Landman‘s Billy Bob Thornton is putting awards shows on blast for not acknowledging Taylor Sheridan productions — and he has a theory why.
“I think a lot of it’s political. I really do,” Thornton, 70, told Variety after the season 2 finale of Landman aired on Sunday, January 18. “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 steaming records. After finding success with Yellowstone on Paramount Network, Sheridan, 55, 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. Thornton defended Sheridan’s vision — especially when it comes to Landman‘s focus on an oil executive.
“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 noted that “acting is not a sport.”
“If you run the 100-meter dash in the Olympics and you break the tape first, you win. There’s no question about it. Everybody saw it,” he added. “How do you say in the artistic world who won? It’s an intangible thing. Then people say, ‘Well, any one of the nominees besides me could have won this. They’re all wonderful actors.’ Not only them, some other actors in the audience who weren’t nominated, some other ones who aren’t even at the show, some other ones who aren’t even known by people have done an amazing job.”
After collaborating with Sheridan, Thornton came to the executive producer’s defense.
“If you put your heart and soul into something you love, and you’re satisfied with your work, and it works in the thing, there’s the award,” Thornton said. “I look at it that way. I’m too damn old now to worry about stuff like that. I got enough awards. I’m good. I’m sure the people that I work for or work with me don’t like to hear that. But I guess when I said I’m too damn old, I guess I’m too damn old to not tell the truth.”
Thornton’s commentary comes 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?”
