Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm: 'Without streaming, actors like us would just play the mayor in Batman'

Created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Tulsa King) and Christian Wallace, the show is a fictionalised take on Wallace’s acclaimed podcast Boomtown, about the "modern-day gold rush" of the Texan oilfields.

Thornton plays Tommy Norris, a grizzled troubleshooter for Hamm’s billionaire oil magnate, Monty Miller. But who is the top dog when it comes to winning awards?

What attracted you to Landman?

Hamm: "Taylor’s storytelling. He knows how to tell a compelling story and set it against a backdrop that feels familiar yet unique. This is a tricky landscape, in every definition of the word, and the show really leans into that complexity."

Thornton: "It works really well as a human story: it has humour, drama, joy, sadness, pain – everything. It also shows a world we don’t see on screen very often.

It's been said Taylor's shows can reach 'heartland America' in a way that more critically lauded series like Succession can't…

Thornton: "Because movies are made by the coasts, there’s always been a prejudice. I experienced that when I was coming up. Jon and I both grew up in the south midwest, so we know there are a lot of people who are underserved with their stories. People tend to focus on LA, New York, Chicago…"

Do you still feel connected to that America? Or have you gone soft after too long in Hollywood?

Hamm: "We’re all going soft. None of us is getting harder in our old age."

Thornton: "There’s oil you can get for that! But no, I still feel connected to my roots. Jon and I are both born and bred St Louis Cardinals [baseball] fans, and that doesn’t go away. I still have relatives in Texas, I’m back there a lot. Plus I play music and tour the country, so I see every city and a lot of small towns."

Is America still a nation of cowboys at heart?

Thornton: "For sure. There’s no doubt about it. The country started in a small area of the east coast, and the whole idea was to keep moving until we found the golden land."

Did you guys know each other before filming the series?

Hamm: "We met a few years back, at a St Louis Cardinals all-star game. I was a massive fan of Billy’s work, of course, and I think I can speak for Billy when I say he was probably more of a fan of my work!

"It’s always great to work with somebody you’ve admired. It adds a layer of fascination, because you think: let’s see what happens here. To work at this high level, telling these kinds of stories, is great – especially at this point in both our careers. You gotta keep it going."

Billy, you've said, 'Casting directors call me up when they need an asshole.' Do you ever take offence?

Thornton: "No. In my actual life, I’m sort of an insecure, open, friendly guy. But I grew up around some tough men, including my own father. Both mine and Jon’s characters in Landman are men with the weight of the world on their shoulders. But I think Tommy is more of an impatient guy than an asshole."

Jon, Fargo showrunner Noah Hawley described you as 'a kind of American man who doesn't seem to exist any more'. What do you think he meant?

Hamm: "I think he was talking about what I brought to the role of Roy Tillman in Fargo, which was this kind of larger than life, quiet masculinity. But there are plenty of guys like me in the world. My family has a bunch of those guys in it – my uncle Gary, my uncle Bill… These guys worked hard and lived hard, and didn’t say a lot. That was kind of the definition of masculinity for a long time. Who knows if we’re going back to that?"

Billy, you've said television is now 'where the good s**t is'. Do you think this small-screen golden age can last?

Thornton: "I don’t think the industry has any choice at this point, because the movie theatre business is very different now. You mainly have big event movies to keep it going. And so, for actors like us, if we’re not going to play the mayor in Batman or something, then we don’t get a job. So, thank God for streaming."

Jon, did you take much persuading to reprise Mad Men's Don Draper in Jerry Seinfeld's recent comedy film Unfrosted?

Hamm: "Yes and no. I’m rightfully very protective of Don Draper and didn’t want to necessarily dine out on that too much. But it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. It was fun, and a nice surprise for people. I saw it recently and chuckled at it. It was a fun day, shooting with Jerry Seinfeld and Melissa McCarthy. It’s always nice to be invited to the party."

Billy, you've got an Oscar and two Golden Globes; Jon, you've got an Emmy and two Golden Globes. Who's winning?

Thornton: "We’re even."

Hamm: "America’s winning. We’ve got so many Golden Globes between us, we jingle when we walk."

The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here.

Landman will air on Paramount Plus. Get a seven day free Paramount Plus trial at Amazon Prime Video.

Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.