Billy Bob Thornton Tells Why It Makes Him ‘Very Happy’ To Star In ‘Landman’

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All eyes can be directed towards return of Yellowstone but ICYMI, Taylor Sheridan introduced another western to his repertoire of dramatic entertainment. And this time around, the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, with Billy Bob Thornton at the helm alongside fellow A-Listers like Jon Hamm, Demi Moore and Ali Larter. All this to say if you are looking for a series to do the end of Yellowstone stick a little less, it’s time to add Farmer to your watchlist.

Based on the popular Texas Monthly‘s podcast Boomtownwritten and hosted by Christian Wallace, Landman takes place in West Texas and follows the ups and downs, chaos and corruption of the oil business.

“The oil and gas industry is making $3 billion a day in pure profits – and it’s only getting bigger,” says Billy Bob in the official trailer. “But before any of that money is made, you have to secure the land and manage the people. That’s my job. The first part is pretty simple, it’s the second part that can get you killed.”

Ever fascinated by Taylor’s command of modern drama, we sat down with Billy Bob and Ali to discuss what makes Farmer a must-watch.

“Intense” and “Mesmerizing” are the first words that come to mind for Billy Bob and Ali (respectively) when asked to describe the new Paramount+ series. Where Billy Bob plays Tommy Norris, a crisis manager in the oil industry, Ali plays his ex-wife, Angela. This connection alone tells you a significant plot Farmer: It’s a story about high stakes, foundation-shattering stress, and the family dynamics that exist in the middle of it all.

“I hope people take away the fact that when you’re in such an intense, big, dangerous business… it affects you personally and it affects your family, your friends, all the people you work with,” Billy shares Bob. Country Living. “It is a big world and a world that is also easy to become obsessed with. It’s gambling, really, in so many ways – every day is a gamble and I’m the guy who goes and places the bets and certainly collects them to cash them.”

In the show, Billy Bob (Tommy) is also the guy to keep it real. “I’m very happy that Taylor added humor to the show, you know, where it’s not just constant drama because these (types of shows) aren’t like real life normally; people aren’t just melancholy or mad every minute of their lives or in danger every moment – ​​there are lighter moments in this that I was very happy about,” he says.

Similarly, Billy Bob was happy to also show his fear and vulnerability in the series. “If a main character is just a man of steel, what’s so interesting about that?” he asks. “I mean, you have to see people’s flaws and their fears and all the different things that people feel — because, you know, bravery wouldn’t be bravery if you weren’t afraid.”

Meanwhile, Ali feels impressed with how well Taylor worked with the whole story. “I mean, look, Taylor has re-romanticized the American West. There’s no doubt about that,” she says Country Living. To her, what sets Farmer except is how the show provides an authentic look into the dangerous world of oil in the Permian Basin, AKA the highest producing oil field in the US

“(Taylor) built these dynamic characters who are complex and vulnerable and wild and all those emotions — when you fuse them together, you really get this incredible show, but it’s also authentic,” Ali shares. “And I think that’s what makes it different, especially with Taylor’s shows, is the research that’s done to make sure you really believe you’re there.”

Part of what makes the show so relatable in Ali’s eyes? Like Billy Bob, the real family connection of it all. “When it comes to my character, Angela Norris, you know, she’s lived through the booms and busts with Tommy, and all of those things have really affected her life and the choices she’s made,” she shares. “So when you kind of see her come in, she’s very bright and shiny, but it starts to unwrap and unravel, and you peel back the layers of the onion to see the true cost of the high spill of oil.”

Another highlight of filming in Ali’s eyes? Getting it all out on the screen. “Taylor creates dynamic, powerful women, and I’ve been very fortunate to work in different genres and play a lot of different characters in my career, but I’ve never gotten to play someone so emotionally complex and leave it all hanging out,” she shares. “(Angela’s) someone who is very provocative – she’s also all heart and all love; she tries to bring her family back together. And in one scene she will go from crying to laughing to empathizing. I mean, she’s really capable of doing these turns. And it was like my biggest challenge as an actor was to make sure that I could, you know, really channel that and deliver the powerful character that Taylor envisioned for her.”

All this to say, Farmer may look like a hyper-masculine, ultra-intense western aimed at the male viewer, but underneath it all, it really is a family affair.

“For me, every story is always about love — that’s what motivates us, that’s the biggest motivator in anybody’s life — and I think you definitely have this world of dangerous oil and the cartel and the billionaires, and you know, you have all of this. But what it comes down to is the core and the family dynamic that happens between Angela and Tommy and Cooper and Ainsley — I think that’s the heart and soul of the show,” admits Ali.

New episodes of Farmer air on Sunday d Paramount+.

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