Sam Elliott is one of the most recognizable actors working today.
Just don’t tell him that.
“We went to this thing at the Directors Guild the other day, and it seemed, to me, so over the top that they were talking about me being iconic,” Elliott says. “What I feel like is that I’m just old and I’m still lucky to be working.”
With his stoic demeanor, deep voice and a mustache chiseled out of marble, Elliott, 81, has long established himself as a great onscreen “man’s man” in Hollywood. He has become a prototype for cowboys and tough guys across film and television following his roles in projects like “Tombstone,” “Mask,” “The Big Lebowski” and “The Sacketts.”
It seems only natural, then, that Elliott would work with Taylor Sheridan, the modern master of the Western genre. The two first collaborated on “1883,” a “Yellowstone” prequel in which Elliott plays a former Civil War soldier and wagon train leader mourning the death of his wife and son.
When the chance arose to work with Sheridan again on the second season of “Landman,” Elliott says it was a no-brainer.
“There wasn’t any turning Taylor down after my experience with him on ‘1883,’” he says. “He’s such a talented man. I just feel fortunate to be involved with him. I know for a fact that everybody on the show feels the same way.”
Elliott portrays Thomas “TL” Norris, father of Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and grandfather to Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph).
Many cast members have gushed publicly about getting to work with a screen legend like Elliott, but he insists he is treated the same as everybody else on the set, both in front of and behind the camera. In fact, he says he feels grateful to see the talent of the younger actors on the show.
“I know back when I was starting out, when I was doing whatever I could do as a contract player at Fox, the early days, and I look back on some of that work now, I think ‘If only I’d have done this or that,’” he says. “I’m pretty amazed at the talent out there in the world today. It’s incredible.”
That mentality plays into Elliott’s desire to continue learning new things about his trade even after a career spanning six decades.
“I’m working with Billy Bob Thornton, so I’m going to be learning something from him this time around,” he says. “Even though he’s playing my son, he’s still got something to offer. He’s been in this game for a long time. He’s not only a brilliant actor, but he’s not a bad director or a writer.”
TL is a lifelong oil field worker who is now relegated to living in a rundown nursing home and being mostly confined to a wheelchair. His wife, who had a long history of addiction and abuse, dies at the beginning of the season, sending him into even deeper despair.
There is no love lost between TL and Tommy, given the former’s neglect of his son when he was young. But after speaking with Tommy’s ex-wife and current fiancée, Angela (Ali Larter), Tommy agrees to bring TL back to live with them in Midland.
At first, TL is at a loss with what to do with himself in his new environment. Years of hard labor and alcohol abuse have taken their toll. In a particularly heartbreaking moment, TL falls into a swimming pool and is unable to get himself out, stuck in the water for hours until his son helps him.
The depiction of that kind of frailty speaks to something that Elliott has strived for throughout his career: honesty.
“The truth of it is [that scene] is very true to where I am at this point in my life physically. Not mentally, but physically,” Elliott says. “I’ve had a hard life. I’ve been an athlete all my life, and I’ve been a laborer all my life, and I’m paying for it now.”
TL gets a reprieve late in the season when Tommy hires a stripper named Cheyenne, played by Francesca Xureb, to act as his physical therapist. Elliott is quick to shower praise on the young actress and his experience working with her.
“I love that you mentioned Francesca, because she’s overlooked in most all of this stuff that we do,” he says. “And she was a dream to be around, not only to work with, but she’s just a lovely girl. I have no idea what Taylor has in mind for that character. I hope it just remains what it is: this wholesome relationship.”
While Cheyenne and TL do share a flirtation, their relationship is ultimately defined by her youth and energy rejuvenating TL, reminding him that there is still joy to be found in life. Elliott recalls a moment between the two that never made it into the show but was nevertheless an honest moment between them.
At the end of Season 2, Tommy manages to get funding to continue drilling in the oil field Cooper has discovered. He invites those close to him to be part of their new company, including his father. While doing so, he cracks a lighthearted joke at Cheyenne’s expense.
“Her line in response to that was ‘Hardy har har,’” Elliot says. “And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And I know that you can’t see it, but at that moment, I reached out and took her hand for whatever reason. But you never see that. Colm [Feore] said it brought tears to his eyes when he saw me reach over there and take her hand, because he understood why I did it.”
It’s easy for Elliott to portray things onscreen that come from within, which is how he describes much of Sheridan’s writing. “The stuff that he writes for me, so far, has been from the heart,” he says. “It’s a lot of fun to do it.”
And while Elliott says that he is not hurting for offers these days, he is “not going to go out and play the young leading, dashing man at this stage.” And he’s OK with that. “The fact that there’s a part that I can get into and really enjoy doing, it’s a wonderful thing.”
Elliott reiterates that he is happy to still be working into his 80s, noting that he decided a long time ago what he wanted to do in order to sustain an acting career.
“I determined early on that if I wanted to have a long career, I couldn’t work for the dollar and do anything that came along,” he says. “I had to be selective and judicious about what it was that I got involved with.”
“Landman” has proven to be a good choice. The first episode of Season 2 raked in 9.2 million views in just two days, an increase of 262% over the series premiere in 2024 and a Paramount+ record. Likewise, when the Season 2 finale aired in January 2026, the show had spent 10 straight weeks in the Nielsen streaming top 10 chart with over 1 billion minutes viewed each of those weeks.
“It’s dumbfounding that there’s so many people that are watching this show,” Elliott says. “I think that it’s a great escape from the shit that’s out there in the world today.”
English (US) ·