HOLLYWOOD star Billy Bob Thornton has created Much Ado in the acting world ? by branding William Shakespeare ?bulls**t?.
The heavily-tattooed American actor, 49 ? whose films include Bad Santa and Armageddon ? launched an astonishing attack on the Bard.
He compared the legendary English playwright?s work to corny soap operas.
He said: ?I think Shakespeare?s overrated. It?s bulls**t. I?d never go and see a Shakespeare play. Who?d want to see me in Hamlet?
?Who cares? I don?t know why actors do it. Shakespeare is just a bunch of soap operas.
Theatre of war ... Shakespeare
?It?s not that I don?t understand it. But people think if you speak with an English accent it somehow makes you smarter.
?I don?t believe in all the flowery language ? all of his plays are just a series of soap operas.?
Billy Bob ? who plays a foul-mouthed Father Christmas in the Santa comedy ? likened works such as Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet to US daytime drama Days Of Our Lives.
His rant will infuriate classical acting fans like screen legend Al Pacino, who plays Shylock in a new film of The Merchant Of Venice.
Eccentric Billy Bob has famously been divorced five times, most recently from actress Angelina Jolie.
