In a recent interview, "Landman" star Billy Bob Thornton attributed political perceptions to why prolific show creator Taylor Sheridan is frequently snubbed for award consideration. (Photo credit: Landman Official / YouTube, and Omar Vega / Getty Images)
Billy Bob Thornton Shares Why He Thinks Taylor Sheridan Tends To Not Be A Contender For Awards
It’s hard to be a viewer of television today and avoid the name Taylor Sheridan.
While he built himself up as a screenwriter, writing hit films like Hell or High Water (2016) and Wind River (2017), it’s been his ever-expanding TV series that have taken his name, and his brand of storytelling, to new heights.
Shows like Yellowstone, and its prequel spinoffs, 1883 and 1923, solidified his presence on television, captivating audiences with stories of life as cattle ranchers… and all the drama that can occur in a family and a territory.
From there, Sheridan has gone on to create Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman, with other shows, like Marshals and The Madison, on the way.
With all of this success though, there have been few triumphs, or even nominations, for Sheridan’s series.
In a recent interview, Landman lead Billy Bob Thornton expressed what he thinks may be behind the cool reception Sheridan often receives from award ceremonies.
Billy Bob Thornton Attributes Politics To Sheridan’s Award Snubs
Speaking with Variety on January 18, Billy Bob Thornton, who portrays Tommy Norris on Landman, posited that there’s a political perception that Sheridan can’t quite shake.
“I think a lot of it’s political,” Thornton said. “I really do. I think some people assume Taylor is some sort of right-wing guy or something, and he’s really not.”
While the Western setting of many of Sheridan’s shows may give the impression, on the surface, of a penchant toward conservative values, the genre has a rich history of progressive thought.
Be it John Ford’s tackling of racism in films like The Searchers (1956), Sergeant Rutledge (1960), or Cheyenne Autumn (1964), or even Sheridan’s own approach to dramatizing the abuses suffered at Native reservations in his 2017 film Wind River, the Western setting has often allowed for expectations to be defied.
Looking to Landman, Thornton says the show’s setting within oil is another built in quality that discerning viewers may have to overcome.
“Even with this show being about the oil business, [Sheridan] just shows you what it’s like,” Thornton said. “He’s not saying ‘Rah, rah, rah for oil.’ 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.”
Continuing, Thornton said, “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.”
Turning to how these perceptions can then go on to affect award show consideration, Thornton said, “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. How do you say in the artistic world who won? It’s an intangible thing.”
Despite the success of Landman, which premiered in 2024, Thornton for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series (Drama) has been the sole nomination the show has received at the Golden Globes.
There were no Emmy nominations for the show.
Similarly, Yellowstone also received only one Golden Globe nomination, with Kevin Costner going on to win the award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in 2023.
Yellowstone has only ever been nominated for one Emmy, in the category Outstanding Production Design.
Expounding upon his thoughts on not getting worked up about award consideration, Thornton added:
“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. 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.”
Learn more about Taylor Sheridan by revisiting his 2024 appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, here:
