Billy Bob Thornton "never got over being nervous around" Johnny Cash

He told the Guardian newspaper: "I never got over being nervous around Johnny Cash because it was like God walked in the room.

"I stayed at his house a couple of times and I did not want to get caught in my drawers looking in his refrigerator.

"So I just stayed in my room all night long. But he was very kind to me."

He added of their work together: "We did a duet together of one of his songs, 'I Still Miss Someone', that I've never put out.

"Cash said to me: 'What's your idea, son?' And I said: 'Well, I thought we'd do the first verse and bridge and then you could do your recitation.'

"This was at a point where Johnny was in a little more ill health. And I said: 'Then you do the recitation and then we'll come back and do the last verse and bridge.'

"And he said: 'Yeah, that sounds good to me'. And then he said: 'I might even have an idea or two myself. After all I wrote the f****** thing.'

"And I was like: 'Yes, sir, sorry'."

The Man In Black died in 2003, and Billy revealed Cash left him a special reminder of their time together.

He added: "He wrote a story about that day on four pieces of notebook paper. It was partly truth, partly fiction.

"And on the last page are three autographs by him: 'John R Cash', 'Johnny Cash', 'John Cash'.

"And I said: 'John, why did you write three autographs on that paper?' He says: 'Son, if you ever get broke, cut those into three pieces and you'll be all right'."