Taylor Sheridan takes a bold risk with Landman, luring Billy Bob Thornton into his latest high-stakes drama. Will this gamble pay off?
Taylor Sheridan doesn’t just write shows; he builds entire empires. And when he wants an actor, he gets them. Case in point: Billy Bob Thornton joining Landman. But Sheridan lured him in with a promise that screams high stakes. The Yellowstone creator’s known for pushing boundaries, but this move proves he’s taking bigger risks than ever.
With Landman diving into the messy world of Texas oil tycoons, Thornton’s casting is just the tip of the iceberg. If Sheridan’s gamble pays off, we’re in for another hit. If not? Well, at least he’s swinging for the fences.
Taylor Sheridan bets big on one voice for Landman: Billy Bob Thornton’s
When Taylor Sheridan penned Landman, he wrote it with one specific voice in mind: Billy Bob Thornton’s.
Sheridan first reached out to Thornton for a cameo in 1883, promising a quick, no-strings-attached shoot. “Look, all I need you to do is come to Fort Worth for two days, shoot everybody in the saloon, and leave,” he told him. But over dinner, Sheridan dropped a bombshell: he was crafting a whole show around Thornton’s signature style.
Set in the high-stakes world of Texas oil, Landman follows a fixer steering through the industry’s dangers, politics, and cartel dealings. Thornton admitted,
The first script… yeah, if I were a landman, that’s how I would be. And what a landman is, is a fixer. So I’m responsible for – it’s like a glorified foreman, you know? I make sure that the people in the oil fields are safe, but that they also do their job and get the oil out of the ground so I can make my boss happy.
His character juggles the chaos of oil fields, 600-mile workdays, and an eccentric family, including an ex-wife played by Ali Larter.
But here’s where Sheridan’s approach gets risky. Writing a lead role in an actor’s voice is a gamble. If the star signs on, magic happens. If not, the show risks falling flat. Fortunately for Landman, Thornton was all in.
Shot in Texas, the series boasts an A-list cast — Jon Hamm, Demi Moore, and more. Thornton, no stranger to grueling schedules, called the biggest challenge those long monologues in the brutal West Texas heat.
From Sling Blade to Bad Santa, Thornton’s been a Hollywood staple. And while fans still ask him to reenact his most iconic roles, this time, he’s bringing a new one to life — one written just for him.
Billy Bob Thornton owns the oilfields in Landman, and Energies Media is taking notes
Billy Bob Thornton took center stage in Energies Media’s Winter 2025 issue, leading a deep dive into Paramount+’s high-stakes drama, Landman. The Oscar winner graced the cover and opened up about his latest role — a crisis manager navigating the chaos of West Texas oil fields.
Thornton alluded, crediting Taylor Sheridan for crafting a gritty, sharp-witted world (via CBS42),
I’ll put it this way. If I were a landman, I’d probably be about like that.
Based on Christian Wallace’s Boomtown podcast, the series explored the real lives of oil field workers, with Thornton, Jon Hamm, Ali Larter, and Demi Moore bringing authenticity to the screen. The cast immersed themselves in the industry, learning its highs and lows firsthand. Thornton admitted,
It’s not just a job — it’s a way of life. It takes a certain kind of person to do this work.
With Landman making waves, Energies Media tackled both Hollywood and the real-world energy landscape in one powerhouse issue.
