Billy Bob Thornton has a theory about why Taylor Sheridan isn’t being recognized at award shows.
“I think a lot of it’s political. I really do,” the “Landman” star, 70, said in a new interview with Variety. “I think some people assume Taylor is some sort of right-wing guy or something, and he’s really not.”
Sheridan, 55, created the smash hit series “Yellowstone,” its prequels “1883” and “1923,” and other popular Paramount+ programs including “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” “Lioness” and “Landman.”
But Sheridan’s shows have continued to be underrepresented at award shows. “Yellowstone” only earned one Emmy nomination for Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary Program in 2021 during its five-season run.
Thornton, who stars in “Landman” as oil executive Tommy Norris, explained that award shows voters might have the wrong idea about the series.
“Even with this show being about the oil business, he just shows you what it’s like. He’s not saying ‘Rah, rah, rah for oil,’” the actor explained. “It’s just the people who work in this business or who are affected by this business, the people on the periphery and within the families in the business; this is what happens.”
“These are the kinds of problems and joys and triumphs and whatever happens in this world,” Thornton continued. “It’s a world of gambling, and you never know what’s going to happen. But I think people got the wrong idea about that.”
The Oscar winner also pointed out that “acting is not a sport,” and winning and losing in Hollywood is not so clear cut.
“If you run the 100-meter dash in the Olympics and you break the tape first, you win. There’s no question about it. Everybody saw it,” he explained. “How do you say in the artistic world who won? It’s an intangible thing. Then people say, ‘Well, any one of the nominees besides me could have won this. They’re all wonderful actors.’ Not only them, some other actors in the audience who weren’t nominated, some other ones who aren’t even at the show, some other ones who aren’t even known by people have done an amazing job.”
“If you put your heart and soul into something you love, and you’re satisfied with your work, and it works in the thing, there’s the award,” Thornton shared. “I look at it that way. I’m too damn old now to worry about stuff like that. I got enough awards. I’m good. I’m sure the people that I work for or work with me don’t like to hear that. But I guess when I said I’m too damn old, I guess I’m too damn old to not tell the truth.”
Sheridan has denied that his shows, including “Yellowstone,” promote the conservative agenda.
“They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state ‘Game of Thrones,’ ” he told The Atlantic in 2022. “And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’”
“The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing,” he added. “That’s a red-state show?”
