Even after spending more than six decades in Hollywood, Sam Elliott says he still walks onto a set ready to learn. That is exactly what happened when the veteran actor joined Season 2 of ‘Landman‘ alongside Billy Bob Thornton.
While Elliott already holds legendary status thanks to projects like ‘Tombstone‘ and ‘The Big Lebowski‘, he admitted that Thornton still teaches him new acting techniques every day on set.
Sam Elliott Explains Why Billy Bob Thornton Still Impresses Him
Joining ‘Landman‘ gave Sam Elliott the chance to work closely with Thornton for an extended period. It’s something he clearly appreciated throughout filming. The veteran actor spoke openly to Variety about the respect he has for Thornton’s experience. It’s especially after witnessing his approach to scenes firsthand.
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“I’m working with Billy Bob Thornton, so I’m going to be learning something from him this time around,” he says. “Even though he’s playing my son, he’s still got something to offer. He’s been in this game for a long time. He’s not only a brilliant actor, but he’s not a bad director or a writer.”
Elliott joins the Taylor Sheridan drama as Thomas “TL” Norris, the father of Tommy Norris, Thornton’s character. Returning to work with Taylor Sheridan also played a major role in Elliott accepting the project after their successful collaboration on ‘1883‘. “There wasn’t any turning Taylor down after my experience with him on ‘1883,’” he says. “He’s such a talented man. I just feel fortunate to be involved with him. I know for a fact that everybody on the show feels the same way.”
Despite his own reputation in Hollywood, Elliott insists he never views himself as bigger than the work itself. After hearing people call him “iconic” during a recent event at the Directors Guild, the actor admitted he felt uncomfortable with the label. “We went to this thing at the Directors Guild the other day. And it seemed, to me, so over the top that they were talking about me being iconic,” Elliott says. “What I feel like is that I’m just old and I’m still lucky to be working.”
Billy Bob Thornton And Sam Elliott Bring A Complicated Father-Son Dynamic To ‘Landman’
In ‘Landman‘, Elliott portrays TL Norris, the father of Tommy Norris, Thornton’s character. Their relationship remains deeply fractured because TL neglected Tommy during his childhood, creating years of resentment between them.
After TL’s troubled wife dies, Tommy eventually agrees to bring his father into his home with Angela. The storyline forces both men to confront old pain while trying to rebuild some form of connection.
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The emotions of those scenes became especially powerful during a heartbreaking moment when TL falls into a swimming pool and cannot pull himself back out. He remains trapped there for hours until Tommy finally rescues him. Elliott admitted the scene felt extremely personal because it reflected his own physical struggles with aging.
“The truth of it is [that scene] is very true to where I am at this point in my life physically. Not mentally, but physically,” Elliott says. “I’ve had a hard life. I’ve been an athlete all my life, and I’ve been a laborer all my life. And I’m paying for it now.”
Elliott’s respect for Thornton’s acting only grew while filming these emotionally heavy scenes together. At the same time, he also praised creator Taylor Sheridan for creating characters that feel emotionally honest and grounded.
“There wasn’t any turning Taylor down after my experience with him on ‘1883,’” he says. “He’s such a talented man. I just feel fortunate to be involved with him. I know for a fact that everybody on the show feels the same way.”
Even now, Elliott says he remains careful in choosing projects because he wants roles that continue to excite and challenge him creatively. “The fact that there’s a part that I can get into and really enjoy doing, it’s a wonderful thing,” he says. He also reflected on the decision he made years ago to protect the longevity of his career. “I determined early on that if I wanted to have a long career. I couldn’t work for the dollar and do anything that came along,” he says. “So, had to be selective and judicious about what it was that I got involved with.”
That approach clearly paid off with ‘Landman‘. The Season 2 premiere drew 9.2 million views in just two days and broke Paramount+ records. The finale completed 10 straight weeks in Nielsen’s streaming Top 10, with more than 1 billion minutes viewed each week.
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