"1883 probably changed me a little bit": Landman Season 2 stars reveal the projects that shaped them as actors

Landman Season 2 kicked off on November 16, 2025, picking up right where the high-stakes drama of West Texas oil left off.

Only the first episode of Landman Season 2, Death and a Sunset, has aired so far, but new episodes are rolling out every week on Paramount+. There are ten episodes this season, with the finale set for January 18, 2026.

This time around, Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) finds himself in even rougher territory. After everything that went down at the end of Season 1, especially Monty Miller’s (Jon Hamm) death, Tommy is now running the show at M-Tex Oil. But leading the company isn’t exactly a win; it’s costing him, both at work and at home.

Old wounds start to open up again, especially with his father, T.L. “Pop” Norris (Sam Elliott), showing up. On top of that, old rivalries catch fire, cartel threats close in, and Cami Miller (Demi Moore) is making her own moves for power.

Now, Thornton and Elliott recently chatted with Collider about what it has been like working on Landman Season 2. They opened up about the films and roles that made them who they are and talked about how those experiences still shape the way they approach acting today.

Both of them have been in Taylor Sheridan’s world before, so stepping back into it means a lot, both on a personal level and for their careers. Now that Landman Season 2 is rolling, their stories give fans a real sense of what’s driving the emotion and creativity behind the newest chapter of Paramount+’s gritty Texas oil drama.

Landman Season 2 stars reveal the projects that shaped them as actors

During a chat with Collider, Sam Elliott, who had featured in several “cool” projects, was asked about his most impactful project and which one had made him grow as an actor or a person. He replied:

“I can honestly say that 1883 probably changed me a little bit. I’m not sure I want to talk about how much it changed me, but it changed my game personally on a lot of levels.”

Elliott said that the hardest part of 1883 was the physical demand. Sometimes the cast and crew were working outside in 110-degree heat, and at other times they were filming in the snowy weather of Montana. They were always moving around, mainly shooting outdoors with animals, carts, and other things of the rough environment.

Except for a small number of interior scenes shot in Fort Worth, the whole production was outdoors, which made the show very demanding physically.

Elliott further added:

“But beyond that, there was Taylor’s script and the tale we were telling, and it was just this incredible gift to an actor. So, it made me appreciate being there, I guess, more than anything else.”

According to him, the severe conditions were just part of the experience. They didn’t suffer through them so much as accept them, knowing the elements were integral to the project.

Collaborating on the story with Taylor Sheridan and having the chance to help convey that narrative made him feel very grateful. He remarked that throughout his career, he had always been thankful, but after more than fifty-six years in the industry, having a project like 1883 come his way only made that thankfulness greater.

Meanwhile, Billy Bob Thornton went to answer the same question, saying:

“Landman has really made an impact on me personally, and as an actor, but before that, any previous project, I’d say, A Simple Plan. I mean, Sling Blade doesn’t count because that was my own thing and all that, but when I did A Simple Plan, it did something to me. I think it was the first time I did anything of that stature. I didn’t want it to end. I want to keep playing that character.”

Thornton added:

“And then the one right after it, The Man Who Wasn’t There. I didn’t want it to end either. I don’t know how they changed me other than seeing the joy you can get out of this.”

Landman Season 2 is now airing on Paramount+.

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Also Read: Landman Season 2 release schedule: When do new episodes of the Taylor Sheridan show drop?

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