Who Played Me in "Sling Blade"? Quiz

Answer: Billy Bob Thornton

Thornton, born on August 4th, 1955 in Hot Springs, Arkansas was cast as Karl Childers. We learned early on in the film that Karl one day cut up his mother and her love with a blade when he was a child. This led to him being confined to a state psychiatric institution for most his life.

He spoke with a psychology student for an interview right before he was released from the hospital to start a new life for himself. Karl once mentioned he worked well at fixing lawn mowers so he was offered a job at a repair shop in Millsberg. Dr. Woolridge was shocked to learn Karl did not sleep at all the night before his first day of work. Karl was at Linda's home one evening when her boyfriend, Doyle, in a fit of anger called him a "retard". Right after Doyle left Linda's house, Linda offered Karl coffee but he said the drink made him nervous when he consumed it. One noticeable trait with Karl was his tendency to end most sentences saying, "Mm-Hm". Thornton starred in the movies, "Bad Santa", "Armageddon" and "Monster's Ball".

In 1997, he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Sling Blade" but lost to Geoffrey Rush for "Shine". Other Oscar nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role that year were Tom Cruise for "Jerry Maguire", Ralph Fiennes for "The English Patient" and Woody Harrelson for "The People vs. Larry Flynt". That same year, he won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for "Sling Blade".

Answer: J.T. Walsh

Walsh, a native of San Francisco, California played Charles Bushman. Charles was a patient at the same hospital where Karl stayed and it was at the beginning of the film when he spoke with him. Charles did not appear until the very end when Karl finished telling him the story about his killing Doyle with a lawnmower blade.

While they spoke, Charles mentioned once when he sexually assaulted a woman and mentioned the woman annoyed him by talking so much. That was when he asked Karl how his life was living outside the hospital. Karl simply responded to Charles it was too big. Charles asked Karl if he killed the young boy he said he befriended so Karl demanded he not bring the boy up again. Walsh had roles in the films, "Backdraft", "Breakdown" and "Miracle on 34th Street" (1994).

Answer: Natalie Canerday

Canerday, born in 1962 in Russellville, Arkansas portrayed Linda Wheatley. Linda allowed Karl to stay at her house after he became good friends with her son, Frank. Linda's boyfriend was Doyle and she disliked his telling a couple of her friends at a party held at her house to leave.

She reminded a drunken Doyle he did not own the home so she decided who came and went. After Doyle attacked Frank, Linda kicked him out of her home. However, the two of them reunited shortly afterwards with Linda making the move to allow Doyle to live with her. On the night when Karl planned to kill Doyle, he asked a friend to take Frank and Linda elsewhere for the evening so they did not have to witness it. Canerday was seen in the movies, "Gunshy", "Biloxi Blues" and "October Sky".

Answer: Dwight Yoakum

Yoakum landed the role of Doyle Hargraves. Doyle sat down to dinner one night with Linda and Frank and stated he wanted to throw a party to get his friends to meet Karl as well as to simply hang out with them. Linda feared Doyle's friends potentially ostracizing Karl due to his being mentally handicapped but Doyle insisted Karl would be okay at the party. Doyle got help from Frank and Linda in organizing the party with the gala involving numerous friends playing music on their guitars.

After Linda kicked Doyle out the night of the party, he went to visit her, Frank and Karl a little later to apologize for his tirade. Linda reconciled with Doyle, leaving Karl feeling scared for both her and Frank's safety.

In Doyle's final scene, Karl was alone with him when he took out a lawnmower blade to use to murder Doyle. Yoakum portrayed characters in the films, "Red Rock West", "Wedding Crashers" and "Panic Room".

Answer: John Ritter

Ritter, born on September 17th, 1948 in Burbank, California was cast as Vaughan Cunningham. Vaughan worked at a store and met Karl there one day so they spoke briefly about Karl adjusting to life outside the hospital. Once, Vaughan and Karl went out to lunch when Vaughan confessed to him at one point that he was gay. Karl then called Vaughan an offensive name so he asked Karl to be more considerate.

He commented how difficult it was for him to live in a small town as a homosexual man given the fact news traveled quickly there. Vaughn mentioned to Karl that he had to be careful around Doyle since he considered him a violent person. On the night of Doyle's outburst, he reminded Doyle how he was a witness to his threatening Frank and Linda. Ritter guest starred on the TV series', "Scrubs", "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" and "Chicago Hope".

Answer: Lucas Black

Black, a native of Speake, Alabama portrayed Frank Wheatley. After Karl left the hospital, he met with Frank and struck up a bond with him. One day, Frank asked Karl if he wanted to play baseball but Karl declined, stating he was no good at the sport. Frank took Karl to meet his mom since he figured the two would get along well eventually. Frank assured Karl that his mother not hearing from him was the reason behind Frank receiving treatment at the hospital. Linda agreed to let Karl stay with her and Frank.

In one moment of the film, Frank and Karl spoke about Frank's father when Frank stated he was killed by a train. Later, Frank retracted that comment by telling Karl the true reason behind his father's death was his committing suicide. Black starred in the movies, "All the Pretty Horses", "The X Files" and "Cold Mountain".

Answer: James Hampton

Hampton, born in 1936 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma played Jerry Woolridge. Jerry was surprised one day when he noticed Karl enter his office at the state hospital since he had just been released from there. Karl asked him if he could continue living there but Jerry said that was not possible since Karl was now a free man. Jerry also reminded Karl his authority did not extend to placing him back in the hospital's care so, to assist him, he notified him of a friend in Millsberg who ran a repair shop. Jerry offered to get Karl a job there to help coincide with his readjustment to life outside the hospital. Karl mentioned to Jerry how good he was at lawnmower repairs so, with that knowledge, Jerry figured he could do well working for his friend. Jerry forewarned Karl he might not get the job since he had to notify the owner about the events which led to his ending up at the hospital. Hampton guest starred on the TV shows, "Melrose Place", "Hope & Faith" and "Full House".

Answer: Rick Dial

Dial landed the part of Bill Cox in "Sling Blade". Bill Cox owned a small repair shop when he got word one day from his friend, Dr. Jerry Woolridge, about possibly getting Karl onboard as an employee working for him. When the two spoke, Jerry opined on Karl's potential at excelling on the job as his skills included repairing lawn mowers. Jerry did inform Bill about Karl's past when he killed his mother and his lover but Bill still decided to hire Karl as an associate at his shop. During their conversation, Bill joked with Jerry that he would ask him for reimbursement should Karl steal anything from his shop. Bill offered Karl a place to stay at the shop until he could find a more permanent home. Dial played characters in the films, "The General's Daughter", "Crazy Heart" and "Secondhand Lions".

Answer: Brent Briscoe

Briscoe, born on May 21st, 1961 in Moberly, Missouri was cast as Scooter Hodges. Scooter was first seen when Jerry brought Karl into the shop one day and said hello to him as he spoke with Bill. During Jerry's conversation with Bill about Karl's past, Scooter mentioned Karl's past as a killer.

However, he mentioned knowing the person who Karl killed and facetiously said the person annoyed him to no end that he likely would have killed him, too. When Jerry asked Scooter if he was scared of Karl, he expressed no particular fear of the man.

In a separate scene, Scooter and Karl worked on something in a back room when Jerry interrupted them to tell Karl he got a delivery of flowers. Briscoe starred in the movies, "The Green Mile", "Super-Man 2" and "Man on the Moon".

Answer: Christine Renee Ward

Ward portrayed Melinda in "Sling Blade". Karl went to the store where Linda worked and met an employee there named Melinda. Linda mentioned to Karl that Melinda had been named the store's best employee one month so Melinda attributed the honor as loving to price items.

There was a scene midway through the movie where Melinda and several others ate dinner at Linda's home. Vaughan asked Melinda and the others not to mention Albert was there as people would suspect he was gay. Melinda informed Vaughan everybody knew that he and Albert were a couple while telling him a woman at the local First Baptist Church explained his no longer being welcome there. Ward was seen in the movies, "Cabin Fever" (2002) and "Come Early Morning".