‘Landman’ Star Jacob Lofland Praises The Presence Of Sam Elliott & Billy Bob Thornton On Set: “They’re Never The Reason We’re Running 3 Minutes Behind”

Billy Bob Thornton is evidently a tone-setter on the set of Landman.

The second season of Landman premiered back on November 16 – almost exactly a year after the show’s first season (it aired on November 17, 2024). And the show boasting a cast of Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Andy Garcia, Sam Elliott, Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, and Michelle Randolph – among others – once again had massive ratings.

Season 2’s premiere holds the title of the biggest season or series premiere ever for Paramount+. More than 9 million people viewed the first episode of the second season in the first fews days it was available on the streamer. That number was more than triple what the series premiere of Landman did in 2024.

Much of that is thanks to the tremendous cast that the Paramount+ show boasts. Billy Bob Thornton is the perfect leading man for the oil drama, and one of his costars – Jacob Lofland – is very comfortable proclaiming that. Lofland plays Cooper Norris, the son of Thornton’s Tommy Norris, in the series. And fans know that there’s certainly some tension brewing between the father and the son with all of questionable decisions that Cooper is making in Season 2 (the biggest being working with Andy Garcia’s Gallino).

Though there’s clearly some bad blood between the two on-screen, Thornton and Lofland couldn’t have a better relationship on set when the camera isn’t rolling. The young actor told Variety that Billy Bob Thornton has been a beacon of light for him and the others on Landman, and that the energy and focus that the 70-year-old brings on a daily basis is infectious:

“It’s so fun — he makes it easy. He shows up every day, and Billy is our Number One. So on any set, your Number One sets the pace and the attitude for everybody else. Billy shows up every day ready to work and excited about the job, which in turn makes everyone else excited. It just trickles down.”

That right there is invaluable, and not at all surprising coming from the seasoned actor.

Lofland is incredibly grateful that he gets to share both scenes and time with Billy Bob Thornton, and the newcomer (to the show) Sam Elliott. The 29-year-old actor says that Elliott and Thornton have helped him in ways they might not even realize. Whether it’s them leading by example, or the older stars sharing tips and tidbits, Lofland is soaking it all up:

“The one thing I’ve learned is it’s never a conversation that you learn from. It’s just being able to be around these men and women that have done this for so long, and watch the way they carry themselves, the way they work, their ethic and their attitude. I think that teaches more and speaks more than any piece of advice they could ever give. Sam and Billy, they’re so prepared, so professional.

You never wait on them. They’re never the reason that we’re running three minutes behind. Everyone’s ready to go, and they’re so polite and humble, willing to work through and take the time. If there are questions or a scene’s not going the way we feel it should, let’s sit down and talk about it. It’s a team effort. Those guys are so good at that, that’s probably the most impactful thing for me.”

And it’s clearly paying dividends.

Anytime Thornton and Lofland share the screen, it feels like they are both on their A-game. Billy Bob can probably thank the decades of experiences he’s had in the industry for that, and Lofland could probably credit Thornton for all that he’s taught him and helped him with.

It certainly sounds like all is well on the set of Landman, and that the veterans of the cast are helping lift up everyone else around them. That likely means we’ll continue to see the evolution of Jacob Lofland’s Cooper Norris:

The post ‘Landman’ Star Jacob Lofland Praises The Presence Of Sam Elliott & Billy Bob Thornton On Set: “They’re Never The Reason We’re Running 3 Minutes Behind” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.