How Much Improv Taylor Sheridan Allows On Landman, According To Billy Bob Thornton

Taylor Sheridan is known for making hit TV shows, but he also has a reputation for being a creative control freak who marches to the beat of his own drum. He typically writes his own scripts away from the bright lights of Tinsel Town before sending them directly to his actors, bypassing network executives who might want to offer some notes. You can't fault his methods, though, as the prolific creator's success speaks for itself. That said, it seems that Sheridan is more open to collaboration on "Landman" — the record-breaking Paramount+ oil-worker drama that he co-created with former roughneck-turned-podcaster Christian Wallace — as the series' main star, Billy Bob Thornton, revealed in an interview with Awards Radar. As he put it:

"Taylor wrote some wonderful scripts, and his writing is pretty tight, but Taylor has actually been very loose with me. There's not a lot of improvisation on his stuff. As a matter of fact, I'd say Taylor and the Coen brothers, who I worked with a couple of times, they've had scripts that you stuck to more than anybody I've ever worked with. But with me, Taylor said, 'Look, you're a writer, you're a director. You get this stuff. We're partners in this.' So, every now and then, I'll throw something in there, and if he likes it, he keeps it."

Thornton added that Sheridan's scripts are so impressive that he doesn't feel the need to change anything, for the most part. However, one of "Landman" season 1's most memorable scenes would have been much different if the actor stuck to Sheridan's original script.

"Landman" season 1 sees coyotes appear before Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris character during moments of existential dread. Basically, the oil executive gets into trouble with the cartel and fears that his days are numbered, with the wild dogs symbolizing his potential impending doom. Thornton also convinced Sheridan to remove the dialogue from these scenes on "Landman," as he felt that viewers would understand their deeper meaning without his character explaining it.

Sheridan and Kevin Costner reportedly butted heads over the creative direction of "Yellowstone" (which may have contributed to their well-documented fallout), so it's interesting to learn that the former took Thornton's advice when it came to key moments in "Landman" season 1. Granted, Sheridan probably isn't going to let anyone else change the general direction of his and Christian Wallace's story, but Thornton having some input indicates that the prolific showrunner might not be a total control freak.

Indeed, Thornton is open to starring in "Landman" for years to come, so he will have more opportunities to collaborate with Sheridan. It remains to be seen how many seasons Sheridan and Wallace ultimately have in mind for their oil-themed drama, but the series is a hit — and Thornton appears to be having a ball.

"Landman" is now streaming on Paramount+.