The dust has settled after the intense Season 1 finale of Landman, and while the series leaves the fate of M-Tex Oil in Tommy’s hands, fans are left wondering if Billy Bob Thornton’s character even wants the job he’s been handed? Speaking to Deadline following the explosive finale, Thornton offered insight into Tommy’s reluctant ascent to power and the emotional toll it’s taking on him. Thornton made it clear that stepping into the top role at M-Tex Oil after Monty’s (Jon Hamm) death isn’t exactly a dream come true for Tommy.
However, he recognises the obligation he feels to both his late boss and the oil company, although he did admit that Tommy wasn’t quite cut out for the power suits being worn in the high-stakes boardrooms of those billion dollar companies.
“He probably doesn’t want to, but he knows he has to. I think he owes a debt to his old friend and boss, because that’s what he wanted. And I think also, just because of his knowledge of the business, he knows he’s the one to do it. He does not want to put the suit on, but he knows he’s got to. And I don’t mean technically the suit (laughs) — I don’t think Tommy will ever change clothes.”
Billy Bob Thornton Thinks Tommy is Driven by Necessity
Tommy is a man permanently stressed out and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, whether it’s from things going wrong professionally or just because his wife Angela (Ali Larter) wants to FaceTime him while he’s managing a crisis. Thornton believes that focusing on the work is the only way Tommy can actually function.
“I think Tommy tries to walk through life knowing what pressure he is under from all sides — the oil business; his family, the passing of his boss and having to now take the torch. I think Tommy tries to focus on the job, almost like putting himself in autopilot. Because if he thought about it too much, because Tommy is a passionate guy, he’d probably be where Jon Hamm’s character ended up.”
While Tommy’s role as the head of M-Tex may have been thrust upon him, Thornton emphasised the character’s drive and refusal to fail, even if it’s not a position he sought.
“I think he knows he has a job to do, and I think Tommy is very driven and obsessed with succeeding at what he does,” Thornton explained. “I don’t think he wants to be a failure.”