Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton (yes, he has an Oscar, though probably not for what you expect) is an acting institution with an outright legendary resumé to his name. The actor has starred in blockbusters like Armageddon and cult comedies like Bad Santa and Bandits, eventually earning a name for himself as a scene-stealing actor. Among his many accolades, Thornton has won an Oscar, two Golden Globes, two Critics Choice Awards, and has been nominated for two Emmys and four SAG Awards.
On television, Thornton’s career is no less impressive. Indeed, the actor has starred in a regular role in five shows, one of which is widely considered a masterpiece of the modern Golden Age of TV. This list will rank every TV show where Billy Bob Thornton has played a major role. The ranking will consider Thornton’s performance, the show’s overall quality, and its current standing both in the actor’s career and in the grand scope of modern television. Thornton might be best known for his work on the big screen, but it’s clear that the latter stage of his career has been largely defined by his appearances on the small screen.
5‘The Outsiders’ (1990)
Developed by S.E. Hinton, Joe Byrne, and Jeb Rosebrook
Image via Fox
Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Outsiders is a defining film of the ’80s, launching the career of many young actors and creating the “Brat Pack” subgenre that dominated the decade. Seven years after the film, a TV show meant to serve as a sequel premiered. Like the novel and the film, the show focuses on a group of troubled teenagers in 1960s Oklahoma. A young Thornton played Buck Merrill, played in the original film by Tom Waits.
On paper, a sequel to a defining film of the ’80s might’ve made sense—but not seven years later and certainly not as the new decade started. The show feels like a poor attempt to recreate the magic that Coppola achieved with his 1983 classic. Thematically, it treads the typical lines of a run-of-the-mill teen drama of the time, failing to address any of the deeper issues in the novel or the 1983 film. Overall, this small-screen adaptation of The Outsiders comes across as a weak and often boring project that never quite justifies its existence. At least it served as a starting point for Thornton and a young David Arquette.
4‘Hearts Afire’ (1992-1995)
Created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
Image via CBS
Sitcoms will never go out of style, and the ’90s were a glorious time for the subgenre. One of the often-forgotten examples is Hearts Afire, starring the late John Ritter and Markie Post. The actors played a conservative senator’s aide and a liberal reporter whose constant clashes hide a growing attraction for each other. Thornton co-starred as Billy Bob Davis, a friend of Ritter’s character.
Hearts Afire is a typical ’90s sitcom that settles to follow the basic beats of the genre. It mainly works thanks to Ritter and Post’s chemistry, with the two actors deftly guiding what would otherwise be a forgettable show. Hearts Afire survived a radical change in setting in Season 2, abandoning the political world of Washington for the rural environment of a small Southern town. This abrupt shift signified a recurring issue with the show: it never really knew what it wanted to say or be and relied entirely on the charm of its stars. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, but it’s also not surprising it only lasted three seasons.
3‘Goliath’ (2016-2021)
Created by David E. Kelley and Jonathan Shapiro
Image via Prime Video
David E. Kelley is the TV icon behind classics like The Practice, Ally McBeal, and Big Little Lies. Prime Video’s Goliath is another of his best efforts, starring Thornton as Billy McBride, a once-successful lawyer whose life went sideways after a man he got acquitted went on to murder an entire family. The late Oscar winner William Hurt co-stars as Donald Cooperman, McBride’s former partner.
Goliath plays to Kelley’s strengths as a storyteller. By setting the action in the familiar world of legal drama, Kelley turns the series into a must-watch full of compelling performances and familiar yet still engaging storylines. At the heart of it all is Thornton’s McBride, another flawed but unexpectedly charming character like the other ones that built the actor’s successful career. There’s a true vulnerability in Thornton’s performance that makes McBride irresistible; he’s less abrasive than some of the actor’s other famous roles but just as compelling. Coupled with Kelley’s storytelling gifts, Goliath is a brilliant show that might not qualify as must-watch television but remains yet another feather in the caps of two of the small screen’s most consistently interesting creatives.
2‘Landman’ (2024-Present)
Created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace
Image via Paramount+
Landman is the latest show from Taylor Sheridan, best known for the juggernaut Yellowstone. Thornton stars as crisis executive Tommy Norris, who tries to take his company to the top during a particularly significant oil boom in Texas. Jon Hamm co-stars as Monty Miller, an old acquaintance of Norris, with Oscar nominee Demi Moore as his wife. Landman has yet to receive a Season 2 renewal, but its success was significant for Paramount+.
Strictly speaking, Goliath is a better show than Landman. Indeed, Kelley is a better storyteller and dominates his schtick, and while Taylor Sheridan is also a master of his little television corner, his tropes are becoming a bit too predictable to truly differentiate his shows. However, what justifies Landman‘s placing as a runner-up on this list is how brilliantly it uses Thornton. Indeed, Landman is arguably the best showcase for Billy Bob Thornton since the early comedies of the 2000s, where everything and everyone revolved around him. This show is structured as a vehicle for him, and the actor makes the most out of every second on the screen. On the surface, Landman is typical Taylor Sheridan fare. However, Thornton turns this classic tale of greed and family into an addictive and ultimately thriving piece of television entertainment that ranks among the finest achievements of his career.
1‘Fargo’ (2014)
Created by Noah Hawley
Noah Hawley shocked the television world in 2014 with his new take on Fargo. Based on the Coen Brothers‘ iconic 1996 dark comedy crime movie, Fargo is an anthology series set in different periods and revolving around numerous characters, some of whom share some connections. Thornton antagonizes the first season as Lorne Malvo, a cold and manipulative hitman who crashes his car in a small Minnesota town and becomes entangled with the meek but surprisingly ruthless Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman).
Fargo is one of the best anthology series of all time, but subsequent seasons have arguably never reached the heights as its outstanding debut. A large reason behind the season’s success is Thornton’s Lorne Malvo, one of the greatest villains in modern television. The actor delivers an all-time great performance, perhaps the greatest in his career, crafting a chilling depiction of cold and calculated ruthlessness. Thornton creates a fascinating character that is as mesmerizing as he is off-putting, sharing incredible chemistry with Freeman anda an equally impressive Colin Hanks. The world of Fargo is full of terrifying characters, but few can compare to this Machiavelian hitman. Malvo is perhaps the finest moment in Thonrton’s career, and Fargo is arguably the best project he’s ever been a part of. Those are strong statements, but anyone who has seen Season 1 can testify just how incredible Billy Bob Thornton is.
