Taylor Sheridan Cast Billy Bob Thornton in “Landman” by Modeling Him on Bad Santa

Creator Taylor Sheridan told the Bill Simmons Podcast that he approached Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton with a single line: “I want to make a drama with Bad Santa running an oil company.” Thornton’s immediate response, as reported by both Deadline and Complex, was an enthusiastic “That’s the greatest f*cking thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Yeah, let’s do it!” The agreement led to Thornton’s casting as Tommy Norris, the abrasive crisis executive at the center of the Paramount+ series *Landman*.

Deadline HollywoodComplex

*Landman* draws its lead character’s personality from Thornton’s 2003 black-comedy role as Willie T. Stokes in *Bad Santa* and its 2016 sequel. Sheridan said the “sarcastic, foul-mouthed, perpetually exhausted” traits of Willie served as a blueprint for Tommy Norris, who now navigates cartel violence, family chaos, and corporate politics in West Texas. While the series also grew out of the *Boomtown* podcast, Sheridan disclosed that the spark came after a friend in the oil fields called him following reports of a shooting in Odessa, Texas.

Complex

• Taylor Sheridan – Creator, writer, and showrunner of *Landman*; previously known for genre-blending dramas.

Complex

• Billy Bob Thornton – Oscar-winning actor cast as Tommy Norris; his performance earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Complex

• Paramount+ – Streaming platform commissioning the series.

Deadline Hollywood

• Bill Simmons Podcast – Venue where Sheridan and Thornton discussed the pitch and creative process.

Complex

Sheridan explained that the series was deliberately written “around” Thornton, incorporating the actor’s distinctive voice into the script. Thornton noted that the production team initially expected the show to resonate primarily with “the middle of the country,” but it unexpectedly attracted viewers on both U.S. coasts and internationally. He attributed the broad appeal to the characters’ “unabashedly honest” nature and the show’s blend of emotion, humor, drama, absurdity, and danger. Thornton also remarked on Sheridan’s unconventional script-delivery method, saying real life “doesn’t know what’s gonna happen next,” which keeps actors guessing.

Complex

• “I said, ‘I want to make a drama with Bad Santa running an oil company,'” — Taylor Sheridan, Creator, *Landman* (Bill Simmons Podcast)

Deadline Hollywood

• “He’s like, ‘That’s the greatest f*cking thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Yeah, let’s do it!'” — Billy Bob Thornton, Actor, *Landman* (Bill Simmons Podcast)

Deadline Hollywood

• “We thought it was going to appeal to the middle of the country, that was the hope for it. We didn’t think the coasts would go for it — we certainly didn’t think it would become this huge international hit,” — Billy Bob Thornton, Actor, *Landman* (Deadline interview)

Deadline Hollywood

• “Taylor said, 'I'm writing this show around you about the oil business, and I'm going to write in your voice,'” — Taylor Sheridan, Creator, *Landman* (Bill Simmons Podcast)

Complex

• “Because in real life, you don't know what's gonna happen next,” — Billy Bob Thornton, Actor, *Landman* (Comment on script delivery)

Complex

• “putting on a nice pair of worn-in pants.” — Billy Bob Thornton, Actor, *Landman* (Metaphor for slipping into character)

Complex

Thornton’s performance secured a Golden Globe nomination. He reported fan bases extending to Uganda, Australia, and other regions, underscoring the series’ unexpected global traction beyond its anticipated U.S. heartland audience.

Deadline Hollywood

By transplanting a comedic anti-hero’s traits into a gritty oil-field drama, *Landman* illustrates how contemporary television can blend genres to broaden appeal. The series also demonstrates how real-world events—such as the Odessa shooting—can catalyze narrative development, linking fictional storytelling with current industry realities.

Complex

No quantitative viewership data or independent audience metrics were provided in the sources, leaving the precise scale of the “international hit” unverified.

Complex

Thornton indicated that future storylines remain undisclosed, noting Sheridan’s practice of delivering scripts incrementally to keep actors “guessing” about upcoming plot directions.

Complex