Sam Elliott has officially saddled up for a role that fans have dreamed of—playing Billy Bob Thornton’s father in Landman Season 2. The Western icon joins Taylor Sheridan’s Texas oil drama as T.L. Norris, an estranged, wheelchair-bound patriarch whose arrival sends shockwaves through both family and business on Paramount+.
Elliott’s Rare TV Return: Fatherhood, Feuds, and Fields
Elliott, revered for his gravelly voice and legendary mustache, steps into the boots of T.L.—the complicated father of Tommy Norris (Thornton). Their on-screen reunion comes loaded with decades of tension and unresolved family baggage, heightened after the chaotic death of Monty (Jon Hamm) shakes up the M-Tex Oil Company’s power dynamics.
Elliott’s character doesn’t just shake up business—he’s here to reignite the fractured Norris family. T.L. is no traditional TV dad; he’s gruff, wheelchair-bound, and brings a dark edge, sparking old resentments and emotional showdowns with Thornton’s Tommy. The show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, wrote the role specifically for Sam Elliott after his acclaimed turn in 1883, and the opportunity to portray Thornton’s father drew Elliott out of semi-retirement.
Why Sam Elliott’s Landman Role Is Already Legendary
The buzz around Sam Elliott’s debut was so strong that even Thornton admitted he was moved to tears when Sheridan first broke the casting news. Cast and crew have raved about the on-set dynamic, with many calling the on-screen chemistry between Elliott and Thornton “unmissable.” Elliott’s performance is set to deepen Landman’s themes of loyalty, generational conflict, and the hard choices that come with life on the West Texas frontier.
Joining an already stacked cast—Demi Moore, Ali Larter, and Andy Garcia among others—Elliott’s return is being hailed as a masterstroke for Taylor Sheridan’s growing TV universe. Viewers can expect a season laced with high-stakes oil drama, bitter family feuds, and plenty of sharp, star-powered dialogue.
Landman Season 2 premiered November 16, 2025, and is streaming exclusively on Paramount+.
