Sam Elliott and Billy Bob Thornton play father and son on Taylor Sheridan‘s hit series Landman — but what’s their real-life age difference?
While season 2 of Paramount+’s Landman introduced Tommy’s (Thornton) father, T. L. (Elliott), off screen Elliott, 81, and Thornton, 70, are only 11 years apart. Thornton weighed in on their small age gap as Landman explored the complicated family dynamic.
“You possibly can leaf through movie history, and fathers or moms have been close in age [to their children],” he told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month. “It’s only a thing you do since you’re actors portraying someone.”
Thornton urged viewers to suspend their disbelief.
“If you happen to put yourself in the proper headspace, I’d discover a strategy to play Sam’s older brother. They might say, ‘But wait a minute, you guys are 11 years apart,’” he noted. “But yeah, we never take into consideration that. … It’s all in the way in which we portray the characters and Taylor’s vision.”
Landman introduced Thornton as the company fixer working for an oil titan (Jon Hamm) while increase to its promise of plot twists. The season finale killed off Hamm’s Monty while Tommy was named the president of M-Tex before getting kidnapped — and severely beaten — by a drug cartel leader. Tommy is eventually released with the promise that he’ll work with the cartel.
Season 2 raised the stakes by shaking up the narrative with Demi Moore‘s Cami added into the combo more. Elsewhere within the show, Ali Larter‘s Angela, Jacob Lofland‘s Cooper, Michelle Randolph‘s Ainsley and more are at the middle of their very own drama.
Elliott signed a two-year Landman contract before Paramount+ officially renewed the show for a 3rd season.
“I’m excited to see what unfolds in season 3,” Elliott told Extra TV. “I mean, we’re talking about season 2, but that’s backstory for us at this point. We’re all type of looking toward April and May once we start shooting season 3.”
Thornton, meanwhile, signed on for 4 or five seasons of Landman, telling THR he would remain on the hit series “so long as I’m able” or “until the story runs out.”
Ahead of the season 2 finale, Kayla Wallance weighed in on what to anticipate — especially for her character Rebecca.
“People will get to see some more cracks in her personality,” she teased. “And she or he’s definitely going to face some challenges within the workplace too.”
Wallace specifically identified how Rebecca’s elevated role at M-Tex Oil will provide obstacles, saying, “That is such a giant change for her. She’s all the time going to query her life and he or she’s all the time going to query all the pieces and reassess.”
But fans shouldn’t be too fearful.
“We also see her type of growing into this family. M-Tex is in trouble and he or she’s there right away,” she noted. “You see this juxtaposition where it is just not really a natural thing for her to be a team member. She’s type of a lone wolf and one for her own but she’s holding onto the family somewhat bit.”
Recent episodes of Landman season 2 premiere via Paramount+ every Sunday.