Landman Season 2 Premiere Draws Billy Bob Thornton, Sam Elliott, and More Stars to Fort Worth

With hit shows like Lioness and Landman being filmed in Fort Worth, celebrity sightings are now a regular occurrence. So last night, it wasn’t a surprise when some of the stars of Taylor Sheridan’s Landman, including Billy Bob Thornton and Sam Elliott, hit the red carpet for the premiere of Season 2.

On the carpet, Thornton said the locals have been “awesome” to hang out with. “I have a lot of family around the DFW area,” he said. “So, I’ve always felt at home in Fort Worth. The people here are genuine. They just say what they mean, and our show reflects people who are unabashedly who they are. That’s what I love about Fort Worth. It’s my favorite city in Texas. Maybe it’s my favorite city in the United States.”

Speaking of his character Tommy Norris, Thornton added that the character’s penchant for solving complex situations came naturally.

“I’m not bad in a crisis, personally, so those things were pretty easy to do,” he continued. “You have to realize, here is the situation, and I have to do something about it. You can’t get afraid of it. You just have to do it.”

The event that was hosted by the Fort Worth Film Commission and coincided with the Lone Star Film Festival was held at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Show creator Taylor Sheridan was listed as an attendee but did not make an appearance. Here’s our recap of red carpet chats with actors James Jordan (Dale Bradley), Paulina Chávez (Ariana), Michelle Randolph (Ainsley Norris), and writer/creator Christian Wallace.

James Jordan, how have the last three years been working with Taylor Sheridan?

I’m doing two series right now, Lioness and Landman. Each series is five months, so that’s 10 months out of the year. My fiancé is asking for ‘me’ time. I’ve been busy the last three years, thankfully. There are a lot of times when you are coming up as an actor, when you are not that busy. It’s nice to be working as much as I am.

Where have you enjoyed visiting in Fort Worth?

The Clearfork area is one I frequent. B&B Butchers Restaurant is a great little steakhouse there. I am a foodie, so we are going to the [Hotel] Drover for Thanksgiving. My fiancé and I are going to 97 West. There’s a great Tex-Mex spot nearby, Paloma Suerte, that has amazing food. Fort Worth is the perfect-sized city. I’ve lived in L.A. for 23 years now, and it’s getting old, to be frank. Fort Worth is expanding in the best sense of the word. I’m actually looking for property here.

Paulina Chávez, what’s been the feedback from viewers?

I was given feedback from widows who understood my character. That made me tear up. People would DM me and tell me the moving on process is always like that. There’s a back and forth and questioning whether you are betraying your partner [by dating someone else].

What have you learned from working with Taylor Sheridan?

I’m constantly learning from this amazing group of people that I’m working with. It’s a big cast. Always staying humble is something I’ve learned, especially from Billy Bob and the way he walks through life.

Michelle Randolph, how did you develop your Texas accent?

I worked with a dialect coach, Jessica Drake. We worked for a long time. I listened to a bunch of different Southern dialects as I was preparing for this role. We wanted it to be this blend of Texas, but also modern-day, because she is online and watches social media. I wanted her to have a little bit of valley girl in her accent while staying true to Aledo and Fort Worth. If I have a few drinks, it comes back out. (Laughs)

Scream 7 is coming out soon. That must have been a very different experience on set.

I finished filming that earlier this year. I’m so excited. It’s very different than filming Landman. It’s called Scream, so there is a lot of that going on. Somehow, I was chugging tea and cough drops and never lost my voice.

Christian Wallace, your podcast became the basis for this show. Do you think producers are going to start looking at podcasts now for inspiration for shows?

People are hungry for ideas, whatever the format, whether they be short stories, novels, podcasts, magazine articles, or long-form narratives. I think that if it is a good story, it should find an audience. If I were a producer looking for the next thing, I would look for all of the above.

Landman Season 2 airs Sunday, November 16, on Paramount+.