Before Landman, Jacob Lofland Starred In An Intense Civil War Movie That Deserves A Second Look

"Landman" has become the latest hit series from Taylor Sheridan. While "Landman" might not be the most accurate show on TV, there are many things that make it so watchable, and one of the more subtly compelling examples is Jacob Lofland's performance as Cooper Norris. Long before he was bolstering Sheridan's drama with his talents, Lofland appeared in the intense Civil War drama "Free State of Jones," in which he was similarly compelling, even if he only had a few brief scenes.

"Landman" fans will surely have been impressed by Lofland. The young actor is a revelation as the ambitious son of Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy Norris, bringing a naturalism to the role that should feel out of place in Taylor Sheridan's melodrama but which only adds to the show's appeal. While Lofland's star has only started to rise with the oil drama, he's far from a rookie. Although it may seem as if he came out of nowhere, he's actually been acting since he was 15 years old.

Lofland was cast in Jeff Nichols' 2012 drama "Mud," in which he appeared alongside star Matthew McConaughey. It was an auspicious start for the youngster, who had previously never considered acting but was cast after his mother spotted a casting notice in their local Arkansas paper and asked Lofland to fill out an application. "Mud" was met with widespread critical praise, and while almost all of it was directed towards McConaughey's performance and Nichols' direction, Lofland was a quiet standout. Like with "Landman," the charmingly diffident youngster didn't have a hint of artifice in his performance, and it launched a career that, long before he appeared alongside Thornton, would see him re-team with McConaughey for the somewhat overlooked Civil War drama, "Free State of Jones."

Since launching his career with "Mud," Jacob Lofland has appeared in multiple high-profile projects and several that have flown under the radar. Lofland played a small but important role in "Joker: Folie à Deux" and even guest-starred in 10 episodes of the hit Western series "Justified." Less well-known projects include a role in five episodes of Ray Liotta's only Western: the star-studded miniseries "Texas Rising" (which is streaming on Prime Video). Another Civil War era-set example would be "Free State of Jones," which saw Lofland once again appear alongside Matthew McConaughey for a decidedly less celebrated but just as heartfelt a drama as "Mud."

That's not to say "Free State of Jones" was a complete disaster. The film was written and directed by Gary Ross ("The Hunger Games," "Ocean's 8") and was based on the life of Southern Unionist Newton Knight. McConaughey stars as Knight, who, during the Civil War, led a group of rebels against the Confederacy, establishing a mixed-race community in Jones County, Mississippi.

The film follows McConaughey's Knight as he becomes a medic for the Confederate Army but is vehemently opposed to slavery, preventing him from fully joining the fight against the Union. Lofland plays his nephew, Daniel Knight, who unfortunately doesn't last too long in the movie. That said, he is a hugely important character as his death is what finally prompts Knight to desert the Confederate Army and return home to Ellisville, Mississippi. Once there, he's forced to flee due to his deserter status and joins with a group of runaway slaves to lead a rebellion and establish his tiny utopia.

During the press tour for "Free State of Jones," Gary Ross spoke widely about the trouble he had getting financing for the movie, which was very much a passion project for the writer/director. He had noble intentions, too, as the way he saw it, much of the Reconstruction era of American history had been presented inaccurately in film. As Ross told /Film back in 2016, "[Reconstruction is] not an area most people investigate. In fact, the last movies that did it, I think, are 'Gone with the Wind' and 'Birth of a Nation,' both of which didn't tell the truth. And so, the chance to set the record straight is something that appealed to me."

Unfortunately, the final result wasn't quite as well-received as the last film to feature Matthew McConaughey and Jacob Lofland. "Free State of Jones" was released in June 2016, making just $25 million on a $50 million budget and earning mixed reviews. The film currently has a 48% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers either mildly impressed by Ross' attempt to accurately showcase history or disappointed with the film's long run time and reluctance to interrogate the "white savior" narrative.

Still, one thing most critics did like were the performances, with McConaughey maintaining his post-McConaissance commitment to delivering some of the best performances of his career. Lofland, who is changing his approach to Cooper Norris ahead of "Landman" season 3, isn't in the film long enough to have been the focus of any reviews. That said, his scenes once again showcase the actor's remarkable ability to seem effortlessly genuine — something we'll thankfully be getting more of when season 3 of his hit oil drama arrives, likely later this year.