Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter & The Cast Of ‘Landman’ Say The Key To Taylor Sheridan’s Success Are His “Dynamic Characters”
Landman marks the eighth series that Taylor Sheridan has created for the Paramount. After making his mark with Yellowstone back in 2018, Sheridan went on to mastermind the reality series The Last Cowboy, chronicling the high-stakes and lucrative sport of horse reining. He was quickly drawn back to Yellowstone, however, because audiences around the globe were becoming more and more invested in the saga of the Duttons and their quest to save their ranch. So, Sheridan threw himself into the world of Yellowstone for the next few years.
In 2021, Sheridan created Mayor of Kingstown with his collaborator Hugh Dillon. That series focuses on the McLusky family (led by Jeremy Renner’s Mike McLusky) and its struggle to maintain control of a small Michigan town in the face of threats from gangs and rival politicians. Also in 2021, Sheridan created his first Yellowstone prequel series, 1883, which follows an earlier generation of Duttons as they head west with a wagon train of immigrants and ultimately arrive at Montana’s Paradise Valley. That same year, Sheridan also spearheaded Tulsa King featuring Sylvester Stallone as a underboss who is forced to move to Kanas and who decides to start his own mob empire there. A second Dutton saga prequel , 1923, starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, would come in 2022. Sheridan is now busy completing the Dutton saga with part 2 of Season 5 of Yellowstone.
Endlessly creative and curious about current geopolitical issues, Sheridan created Lioness in 2023. The spy drama follows Zoe Saldaña’s Joe McNamara as she spearheads the CIA’s Lioness Engagement Team which infiltrates criminal organizations and executes dangerous missions with covert female assets. For its second season, Sheridan has moved the show’s center from the Middle East to Mexico, exploring the clashing of cultures and political agendas at the Mexico-Texas border.
Landman, which premieres today on Paramount+, is the latest gem in Sheridan’s creative crown. The oil drama follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a “landman” whose job to use any means necessary to secure mineral rights for Motex Oil, run by Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) in the Permian Basin, even if that means dealing with cartels. His goal is to keep oil operations running smoothly, no matter the cost. “This is like Giant on Steroids,” said Thornton during a virtual press day. According to Thornton, Sheridan wrote the role of Norris with him in mind. “It fit like a glove,” said Thornton.
Photo: Paramount Plus
Sheridan’s long string of successful shows also factored into Thornton’s decision to take the job. Thornton notes that Sheridan is a genius at creating “these worlds that people are really obsessed with.” He also appreciates Sheridan’s gift for dialogue. “Sometimes you can read something on the page that is very poetic and beautiful, but when an actor says the words out loud in a scene, they do not always work.” Sheridan’s script always felt “very natural” to Thornton. Thornton also noted that Sheridan combines “heavy drama and humor” in his writing, which reflects his understanding of life. “Life is full of everything—joy, pain, sadness, elation,” mused Thornton. “I’m glad that he put that dose of humor in there too.”
Ali Larter, who plays Tommy’s ex-wife Angela, agreed with Thornton. “He’s just the best at what he does,” said Larter of Sheridan. Larter knows how important “authenticity” is to Sheridan. “He used the dangerous oil business in West Texas and its politics and built an incredible world,” noted Larter. But what’s key to Sheridan’s empire is the “dynamic characters” he creates. Larter’s Angela is vibrant, scrappy, and fierce, but full of love for her ex-husband and their two children, Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph). According to Larter, rich characters like Angela are what make Sheridan “a master storyteller.”
Kayla Wallace, who plays Rebecca Falcone, a lawyer who gets pulled into Tommy’s world, appreciates that Sheridan “really takes time” with his cast. “He sat down one on one and went into Rebecca’s backstory with me,” remembered Wallace. “He’s able to shape these characters to ensure they always have a sense of strength to them. It’s just an honor to be working with him, period.”
As Ariana, the wife of one of Tommy’s oil rigs workers, Paulina Chávez was impressed by how carefully Sheridan crafted her character. “Ariana’s story is so beautiful, and we wanted to tell it as authentically as possible,” said Chávez. “He was always a phone call away, and it is rare to have a creator so involved.” Sheridan wants to achieve his “vision,” according to Chávez. “It must be protected at all costs.”
While his intelligence, originality and compassion are widely considered to be Sheridan’s greatest assets, the care he takes to help his cast and crew achieve his creative vision is perhaps even more crucial to his unprecedented success. .
The first two episodes of Landman are now streaming on Paramount+
