Stuff *podcast.

- "I don't want to force it down somebody else's throat... I'm not an expert on that," the *Landman *actor said.

- Thornton also spoke about his restrictive diet, which is the result of having a rare blood type.

Billy Bob Thornton won't be entering any conversation about politics anytime soon.

The *Landman *actor revealed why he keeps his mouth shut when it comes to politics while speaking with Howie Mandel on the *Howie Mandel Does Stuff *podcast. At one point, Mandel and Thornton discussed how public figures can use their platform to give advice and what topics they're qualified to weigh in on.

"What we are experts in, just like the person that's listening, is being human," Mandel said. "So if you could be open and share who you are, how you feel, how you cope, that's definitely going to do something."

Thornton agreed. "That, I think, to me, is way more important than an actor or actress or musician telling people, like you said, who to vote for, because it's like, I mean, some guy's on the fence you know and it's like, well, Dash Rip Rock said it on the Golden Globes, so [that's] I'm voting for," he said.**

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"I don't know anything about politics, I have no idea. And the stuff that I believe about it, I don't want to force it down somebody else's throat... I'm not an expert on that," the actor admitted.

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Mandel noted that the people who do know public figures on such an intimate level is a "small circle" that know them enough to trust their opinion.

Billy Bob Thornton on 'Howie Mandel Does Stuff' podcast.

Howie Mandel Does Stuff/YouTube

Elsewhere in the podcast with Mandel, Thornton spoke about why he maintains such a restrictive diet. “I have type AB negative blood, which is the rarest type in the world. It's like less than one percent of the population of the world has it,” Thornton said, noting that as a result he has less digestive enzymes to break down food.

“I just grew up with a lot of allergies when I was a kid. I grew up in Arkansas and East Texas, and I ate everything,” the actor continued. “I just assumed everybody felt like s--- after they ate. I didn't know.”

The third season of *Landman* begins filming this August. *Landman *seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Paramount+.

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