‘Landman’ Stars Billy Bob Thornton and Sam Elliott Open Up About “Very Emotional” Father-and-Son Tale in Season 2

The seed for Landman was planted on 1883. After Billy Bob Thornton made a cameo on that Yellowstone prequel series, franchise hit-maker Taylor Sheridan said he was inspired to write a series for the Monster’s Ball and Friday Night Lights actor. So he created the role of Tommy Norris, the oil fixer played by Thornton who leads the cast of the West Texas-set oil drama that is now one of TV’s biggest series.

For the second season of the Paramount+ hit, Sheridan started texting Sam Elliott, who starred in 1883. Elliott says he hadn’t really worked since that Western saga, which aired its once season in 2021. “I think I was totally spoiled by 1883, in terms of the gift that it was on the page,” Elliott now tells The Hollywood Reporter. A text turned into a phone conversation, which eventually turned into a two-year contract for Elliott to join Landman in the role of Tommy’s dad, T.L., marking a reunion for actors and friends Elliott and Thornton. “It’s very emotional for me — this part and this full season,” Elliott adds. “Moreso maybe than most of the other things I’ve done.”

Below, Thornton and Elliott speak with THR about what to expect from their emotional father-and-son story in the second season of Landman, why they think the oil drama has connected so widely with audiences and why the series (and Thornton) stays away from being too political.

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Landman‘s first season was a massive success. Billy, you recently said it’s been a personal phenomenon for you as well, in terms of being recognized and living through this moment. What do you pinpoint as to why audiences have connected so much with this show?

BILLY BOB THORNTON Taylor [Sheridan] has a knack for being able to strike a nerve with people. Generally, his shows before — not all of them, but in general — were appealing to the middle of the country more, not as much to the coasts or internationally. I think the reason Landman has been this phenomenon is because it appealed to people we didn’t expect. The characters he has written are so unabashedly themselves; they say and do whatever they want. And I think people enjoy watching that. Also, you’re giving people a peek behind the curtain of a business you don’t normally see portrayed. I think that has something to do with it. But, what a pleasant surprise it was for us to see what a huge hit this thing became. Because we thought it would be successful — all of Taylor’s shows are. We didn’t know it was going to be this [successful]. We’re pretty humbled by it.

You recently said you signed on for four or five years of Landman. Do you hope to do Landman for the next decade?

THORNTON Well, yes, absolutely. As long as I’m able, I want to do it. Or, until the story runs out. When I did [Amazon’s] Goliath, where I played a lawyer, I signed up for four years. And after those four years, we were satisfied. Sometimes people can go a bridge too far. There are certain shows that have been on for 12, 14, 17 seasons. After a while, it’s like, “OK, we get it. But what are you going to come up with next?” You either have to do something ridiculous or repeat stuff you’ve already been doing. So I think Landman, as an entity, will know when it’s over.

Sam, this is a nice 1883 full-circle moment, going from Billy’s cameo on your series to you now joining Landman. I read that your Landman role began with a text from Taylor Sheridan. How long were you chatting about coming onto the show?

SAM ELLIOTT It had been a long time since I worked after 1883, because I had some personal issues going on, medical issues. I think I was totally spoiled by 1883, in terms of the gift that it was on the page. I hadn’t spoken to Taylor for quite a time, and we sent a text back and forth and ended up on the phone. I’m not even sure at this moment whether this message came via text or if he said it to me, but the gist of it was that he asked me what I was doing, and I’d told him I hadn’t worked really since 1883. And he said, “Well, I’m going to put your ass back to work.” I thought, “Hmm, what does that mean?”

I had no idea what he was talking about, and I didn’t know until quite a while later, a couple of months later, when Taylor told me he wanted me to come and play Billy’s dad. It’s all a blur, but that doesn’t take away what a gift it is to be part of. I’m thrilled to be back in the Taylor world again, and doubly thrilled to be working with Billy again.

Your ages are a little close for father and son [11 years apart].

THORNTON Honestly, no one has ever brought it up except for journalists. You can look through movie history, and fathers or mothers have been close in age [to their children]. It’s just a thing you do because you’re actors portraying someone. If you put yourself in the right headspace, I would find a way to play Sam’s older brother. They would say, “But wait a minute, you guys are 11 years apart.” But I guarantee you we could find a way to do that, because this is not a science experiment. It’s a movie, or a show — I don’t really separate that anymore, because we’re basically doing a 10-hour movie. But yeah, we never think about that. You see Sam in the wheelchair and you see me walking around, beating people up and you go, “OK, that’s his dad.” It’s all in the way we portray the characters and Taylor’s vision.

What will we learn about Tommy Norris through this father-and-son relationship in season two? And what did you two love diving into together with your scenes?

ELLIOTT I think we’re still diving. From the beginning, when you see T.L., you know he’s a broken man who does nothing but sit and watch the sunset. Every time that sun goes down, he’s wondering if he’s ever going to see it again. But you see in the early interaction between the two characters that there’s been this fractured relationship that’s gone on and on and on since he was a young man. You learn pretty early on that my life was fractured by the loss of my wife, who went into herself and never came out again. I waited 60 years for her to come back, and she never did.

So there’s a lot of pain to heal between the two characters and it’s going to happen over time. A lot of it happened in this season, but there’s still a lot of baggage to deal with. It’ a lot of fun working with Billy. It’s very emotional for me — this part and this full season. Moreso maybe than most of the other things I’ve done. But it’s fun doing it.

Your co-creator Christian Wallace said he feels like you all still only scratched the surface with this ensemble when season two ends. Sam, is this a multi-season role for you?

ELLIOTT Yeah, I think for sure the potential is there. Whether everybody agrees to come back to the table; Billy’s set for four years. My deal was for two. So we’ll see. Like him, I’m all in on this at the moment. I keep using the same four letters all the time when talking about Taylor Sheridan — it’s a gift every time to be able to do his material and work in these worlds he sets up, and particularly when it’s somebody like Billy and the rest of this cast.

It’s interesting coming into something that’s such a well-oiled machine. You kind of feel like an outsider, and that was part of my reluctance, maybe, if there was ever any moment of reluctance: “How do I fit in?” But as soon as I started getting the material from Taylor, I just thought, “Wow, thanks for letting me back in.”

Billy, was it easy for you to snap back into playing Tommy when you came back for season two?

THORNTON It only gets better for me, as an actor, as a person, everything about it. Everybody knows each other now. We have the best crew I’ve ever worked with in all these years.

ELLIOTT Amen.

THORNTON Every day is a joy. Every script is, like Sam said, a gift. With the first season, you had to set everything up — explain the oil business and introduce the characters to show, “Here are the people involved.” This season, you can get really personal. All of a sudden, you learn where these people came from, what they’re all about, what their goals are. You get to see a lot more of the relationships between the family, and more of the executive branch of the oil business and people you have to deal with sometimes, like Andy Garcia’s character. It’s a very emotional, very humorous, amazing season.

Landman doesn’t take a political side, but addresses the current state of the oil market and is set firmly in today’s world. Has there been a reaction from real oil men that has stuck with you?

THORNTON Oil guys come up to me all the time — I’m like Elvis Presley to them now. (Laughs.) But on a serious note, they really do say, “Thank you for putting the spotlight on this business.” And do you know that I’ve only had one political question since season one and two? In a screening, where we did a Q&A. Only one. And I answered it with the answer that I will answer it with from now on.

What did you say?

THORNTON Well, if you’d asked a political question, I’d say it. (Laughs.)

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Landman‘s first episode of season three is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes releasing weekly on Sundays.