Why Landman Star Billy Bob Thornton Fought For Years Against Taking TV Roles

While Billy Bob Thornton has become familiar to television audiences for the hit Paramount+ series "Landman", the veteran actor is the first to admit he initially avoided taking small screen roles for years.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Thornton stated that he was "late to the party" entering the realm of television. "[B]ecause when I was growing up TV was a bad word to movie actors. So I resisted forever," he recalled. Thornton was so resistant, in fact, that he turned down roles throughout the 2000s for shows that would go on to great success, although he didn't let slip which specific series he missed out on.

It wasn't until his manager spelled it out for him that Thornton recognized that the entertainment landscape was clearly changing. "My manager kept telling me, 'Dude, this is where it's headed. You don't understand ... These are long-form movies and it's where the future is.'" Eventually, Thornton relented and took the part of psychopathic hitman Lorne Malvo on FX's "Fargo," which transformed his entire mindset of what TV had become.

It wasn't long ago that the thought of an A-list star like Billy Bob Thornton taking on a major TV role was unheard of. But the rise of prestige television and streaming series featuring nuanced storylines and complicated characters has changed the game, turning the medium into a respected outlet for top-tier talent.

While he might have missed out on the foundation of this revolution, Thornton has more than made up for lost time. Following his Emmy-nominated role on "Fargo," Thornton headlined David E. Kelley's Amazon Prime legal drama "Goliath" from 2016 to 2021.

Now with "Landman," Thornton joins an ever-growing list of distinguished Hollywood vets like Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, and Sylvester Stallone to join Taylor Sheridan's TV empire. And as much as these celebrated performers reflect the heightened quality of modern television, with actors like Thornton tapping into their personal drama for the characters they play, he praises creators like Sheridan for ultimately upping the bar: "He also writes stories that make you want to see what's going to happen next," he told Rolling Stone. "People by nature want that."