Taylor Sheridan had a simple but brilliant idea when he wanted Billy Bob Thornton for his Paramount+ series Landman. He told the Oscar-winning actor he wanted to make a drama with “Bad Santa running an oil company.” That one line was all it took to get Thornton on board.
The story came out during Sheridan’s appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast on June 29, 2026. The Yellowstone creator revealed that he looked back at Thornton’s unforgettable performance as Willie T. Soke in the 2003 dark comedy Bad Santa when he was developing the pitch for the show.
“I said, ‘I want to make a drama with Bad Santa running an oil company.’” — Taylor Sheridan on The Bill Simmons Podcast
Thornton’s response was instant and excited. According to Sheridan, the actor said: “That’s the greatest f*cking thing I’ve ever heard in my life. Yeah, let’s do it!”.
Sheridan Wrote the Role Specifically for Thornton’s Voice
The connection between Sheridan and Thornton started before Landman was even a concept. Thornton had a cameo role in Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel series 1883. He played Marshal Jim Courtright in a few scenes alongside Sam Elliott and Tim McGraw. That brief collaboration left a strong impression on both men.
After working together on 1883, Sheridan told Thornton he was writing a show around him. The creator wanted to build a series about the oil business with Thornton’s natural voice and style as the foundation.
“Taylor said, ‘I’m writing this show around you about the oil business, and I’m going to write in your voice.’ It sounds like a joke, but it’s tailor-made for me.” — Billy Bob Thornton
Thornton didn’t have to audition for the role of Tommy Norris. Sheridan had already written the part with him in mind. The actor described getting a role written specifically for him as a rare honor.
“You don’t get that handed to you very often. When somebody says, ‘I think I have your voice, I know how you talk, I know how you think and I’m gonna write this show specifically for you.’ It was just a great honor.” — Billy Bob Thornton
How Bad Santa Shaped Tommy Norris
The connection between Bad Santa’s Willie Soke and Landman’s Tommy Norris is clear. Both characters share similar traits. They are sarcastic, abrasive, and armed with cutting one-liners for almost every situation.
In Bad Santa, Willie Soke was a depressed, foul-mouthed alcoholic who posed as a mall Santa to pull off holiday heists. In Landman, Tommy Norris is a crisis executive who struggles to run a West Texas oilfield following a fatal accident.
The difference is that instead of robbing department stores dressed as Santa, Tommy tries to hold together an oil empire while dealing with cartel violence, family chaos, and corporate politics. Sheridan used Thornton’s foul-mouthed energy from Bad Santa as the foundation for the tough oil-industry fixer.
Thornton has described playing Tommy as feeling almost effortless. He compared slipping back into the character to “putting on a nice pair of worn-in pants”. The actor also said that Sheridan’s scripts were so well-written that he didn’t feel the need to change things.
“To see scripts written that you look at them and you don’t just want to instantly start changing things… It was really pretty flawless.” — Billy Bob Thornton
The Real Story Behind Landman
The idea for Landman didn’t come from nowhere. Sheridan got the inspiration after a real-life event in Odessa, Texas. He saw news about a shooter driving through the streets and shooting multiple people. Sheridan called a friend who worked in the oil fields to make sure he was safe.
Instead of sounding worried, the friend laughed and told Sheridan that violence in “The Patch” was common. He started sharing stories about what really happens in the oil fields. Those firsthand accounts gave Sheridan the idea for the show.
Sheridan then secured the rights to the Boomtown podcast, which was produced by Christian Wallace from Texas Monthly. Wallace became a co-creator and executive producer on the series. Sheridan said Wallace’s job wasn’t to write scripts but to keep the oil-field world authentic.
“I mean, there are endless stories we can explore. I just needed someone to help me manage the authenticity and make sure that we tell the story.” — Taylor Sheridan
Thornton’s Surprise at the Show’s Success
Landman became a huge hit, but Thornton didn’t see it coming. The actor admitted he was surprised by the show’s widespread appeal.
“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
Thornton said the show has fans in Uganda, Australia, and everywhere else. He believes the show’s success comes from its honest characters.
“I think a lot of it… it’s because the characters are all unabashedly who they are, and they’re just honest about everything. Taylor’s shows normally will have a vibe, and this has several — emotion and humor and drama and absurdity and danger, all those different things. I think the variety on it appeals to people.” — Billy Bob Thornton
Thornton earned a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in the series. The show’s first season premiered on Paramount+ in late 2024. A second season has already been released.
Sheridan’s Unique Casting Approach
Sheridan has a pattern of writing roles for specific actors. Jon Hamm also had an easy time landing his part on Landman. Sheridan flew Hamm down to Texas to explain his vision for the show, and that was essentially the audition.
Not everyone gets the same treatment. Ali Larter, who plays Tommy’s wife Angela Norris, had to do multiple script readings and attend a screen test alongside 11 other actors before she got the gig. Sheridan regular James Jordan said the creator enjoys pushing his actors to their limits.
“I think he likes to challenge us, to see how far he can push us, and to see what we bring to the table in regard to his storytelling.” — James Jordan
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The Bad Santa Connection Explained
The link between Bad Santa and Landman finally explains why Tommy Norris feels so familiar to audiences. Sheridan confirmed on the podcast that the two characters are “separated at birth”.
Thornton played Willie T. Stokes in Bad Santa and its 2016 sequel Bad Santa 2. The character was a depressed conman who used his Santa disguise to rob stores. In Landman, Tommy Norris carries that same energy but applies it to the high-stakes world of the oil industry.
Tommy’s life in West Texas is a constant struggle. He faces cartel violence, family conflict, and corporate battles. Each of these forces demands his attention as he fights to hold everything together. It’s a more serious version of the chaos that Willie Soke created in Bad Santa.
Landman streams on Paramount+ in the United States. The series is also available on Paramount+ in the UK, Canada, Australia, and India. Global audiences can watch the show through the platform in their respective regions.
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