Actor Billy Bob Thornton suggested that politics, not quality, may explain why filmmaker Taylor Sheridan continues to be overlooked by Hollywood’s liberal awards establishment despite massive commercial success and cultural impact.
Thornton spoke out after Sheridan’s latest hit show, Texas-based “Landman,” was also snubbed by the entertainment industry elite.
“I think a lot of it’s political. I really do,” Thornton told Variety in a new interview.
“I think some people assume Taylor is some sort of right-wing guy or something, and he’s really not.”
Sheridan, 55, is the creative force behind “Yellowstone” and its prequels 1883 and 1923, as well as a slate of Paramount+ hits including “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Tulsa King,” “Lioness,” and “Landman.”
While his shows regularly dominate ratings and drive subscriber growth, they have received scant recognition from major awards bodies.
During the five-season run of “Yellowstone,” starring Kevin Costner, the flagship series earned just a single Emmy nomination, for Outstanding Production Design in 2021.
It’s an outcome that many viewers and industry observers have found baffling, given its popularity.
Thornton, who stars as oil executive Tommy Norris on “Landman,” argued that Sheridan’s work is often mischaracterized by cultural gatekeepers, particularly when it explores politically unfashionable industries like energy.
“Even with this show being about the oil business, he just shows you what it’s like,” Thornton said.
“He’s not saying ‘Rah, rah, rah for oil.’
“It’s just the people who work in this business or who are affected by this business.”
Thornton explained that Sheridan focuses on the human realities surrounding these worlds, families, risks, failures, and successes, rather than pushing ideological messaging.
“These are the kinds of problems and joys and triumphs and whatever happens in this world,” he said.
“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-winning actor also dismissed the notion that awards are the ultimate measure of artistic success, noting that, unlike athletic competitions, art is inherently subjective.
“If you run the 100-meter dash in the Olympics and you break the tape first, you win,” Thornton said.
“How do you say in the artistic world who won?
“It’s an intangible thing.”
Thornton said he has long since made peace with Hollywood’s awards culture.
“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,” he said.
“I’m too damn old now to worry about stuff like that.
“I got enough awards. I’m good.”
Sheridan has previously rejected claims that his shows promote a conservative or “red-state” agenda.
“They refer to it as ‘the conservative show’ or ‘the Republican show’ or ‘the red-state Game of Thrones,’” Sheridan told The Atlantic in 2022.
“And I just sit back laughing. I’m like, ‘Really?’”
Despite critical indifference from awards voters, Sheridan’s projects continue to resonate with millions of viewers.
It’s a disconnect that Thornton suggests says more about Hollywood’s politics than Sheridan’s storytelling.
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