Billy Bob Thornton has disclosed his latest snack obsession: grapes dipped in spicy Dijon mustard. The 70-year-old actor shared the unlikely pairing during an appearance on the Howie Mandel Does Stuff podcast, explaining that his restrictive diet has led him to experiment with food.
Thornton, who suffers from allergies to wheat and dairy, said his rare AB negative blood type makes digesting certain foods difficult. He avoids shellfish and all meat, including pork and beef. While preparing for a press event for the Taylor Sheridan drama Landman, in which he stars as oil executive Tommy Morris, Thornton found himself in a green room stocked with foods he could not eat.
After spotting a bowl of white grapes, he grew bored with eating them plain. “Then I saw some spicy Dijon mustard, and I thought, I wonder...” he recalled. Dipping a grape into the mustard proved revelatory. “It was one of the best things I ever had in my lifetime,” he said, adding that it has now become a regular treat.
Thornton noted that growing up in Arkansas and Texas, he ate everything despite his allergies, assuming everyone felt unwell after meals. He described his current diet as very restricted, but said he looks forward to indulgences such as gluten-free chips with dairy-free cream cheese, sometimes mixed with ketchup.
During the podcast episode, Thornton also mentioned breakfasting on blueberries and decaf coffee, and admitted to making unconventional snacks like a “hillbilly bagel” with cream cheese and ketchup.
