Billy Bob Thornton's Favorite Landman Scene With Jacob Lofland Is Deeply Personal

Billy Bob Thornton seems to be having a grand old time on his hit series "Landman." That might have something to do with the fact that show creator Taylor Sheridan has teamed him with an attractive wife and given him a bunch of sly quips to deliver. But Thornton also seems to really respect the writing and his co-stars, and points to a scene in season 2, episode 2 wherein his character, Tommy Norris, and his son, Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland) take stock of their relationship.

Billy Bob Thornton was shocked that "Landman" became so popular but he shouldn't have been. The star of Taylor Sheridan's oil drama knew first-hand how good the cast of the show were, having shared the screen with them for two full seasons. He also knew how good the writing could be and is clearly proud to be in one of the best Taylor Sheridan shows. So, when "Landman" became one of the biggest series on Paramount+ it shouldn't have been all that much of a surprise.

One scene in particular demonstrates the series' dramatic strength, and it happens to be Thornton's favorite. In an interview with GQ the veteran star pointed to "Sins of the Father," the second episode of season 2 in which Tommy and Cooper have a heart-to-heart during a long drive. "I have to say, that scene in the truck, maybe my favorite scene in season two," said Thornton, who went on to reveal that his tears in that scene were very real.

"Landman" may be a ridiculous show but it's also one of the most poignant that Taylor Sheridan has ever written. It can make you laugh at its pure absurdity one minute before hitting you in the gut with a striking emotional moment the next — which as Billy Bob Thornton knows, is part of what makes "Landman" work so well.

That's exactly what happens in "Sins of the Father," wherein Tommy Norris reveals to Cooper that his mother was an addict who physically abused him and that his father, Sam Elliott's T.L. Norris, coped by working away from home, leaving Tommy to fend for himself. Thornton's oil man then reflects on his own parenting, telling Cooper that he simply remained absent rather than attempting to improve on his parents' example. In one of the most affecting moments in the entire show, Cooper then looks over and tells his father, "I love you dad. You did your best and your best is good enough for me." Tommy, who literally sat through being kidnapped by the cartel without shedding a tear, then chokes up in a moment of raw emotion from Thornton, who also struggled through similarly emotional "Landman" scenes with Elliott.

The actor reflected on the scene in his GQ interview, saying "[Cooper] tells me that he loves me, and I just can't quite bring myself to do it, I want to, and I bite back tears. There was no acting involved in that. I had to struggle to stop from bawling at the wheel." It's a truly moving moment that proves "Landman" can do naturalistic drama as well as any other TV series.

During his GQ interview, Billy Bob Thornton was asked if he drew from personal experience for his scene with Jacob Lofland in "Sins of the Father." The actor confirmed as much, saying:

"My father was abusive, and we did not have a good relationship. My father died at 44, so we never really got the chance, because I was 17. I mean, you know, what does a 17-year-old know about sitting him down to have a talk, you know? And, so, the relationship [Tommy has] with Cooper is actually closer than mine and my real father's, but there are similarities. I absolutely had all of that in me in doing that scene."

Let's hope "Landman" season 3 continues to deliver these raw scenes which help maintain the careful balance Taylor Sheridan has struck with his oil drama. For the uninitiated, yet another Sheridan show starring a veteran actor as a living avatar for Red State sentiments might seem like something worth skipping. But "Landman" isn't really that. Sure, Thornton's Tommy Norris is an oil man who delivers dubious monologues decrying sustainable energy initiatives as nonsense (turns out "Landman" isn't all that accurate a show). But he's also an extremely charismatic and intriguing character who, like the show surrounding him, is surprisingly nuanced and tender when he wants to be.

That's really the strength of both Thornton's character and "Landman" itself. The show breezily oscillates between soap opera shenanigans and heartfelt drama and to be quite honest I'm still not sure how Sheridan or Thornton pull it off without the whole thing falling apart. For anyone who doubts the series' ability to get serious, the truck scene in season 2 episode 2 should immediately convince you otherwise.