Actor Billy Bob Thornton recently spoke with Vanity Fair where he revealed that a new project he has coming out soon, a modern-Western television series from Taylor Sheridan, pushed everyone involved to the brink during filming. Well, that certainly sounds intense, doesn’t it? It’s no wonder actors get caught up in various kinds of addictions. It must be extremely difficult to submerge yourself deep into a role and try to pull yourself out, especially when the film or series has a complex storyline delving into the human spirit.
According to a report from The Daily Caller:
Thornton stars alongside Demi Moore, Jon Hamm, Ali Larter and more in Sheridan’s upcoming Texas-based modern western “Landman,” which sounds absolutely nothing like his flagship Paramount+ “Yellowstone” franchise. The series is sans cowboys, instead being previously described as “a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs” by “roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.”
But apparently the process of shooting hit Thornton like a brick wall. “There were days when I thought, not only me, but everybody on the crew was going to pass out,” Thornton told Vanity Fair of the extreme heat he and his colleagues faced while filming the series in Texas.
“It was so hot some days, and we’re shooting out at these oil pumpjacks. Do you know what caliche is?” he asked the interviewer with Vanity Fair. “We’re on these caliche roads with the rocks in ‘em and stuff, and I’m wearing cowboy boots, and there are scenes where I have to run to the truck. It’s a hundred degrees with a hundred percent humidity. Jesus Christ, I’m in my 60s! This just sucks. My God, there were days when it was pretty hard. This was probably the hardest thing I ever did.”
However, Thornton said that going through all of the trials and tribulations on set was well worth it just for the opportunity to work on something with Sheridan. The conversation was then handed off to co-star Demi Moore.
“Taylor works in a very unique way, and every actor that he meets with — we basically sit down, we hear what he’s looking to do, where he’s looking to go, and we have to say yes or no based on that. There’s no script,” Moore said to the outlet.
The actress then revealed to Vanity Fair that she’s signed up for multiple seasons just because she firmly believes in the track record of success from Sheridan who has some seriously big wings under his belt including, “Tulsa King,” “1923,” “1883,” “Special Ops: Lioness” and a number of others.
“He thinks way ahead. He’s thinking through not just one season. He’s thinking through an epic story,” Moore commented of Sheridan’s style. “He writes incredible, complex, dynamic and delicious women who are powerful, vulnerable, flawed.”
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Hamm and Larter both gave glowing reviews of Sheridan’s writing on this series. And with chaos still surrounding the final return of “Yellowstone,” We the Fans could really do with something to look forward to. And “Landman” looks like it’s it!
It looks like Sheridan is likely going to have another big success on his hands with this new series, which is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2024.