Billy Bob Thornton stars in Landman, the new show from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, and in a new interview, he shares what his working relationship with the high-powered writer-director was like during shooting.
Thornton had previously worked with Sheridan on 1883, in which he made a cameo appearance as Marshal Jim Courtright.
“I liked his style of directing,” Thornton tells Taste of Country, adding that he found working with Sheridan easy.
Sheridan wrote the part of Tommy Norris in Landman specifically for Thornton and pitched him on it at the 1883 premiere. Norris manages land and people for a huge oil company, sometimes resorting to tactics that are not entirely ethical or legal.
“When I read the first script, I was really pretty blown away, because he writes people, and the way people talk, and the crazy things they do,” Thornton says with a grin. “That’s one of the things I love about his stuff.”
Thornton acknowledges that it could have gone off the rails with two such strong personalities working closely together.
“He and are both writer-directors, and he is an actor, also, so you might think that there could be … it’s ground that is rich for conflict, he states, laughing heartily. “But I found it really easy working with him. I think we had a mutual respect.”
“He does a lot of things that I do when I’m directing,” Thornton continues. “I don’t really rehearse. I like to get fresh stuff off of people. And he likes to cast people sometimes that are just someone he met at the ice cream store,” he says with another laugh. “‘I think this guy would make a good lawyer,’ or whatever.”
“We had, actually, a really easy working relationship. I think we had a real understanding for each other,” Thornton adds.
“I wish I had more drama to talk about with him!” he quips, once again beginning to laugh. “But I don’t.”
Landman premieres with two episodes on Paramount+ on Sunday (Nov. 17).
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