Seth Meyers talks SNL clash over Billy Bob Thornton’s choice of baseball cap.
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Wondering what happens when a Hollywood star and a seasoned TV crew member get into a fight over a baseball cap?
Seth Meyers has just revealed the epic clash between Billy Bob Thornton and SNL’s legendary lighting director.
Billy Bob Thornton had started it all
In 2001, Thornton was hosting Saturday Night Live and decided to wear his trusty baseball cap during rehearsals for his opening monologue. No big deal, right? Wrong.
Phil Hymes, who has been SNL’s lighting director almost since the beginning (okay, since 1976), wasn’t having it.
As Meyers recently shared on his podcast with The Lonely Island, Hymes muttered to a nearby crew member: “Somebody tell him to take his hat off.”
Don’t talk behind Billy Bob’s back
This is where things get interesting. Thornton overheard the comment and wasn’t about to let it go.
According to Meyers, the Oscar winner turned around and replied: “Hey old man, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face.”
Absolute record scratch moment on the SNL set! You could probably even hear the needle drop.
Gentlemen’s agreement
Before you imagine the whole showdown on live TV, Meyers clarified that what followed was surprisingly civil. “Billy Bob didn’t do it in front of everybody,” he explained.
“He came off stage and went to Phil Hymes, just talked to him like a man to a man.”
The two had a heart-to-heart talk backstage, where Hymes—who was known for his rough personality and for reminding everyone that he once did JFK’s lighting at the White House—actually apologized.
“There was an exchange between two really respectable men,” Meyers recalled.
The hat won
If you’re wondering who won in this battle of wills, just check the tape.
When Thornton’s episode aired on Nov. 17, 2001, he was actually wearing his baseball cap during his monologue, while doing his famous Sling Blade impression for the audience.
Score one for Billy Bob.
Phil Hymes: The man who kept his word
This wasn’t Hymes’ only clash with celebrity opinion. During his incredible 42-year tenure at SNL (ending in 2018), he reportedly earned Lady Gaga’s respect by being brutally honest about her costume and nearly forcing Kanye West to walk off the show during a disagreement about a set piece.
The lighting master finally won an Emmy at age 95, in 2019, just a year before his death.
Like his encounter with Thornton, he left a legacy of speaking out, even to Hollywood’s biggest stars.