Sam Elliott is one of the most famous actors working today.
Just don’t tell him that.
“I heard about it at the Directors Guild the other day, and to me it just seemed like too much of a stretch for them to be talking about my icon,” Elliott says. “I feel like I’m just getting older and I’m lucky to still have a job.”
Elliott, 81, has long established himself as a great “man’s man” on the Hollywood screen with his stoic demeanor, deep voice and carved marble mustache. He became the archetype of the cowboy and tough guy in film and television through roles in projects such as Tombstone, The Mask, The Big Lebowski and The Sackets.
So it seems natural that Elliott would work with Taylor Sheridan, a modern master of the western genre. The two first worked together in the Yellowstone prequel, 1883, in which Elliott plays a former Civil War soldier and wagon train leader mourning the death of his wife and son.
When the opportunity to work with Sheridan again arose on the second season of “The Landman,” Elliott says it was a natural fit.
“Ever since my experience with Taylor on 1883, no one has turned down Taylor,” he says. “He’s such a talented guy. I feel so lucky to be associated with him, and I know for a fact that everyone on the show feels the same way.”
Elliott will play Thomas “TL” Norris, father of Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and grandfather of Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph).
While many cast members have publicly gushed about the privilege of working with a screen legend like Elliott, Elliott insists that he is treated like everyone else on set, both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, he says he is grateful to be able to see the talent of young actors on the show.
“I know those early days when I was just starting out, doing whatever I could as a contract player with the Foxes. I look back on some of that work now and think, ‘I wish I had done this or that,'” he says. “The talent in the world today is truly amazing. It’s unbelievable.”
This mindset influences Elliott’s desire to continue learning new things about his profession even after a 60-year career.
Sam Elliott (right) stars in The Landman alongside Jacob Lofland (left) and Billy Bob Thornton.
Provided by Paramount
“I work with Billy Bob Thornton, so I’m going to learn something from him this time,” he says. “He’s playing my son, but he still has something to offer. He’s been in this game for a long time. Not only is he a great actor, but he’s also a good director and writer.”
TL has been an oilfield worker all his life, but is now relegated to a dilapidated nursing home and mostly confined to a wheelchair. When his wife, who had a long history of addiction and abuse, dies at the beginning of the season, he falls into even deeper despair.
There’s no love lost between TL and Tommy. Considering that the former neglected his son when he was young. However, after speaking with Tommy’s ex-wife and current fiancée, Angela (Ali Larter), Tommy agrees to take TL back and live with him in Midland.
At first, TL is confused about what to do with himself in his new environment. Years of hard labor and alcohol abuse took their toll. In a particularly heartbreaking moment, TL falls into a pool and becomes trapped underwater for hours until his son rescues him.
Such depictions of vulnerability speak to something Elliott has striven for throughout his career: integrity.
“Actually,[that scene]is very true to my physical situation at this point in my life. Not mentally, but physically,” Elliott says. “I’ve had a tough life. I’ve been an athlete all my life, I’ve been a worker all my life, and now I’m paying the price.”
Later in the season, TL gets a reprieve when Tommy hires stripper Cheyenne, played by Francesca Schreb, as a physical therapist. Elliott was quick to praise the young actress and his experience working with her.
“I’m glad you mentioned Francesca, because she’s been ignored in all this stuff we’re doing,” he says. “And she was not only a dream to work with, but a dream to be with. But she’s just a lovely girl. I don’t know what Taylor thinks about that character. I hope this healthy relationship stays this way.”
Although Cheyenne and TL share an affair, their relationship is ultimately defined by TL being rejuvenated by her youth and energy, reminding her that there is still joy in life. Although Elliott didn’t appear on the show, it was still an honest moment between the two of them.
At the end of season 2, Tommy manages to obtain funding to continue drilling in the oil field that Cooper discovered. He encourages those close to him, including his father, to join his new company. While doing so, he makes some light-hearted banter at Cheyenne’s expense.
“Her line for that was ‘Hardy har har,'” Elliott says. “And I said, ‘Yeah.'” And I know you can’t see it, but in that moment, for some reason, I reached out and took her hand. But that’s never the case. Colm (Fiore) said that when he saw me reach over there and take her hand, he burst into tears because he realized that I had done it. ”
It’s easy for Elliott to portray what comes from within on screen, and he expresses much of Sheridan’s script that way. “Everything he’s ever written to me has been from the heart,” he says. “It’s really fun to try.”
And while Elliott hasn’t been short on offers lately, he said, “At this stage, I’m not looking to play a young lead role of a brave man.” And he’s OK with that. “The fact that there’s a part of it that I can really get into and really enjoy is great.”
Elliott reiterated that he was happy to continue working into his 80s, stating that he had long ago decided what he wanted to do to sustain his acting career.
“I decided early on that if I wanted to have a long career, I couldn’t just work for the money and do everything that goes along with it,” he says. “I had to be very careful and selective about what I got involved with.”
“Landman” proved to be a good choice. The first episode of season 2 garnered 9.2 million views in just two days. This was a 262% increase over the series premiere in 2024 and a record for Paramount+. Similarly, when the Season 2 finale aired in January 2026, the show spent 10 consecutive weeks on the Nielsen Streaming Top 10 chart, each week with over 1 billion minutes watched.
“It’s amazing how many people watch this show,” Elliott says. “I think it’s a nice escape from the shit that’s in the world today.”
Location: The Preserve LA; Groomer: Joanna Ford/The Wall Group
