Billy Bob Thornton says Sam Elliott playing his dad on Taylor Sheridan’s Landman makes sense on screen, even if the two actors are only 11 years apart. At the Newport Beach TV Fest on Saturday, June 6, Thornton compared it to similar age gaps in earlier films
Billy Bob Thornton didn’t hesitate when asked about Sam Elliott playing his dad on Landman, despite the fact that they’re only 11 years apart in age.
Speaking exclusively to Us Weekly while attending the Newport Beach TV Fest sponsored by Visit Newport Beach on Saturday, June 6, Thornton, 70, pointed to how casting age differences have long been part of movie and TV storytelling.
“That’s gone on since movies started,” Thornton said.
He then recalled another example: “Kathy Bates played my mom in Bad Santa too and she is nine years older. It’s acting, it’s a movie.”
Thornton’s point was blunt—audiences shouldn’t fixate on the math. “Let’s say that it’s not in the newspapers or Wikipedia — how old anybody is — then nobody would say a word.”
Landman. streaming on Paramount+. places Thornton at the center as corporate fixer Tommy. working for an oil titan played by Jon Hamm. The series—focused on the West Texas oil industry and crisis executive Tommy Norris and his family—has leaned hard into plot twists. In the season finale. Hamm’s Monty was killed off. Tommy was named the president of M-Tex. and he was kidnapped and severely beaten by a drug cartel leader. Tommy is later released with the promise that he will work with the cartel.
Season 2 added more pressure to the narrative, bringing Demi Moore’s Cami into the mix, while other major characters include Ali Larter’s Angela, Jacob Lofland’s Cooper, Michelle Randolph’s Ainsley, and more.
After Landman’s surprise onscreen losses, Thornton also addressed whether Tommy could be next. “I think Yana Grebenyuk Taylor [Sheridan] is going to let me hang around,” he told Us, hinting that his character won’t be killed off just yet.
He also used the moment to back Taylor Sheridan’s work—calling attention to Sheridan’s lack of award show recognition. Thornton said: “It’s like. ‘If you have a disagreement over someone’s way or vibe or whatever it is. that’s not the point. ’” adding. “The point is. is he good?. He writes great stuff.”.
Thornton continued, “He’s created quite an empire — and you have to respect him for that. He has the fame, he has the success, he deserves to be recognized for his work in TV shows, for sure.”
Billy Bob Thornton Sam Elliott Landman Paramount+ Taylor Sheridan Newport Beach TV Fest Visit Newport Beach Jon Hamm Demi Moore Kathy Bates Bad Santa Tommy Norris