For a moment, Billy Bob Thornton thought there was serious trouble.
The actor says he was fast asleep when his publicist called him at 5:16 a.m. on Monday morning with the news that he had been nominated for a Golden Globe award.
“I always get freaked out when people call me in the middle of the night,” the Landman star said. “I think somebody got hurt. You know how nobody talks to a pitcher who has a no-hitter going on? All the people who work with me treat me like that — they don’t ever tell me when this stuff is going on. So I had no idea. And I was relieved to find out that everyone was okay and very honored that the Golden Globe folks would think of me again.”
Thornton was nominated for best actor in a TV drama series for his portrayal of a tough oil company fixer in the Paramount+ drama series, which is currently airing its debut season. He previously won a best actor Golden Globe in 2015 for his terrifying performance in the debut season of FX’s Fargo.
I point out that actors always claim they weren’t watching the Globes presentation where the awards are announced, but in his case it’s believable — Thornton truly doesn’t seem like the type. “You can’t really get all worked up about stuff, you know what I mean?” he said. “You kind of let it happen.”
Thornton’s Landman character, Tommy Norris, has plenty of punchy lines courtesy of showrunner Taylor Sheridan. When asked if he has a favorite, Thornton replies, “There are a lot of them that I really love, but ‘I quit drinking, I’ll just stick to beer’ seems to be a fan favorite.”
As for whether the drama will get a second season, the actor thinks the odds are quite good — and that his nomination might help nudge Paramount+ towards a decision.
“The show has done very well, so it just stands to reason that they would do another one,” Thornton said. “But especially when you get a nomination for something — that draws attention to your show, so I think that helps. I can’t see why they wouldn’t. I imagine we’ll find it pretty soon, because if we were going to do one, we’ll have to start not too long after the first of the year.”
The 82nd annual Golden Globe Awards is set to air live from The Beverly Hilton on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025, at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET.
Golden Globes producer Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Hollywood Reporter.
