Billy Bob Thornton addressed his goal of getting Landman creator Taylor Sheridan recognized for his work.
“If you have a disagreement over someone’s way or vibe or whatever it is, that’s not the point,” Thornton, 70, exclusively told Us Weekly while attending the Newport Beach TV Fest sponsored by Visit Newport Beach on Saturday, June 6.
The actor argued that Sheridan should be judged by the content he has created.
“The point is, is he good? He writes great stuff. He’s created quite an empire,” Thornton continued. “And you have to respect him for that. He has the fame, he has the success, he deserves to be recognized for the work in shows.”
After finding success with Yellowstone on Paramount Network, Sheridan expanded with prequels, spinoffs and new shows such as Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness and Tulsa King.
Yellowstone earned only a single Emmy nomination for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program in 2021.
“I think a lot of it’s political. I really do,” Thornton told Variety in January. “I think some people assume Taylor is some sort of right-wing guy or something, and he’s really not.”
Thornton pointed out how Sheridan’s shows haven’t been honored despite breaking streaming records.
“Even with this show being about the oil business, he just shows you what it’s like. He’s not saying ‘Rah, rah, rah for oil,’” he explained. “It’s just the people who work in this business or who are affected by this business, the people on the periphery and within the families in the business; this is what happens.”
Thornton continued: “These are the kinds of problems and joys and triumphs and whatever happens in this world. It’s a world of gambling, and you never know what’s going to happen. But I think people got the wrong idea about that.”
Thornton’s commentary came after Sheridan denied that his shows have a conservative agenda.
“They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state ‘Game of Thrones,’ ” he told The Atlantic in 2022. “And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’”
He concluded: “The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?”
Landman is streaming on Paramount+.
