Billy Bob Thornton has revealed how Taylor Sheridan has granted him some professional courtesy while filming his shows.
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The Landman star has opened up about the one thing Taylor Sheridan allows him to do on set that isn't granted to the other actors. It may not seem like much, but coming from Sheridan and his writing style, it's a big compliment.
The Tommy Norris actor recently sat down to talk with Awards Radar, where he opened up about what it's like to work with Taylor Sheridan.
Thornton has worked with Sheridan on 1883, where he had a small one-time role as Marshal Jim Courtright. He later took the main lead for Landman, a show that has been confirmed for a second season.
"Taylor wrote some wonderful scripts, and his writing is pretty tight, but Taylor has actually been very loose with me," he shared. Apparently, "there's not a lot of improvisation on his stuff." As Sheridan writes so precisely, improv could indirectly ruin a whole scene, or even a whole episode.
But this is where Sheridan gives Thornton some leniency.
Billy Bob Thornton is Permitted To Improvise On Set, Not That He Does It Much Anyway
"As a matter of fact, I'd say Taylor and the Coen brothers, who I worked with a couple of times, they've had scripts that you stuck to more than anybody I've ever worked with," he continued.
"But with me, Taylor said, 'Look, you're a writer, you're a director. You get this stuff. We're partners in this.'"
Although Billy Bob Thornton won't improvise much, he will sometimes throw Sheridan a bone.
"So, every now and then, I'll throw something in there, and if he likes it, he keeps it. But his writing is so good that I rarely do anything outside of it."
Considering Sheridan's masterful writing, this allowance of improv is his way of letting Thornton in on the writing and direction of the scenes where he sees fit. As an actor and fellow director, this is likely the biggest compliment you can receive.
We can't wait to see what's in store for season 2.
