Season 2 of “Landman” saw Sam Elliott join the series as Thomas “TL” Norris, the father of Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy Norris. Although one might expect a veteran like Elliott to take a streaming series in his stride, the actor actually said People that he had become nervous joining the show, mainly due to its hugely successful first season and the fact that he was reaching the halfway point.
Is there anything more Taylor Sheridan than two gruff old boys bumbling their way through a Lone Star State oil drama? Well, maybe Western series created by Sheridan that you’ve never heard of but otherwise, no. “Landman” doubles down on the more conservative approach to genetically engineered, dad-pleasing entertainment that has made every other show from the “Yellowstone” creator such a hit, and has enjoyed major success as a result.
Adding Elliott to the mix is perfectly emblematic of this same approach. The veteran star, who has been acting since the 1960s, exudes the kind of brutal macho energy from a Sheridan joint so perfectly that it seems rather strange that he wasn’t part of the first season. Season 2 righted that wrong, with Elliott joining the hit Paramount+ oil drama to play patriarch Norris, and it seems like he’s not only grateful to be a part of it all, but was a little overwhelmed when he first stepped on set. Considering the show was one of the biggest of last year, this is somewhat understandable. But it’s still surprising to learn that a man of Sam Elliott’s caliber was moved by a melodramatic drama from Paramount+.
Sam Elliott found Landman intimidating
“Landman” season 2 is not the first collaboration between Sam Elliott and Taylor Sheridan. The former starred in the “Yellowstone” prequel show “1883,” where he played Shea Brennan, leader of a major westward expedition. However, somewhat surprisingly, Elliott also criticized “Yellowstone” as being too soapy.which isn’t that controversial if you’ve seen the parent series, but still seems like a strange confession from the spin-off’s lead actor. In the meantime, Sheridan revealed how he really felt about working with Elliott on “1883.” and was only complementary, ensuring that the couple would reunite despite the actor’s distaste for “Yellowstone.”
This reunion took place with season 2 of “Landman”. Elliott described the series as “a real gift”, extending that compliment to “everything Taylor does”. It’s not yet clear whether that includes “Yellowstone,” but Elliott is clearly grateful to be working with the prolific creator again, and in his interview with People, he seemed almost in awe of “Landman” himself. The actor was particularly excited to work with Thornton, with whom he had previously collaborated briefly on several projects, including “1883” on which the actor made a brief appearance. “This time we’re in deep,” Elliott said, “and it’s just a pleasure to go to work and be with him. I’ve loved him from afar for a long time, and now I get to love him up close. It’s special.”
But it wasn’t Thornton who made Elliott a little nervous when he joined “Landman.” The actor went on to say that it was “a little overwhelming” walking on set, adding:
“Even after 56 years, or whatever…I mean, come in and join [Thornton] on an established show, we have a story, so that made things a lot easier. If I hadn’t known Billy before that, it would have been really intimidating.”
Sam Elliott: Hates Yellowstone, Loves Landman
2025 was a huge year for Taylor Sheridannot least because season 1 of “Landman” – which ran from November 2024 to January the following year – was so successful. According to Paramount, the show became the number one Paramount+ original of all time, a claim supported by Nielsen ratings, which showed “Landman” to be one of the biggest shows of 2024-25 with a five-week average of 15.8 million viewers.
Inspired by the podcast series “Boomtown” (not to be confused with the 2017 drama from “Superman” star Rachel Brosnahan of the same name) “Landman” combined realistic depictions of the experiences of oil workers with the kind of soapy drama that Elliott found so repugnant in “Yellowstone.” The result was a major success, so it’s understandable that even someone like Elliott felt intimidated when he first stepped onto the set.
That hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm for the show, however, with the actor telling People: “It’s one of those days where you don’t have days where you don’t want to go to work. We love going to work on this show, and we love all the cast, it’s an incredible team – the best team I’ve ever worked with.” He then praised Taylor’s “beautiful words” and said he felt “blessed every day because of this show.” This is a pretty good result considering he thought “Yellowstone” sounded “too much like fucking ‘Dallas’ or something.”
