Billy Bob Thornton Clears Up Speculation Around His Departure from Landman After Season 2
Billy Bob Thornton is setting the record straight regarding his future on Landman.
Thornton, who portrays oil executive Tommy Norris in the popular Paramount+ series, has dismissed rumors of his departure from the Taylor Sheridan drama following its second season, which concluded on Sunday, January 18.
The speculation about Thornton’s ongoing role seemed to arise after his character was dismissed as president of M-Tex Oil by the company’s owner, Cami Miller, played by Demi Moore, during the penultimate episode of season 2.
In a Saturday, January 17 interview with USA Today, the 70-year-old Thornton labeled the exit rumors as “AI-generated nonsense.”
“There’s an AI report suggesting that Demi and I are a couple now, and another one claiming I’m leaving the show. Those are entirely unfounded,” he stated to the outlet.
Landman has already been greenlit for a third season, which is set to start filming in the spring.
According to Thornton, “I’ll be there.”
Landman season 2 has proven to be an impressive success for Paramount+, showing growth in viewership compared to the season 1 premiere in November 2024.
Thornton shared with The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday that he has been surprised by the show’s continued success.
“I didn’t expect the show to gain that much popularity,” he remarked. “It was already hugely popular with the first season, but in the second season, I think they refer to it as ‘viewable minutes’ — it increased by 262 percent. I’m not great at math, but I thought, how could that be? I assumed there was only 100 percent!”
He added, “Season two was particularly enjoyable because the first season established the characters, and now with everyone familiar, we could delve deeper into the relationships. I thought it was smart of Taylor to take this approach, as repeating an explosion at the start and end of each season would simply be redundant.”
“It’s like, ‘Alright, we get it. Every episode involves a dangerous moment with an oil rig,’” Thornton continued. “I thought it was astute to concentrate on family dynamics in the second season, showcasing more of the executive side of the oil business with Demi’s character and Tommy taking the helm as president. I truly enjoyed exploring character narratives without the constant adrenaline rush.”
Taylor Sheridan’s Landman has included various shocking plot twists, but the big question is where season 3 will head after Demi Moore’s Cami fired Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy. This series, launched in November 2024, is Sheridan’s latest success, joining titles such as Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lawmen: Bass Reeves, and Lioness.
Regarding Tommy’s future, Thornton commented that Sheridan keeps the storylines “very close to the vest.”
“I believe Taylor would prefer the craft service crew know more than the actors,” he quipped. “This adds an element of interest and keeps everyone on their toes. However, I have an inkling — just a guess, not a rumor — that season three might blend elements from both previous seasons. Perhaps the danger will return, yet the focus on relationships will remain central. But again, that’s merely speculation.”
All episodes of Landman are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
