Share and Follow
Billy Bob Thornton, known for his role in “Landman,” generally exudes an unflappable demeanor. Yet, a unique challenge arose during the filming of the show’s second season that managed to unsettle him. This challenge came in the form of his new co-actor, Sam Elliott, who stepped into the role of Thomas “T.L.” Norris, the father of Thornton’s character, the rugged landman and oil magnate Tommy Norris.
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
The two actors share a long history, with Thornton holding Elliott in high esteem, even considering him a paternal figure. This personal regard made it difficult for Thornton to portray the often contentious relationship between their characters on screen, requiring him to be harsh towards Elliott during certain scenes.
In a conversation with Variety, Thornton expressed the emotional challenge he faced: “Some of the hardest stuff I had to do was when I had to be abrupt or mean with Sam Elliott. Sam has been like a father to me since the ’80s—a mentor and a friend. It’s tough to set aside personal feelings and fully commit to the role, but it’s essential to give it your all.”
While some elements in “Landman” may stretch believability, Thornton’s difficulty in being harsh to someone he deeply respects is entirely understandable. Interestingly, Elliott himself encountered some hurdles during the second season as well.
Elliott previously experienced grueling conditions while filming the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883,” which pushed him to his limits. Despite this, his dedication and talent left a positive impression on Taylor Sheridan. However, Elliott still found “Landman” challenging in a different way. In an interview with People, he confessed that integrating into the show’s narrative was not straightforward due to how far the storyline had developed.
Sam Elliott also found some aspects of Landman hard, but for different reasons
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
There are a few things in “Landman” that make no sense, but Billy Bob Thornton’s admission that he found it difficult to be mean to someone he so profoundly respects in real life definitely isn’t one of them. Incidentally, Thornton isn’t the only one of the pair who had some difficulties with “Landman” Season 2; Sam Elliott had his own surprising problem as well. Â
The filming conditions for the “Yellowstone” prequel “1883” were so hard that Elliott thought he would die. Still, he clearly didn’t find the experience too prohibitively horrifying to return for seconds — a testament to the kind of professionalism and talent that has made Taylor Sheridan’s feelings about working with Elliott overwhelmingly positive. Still, in one particular way, “Landman” was a challenge for Elliott. In an interview with People, the veteran actor admitted that it wasn’t very easy to join the show’s cast because of how far the story had already progressed.Â
Funnily enough, it was the presence of Thornton — the very man who occasionally had a hard time working with Elliott — that kept the experience from being too overwhelming. “Even after 56 years, or whatever it’s been … I mean, coming in and joining [Thornton] on an established show, we have a history, so that made it a lot easier,” Elliott said. “Had I not known Billy before this, it would’ve really been daunting. But I consider him a close friend.”