Taylor Sheridan on Why Billy Bob Thornton Led ‘Landman’—‘If You Don’t Do This, I’m Not Going To’
The 'Yellowstone' creator says he pitched Thornton as 'Bad Santa in West Texas running an oil company’
Key Takeaways
- Sheridan told Thornton he wouldn't make 'Landman' without him before writing a single word.
- He told Joe Rogan how he pitched the show as putting the 'Bad Santa' character in Texas.
- The 'Yellowstone' creator says he made 'Landman' because of Americans' dependence on oil.
Taylor Sheridan is opening up about his hit show Landman. In a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, the writer and director revealed why he thought the Texas-set oil drama was a good idea and why award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton was really the only choice for the lead role. To read what Sheridan said, keep reading.
Taylor Sheridan opens up about Billy Bob Thornton
Landman originally premiered in November 2024. It follows landman Tommy Norris (Thornton) as he deals with home drama, family dynamics and the deadly oil industry. Currently, there are two seasons of the show, and a third season is expected to be released at some point later this year.
Like his hit show Yellowstone, Sheridan works as a creator and writer on Landman, meaning that he is heavily involved with the show. He was also heavily involved in the casting, and told Rogan that if Thornton—who also starred in the Yellowstone prequel series 1883—didn’t sign on, the show wasn’t going to happen.
“I went to Billy Bob Thornton before I wrote a word and I told him, ‘If you don’t do this, I’m not going to do it because I’m not going to chase my tail,’” Sheridan said. “He goes, ‘What is it?’ I said, ‘Basically, I want to take your character from Bad Santa and put him in West Texas and run an oil company.’ He goes, ‘You want the guy from Bad Santa to run the oil company?’ I said, ‘That’s what I want.’ He goes, ‘That sounds f-ck-ng awesome.’”
For those who don’t know, Bad Santa was a 2003 comedy movie that followed conman Willie T. Stokes (Thornton) after he volunteers to be a mall Santa to try and rip off shopping malls on Christmas Eve. There was also a sequel made in 2016, and both of them are considered to be some of the modern-day classic Christmas comedies.
“We knew going in there was a certain part of the audience that would totally get it. The fact it became as big as it was, and sort of iconic, we didn’t expect that. When I first read the script, I thought, ‘This is either going to be a really good idea or a really bad one,’” Thornton told Fandango in 2016. “It’s not sort of both, it’s one or the other. Fortunately for us, it turned out to be the positive side. I think people were ready for it. Humor was changing. This was the one that really opened the door. It really spawned a lot of imitators and created a subgenre of comedy.”
Taylor Sheridan reveals why the story of ‘Landman’ is so important
Oil is an integral part of the world, but not a lot of people know how that essential part of the world comes to be. Sheridan knows this, and according to him, that’s why he wanted to make Landman in the first place.
“It’s an insane job. And the other thing about it is we’re so completely dependent upon petroleum in every single aspect of our lives,” Sheridan told Rogan. “So completely dependent upon it. We can debate how bad it is or isn’t. The reality is we don’t have an alternative. It does not exist.”
Landman Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream on Paramount+.
Ready for more? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
