Billy Bob Thornton Struggled To Shoot Landman Season 2 Scenes With One Co-Star

When Sam Elliott was cast in "Landman" season 2, he found the whole thing overwhelming. Even a star of his stature was somewhat daunted by joining such a successful show part-way through its run, but was absolutely delighted to re-team with his old pal and star of the Paramount+ series, Billy Bob Thornton. As it turns out, though, Thornton struggled with one aspect of filming with Elliott, specifically when it came to clashing with his longtime buddy.

In an interview with Variety, Thornton was asked about his most challenging scene from season 2 and revealed that he struggled when it came to conflict between him and his on-screen dad. "Maybe not every actor is this way, but I can't help it because I'm so codependent," he said. "Some of the hardest stuff I had to do was when I had to be abrupt to, or even mean with, Sam Elliott. Sam and I are old, old friends. He's been like a pop to me since I've known him in the '80s." Thornton went on to explain that Elliot has been a "mentor" and a "friend" for years, which makes it harder to commit to certain scenes. "Sometimes, knowing the other human, it's not as easy to just go for it," he added. "But you have to. You have to go 100%."

Thornton likened the experience to his time shooting 2003's "Bad Santa," the black comedy that contains a line which perfectly sums up Thornton's "Landman" character. That film required him to be similarly mean to the young cast members, which he found difficult. "It's not like I could be really sweet with the kids," he explained. "I actually explained that to the kids on that set and to the parents. But I would say that was the most challenging thing."

"Landman" has been a massive hit for Paramount, which is unsurprising seeing as it comes from the hit TV series-making machine that is Taylor Sheridan. Still, making the show doesn't come without its share of challenges. A "Landman" season 2 scene went horribly wrong for Angela Norris actor Ali Larter, for example, and the biggest on-set challenge for the "Landman" crew remains the sweltering West Texas heat. Then, there's Billy Bob Thornton having to yell at his friend Sam Elliott.

Elliott, who previously led the "Yellowstone" spin-off "1883," has worked with Thornton several times before. The latter had a cameo appearance on "1883" and worked with Elliott on the eminently quotable Western that also featured Val Kilmer's best performance, "Tombstone," in which the latter played Virgil Earp and Thornton played Johnny Tyler. More importantly, however, the two actors share a genuine off-screen friendship to the extent that Thornton became overwhelmed when he learned Elliott would play his father in "Landman" season 2.

The Tommy Norris actor told CinemaBlend, "I've loved Sam as a human being and an actor for so long that when I found out that Sam was playing the part, I told my wife, and I started crying." With that in mind, it's no wonder Thornton struggled to yell at his friend while shooting "Landman" season 2. Luckily for us, and perhaps unfortunately for him, season 3 of the oil drama is set to start filming around May of 2026, with Elliott confirmed to return. So there'll be a lot more uncomfortable clashes between the veteran stars to come.

As tough as Billy Bob Thornton found arguing with Sam Elliott on "Landman" season 2, the easy chemistry between co-stars seems to makes things a little smoother. In his Variety interview, Thornton went on to praise the "great chemistry" between cast members, which according to him was "instant."

The star also reflected on how he, Elliott, Danny "Gallino" Morrell actor Andy Garcia, and Cami Miller actor Demi Moore "go way back." But what surprised the actor was how he got along with the cast members with whom he'd never worked before. According to Thornton, Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, and Jacob Lofland (who play Angela, Ainsley, and Cooper Norris, respectively) all got along from the beginning, as did Rebecca Falcone actor Kayla Wallace and Dale Bradley actor James Jordan. "None of us knew each other," said Thornton. "But somehow we had a chemistry that was there from day one. It's also a tribute to Taylor [Sheridan, show co-creator and writer], because he knows who to cast and for what part."

Thornton went on to praise Sheridan — who similarly loves working with Sam Elliott — for giving each character a distinct voice rather than falling into what he views as a common trap of writers writing "with their own voice for every character." The actor continued, "Each person on this show is their own thing. I love that. So when you have chemistry like that, but not everyone's talking the same ... One of the most brilliant things Taylor's done with his shows is he has very strong individual characters with their own voices."