Landman star Billy Bob Thornton opened up about a health condition that significantly limits his dietary options during a podcast appearance. Thornton explained that he has allergies to certain food groups. He also spoke about having the rare AB-negative blood type, which he said contributes to some of his dietary issues.
Billy Bob Thornton had to limit his diet for this health reason
Billy Bob Thornton, known for his role in Landman, recently appeared on Howie Mandel’s podcast, Howie Mandel Does Stuff. During the discussion, the 70-year-old actor revealed that his diet was “very restricted.” When host Howie Mandel asked about the reason behind it, Thornton explained why he follows such a strict diet.
“Well, I’m allergic to wheat, dairy. I have type AB-negative blood, which is the rarest type in the world. It’s, like, less than 1% of the population of the world has it,” Thornton explained. The AB-negative blood type is found in less than one percent of the US population, making it one of the rarest blood types in the country.
“It means you have less digestive enzymes. That’s one of the things that goes along with it,” he continued about his blood type.
The actor further noted that he “grew up with a lot of allergies but ate everything.”
“I just assumed everybody felt like s**t after they ate. I didn’t know,” he said. “But anyway, I can’t have dairy, wheat… can’t eat meat, like, you know, pork or beef or any of that stuff.”
Thornton said he found out about his blood type in the 1980s and has since eliminated wheat, dairy, red meat, and other food groups from his diet.
Before Landman, Thornton had an acclaimed career that included winning the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay and receiving nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actor and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
His other notable works include One False Move, Tombstone, The Man Who Wasn’t There, Friday Night Lights, and Bad Santa.