Follow us on Google News
Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed
It looks like movies aren’t quite what some artists are after these days — or at least they weren’t back in the day. In 2014, Billy Bob Thornton made the big move to TV, looking for something different. According to him, films just weren’t getting the same kind of space they used to.
Over time, the limitations on feature film production didn’t sit well with the actor. Even so, he seems to have balanced both paths pretty well. However, his reasons for exploring series seem to reveal where his true preference lies.
Billy Bob Thornton Says TV Offers More Freedom Than Cinema
Over the years, a lot has changed in the audiovisual world, mainly because of new generations and advancements in technology. Changes are normal and to be expected, but not everyone in the arts embraces them — or even wants to keep up.Billy Bob Thornton, however, was determined to do things differently.
Once the actor realized the limits within cinema, he made the move to TV for the first time since the ’90s, though he didn’t completely give up on films. In fact, he gave several interviews in the 2010s, where he shared more about his perspective on the industry and its evolving formats.
“That’s the only reason we’re probably not still together”: Billy Bob Thornton Revealed What Broke Down His Marriage With Angelina Jolie Despite Having No Bad Blood Unlike Brad Pitt
Fargobecame a milestone in 2014, earning a 93% rating onRotten Tomatoesand winning several awards, including an Emmy. Thornton’s character gained significant attention, and for the actor, the series marked a return to the medium that helped launch his career.
In an interview withEntertainment Weekly, he elaborated on this, specifically commenting on transitioning to television at a time when he had a strong presence in film:
(…) Television has taken that slot that the movies aren’t doing any more. They’re not doing the mid-range budget studio movies, the $25-30 million adult drama, or even adult comedy, really. And the independent films, they want to give you $3 or $4 million, they want you to put 10 movie stars in it so they can sell off all the foreign territories. And there’s not as much freedom in movies sometimes: you can do movies about heroin smugglers, but you can’t smoke in a movie.
For him, TV had started to gain prestige. Influenced by Southern novelists, he realized that telling these kinds of stories no longer had a place in Hollywood. On the other hand, series were already proving to be a perfect medium for exploring these narratives.
In another interview around the same time, this one withThe Hollywood Reporter, he was asked what he thought had changed:
There was a time when TV didn’t dig very deep. One of the things that has changed is the networks. Obviously the HBOs and Showtimes have been doing it for a long time but the networks have loosened up in terms of censorship. you’re able to do pretty much what you want.
WithFargo, for example, he said there were no limitations. For him, the stories started to show more realism, featuring “language, s*x, violence, and things that used to be taboo on television.”
Looks like he totally nailed this transition, and the risk totally paid off. No surprise he’s now leading one of the most hyped series around.
Billy Bob Thornton Studied The Oil Industry ForLandman
Landmanis the new series from Paramount+, directed byTaylor Sheridan, who has become a major name in television due to the success of productions likeYellowstone. Thornton stars as Tommy Norris, a crisis executive trying to lead his company to the top during a fuel boom.
Landman Review — Billy Bob Thornton Answers the Call in Taylor Sheridan’s New Series, One of the Year’s Best!
The plot revolves around the oil business, which led the actor to conduct in-depth research on the subject. In an interview withReuters, he admitted that he was unaware of many aspects of the industry and appreciated how the series neither takes a pro-oil nor anti-oil stance, but simply presents the facts:
It’s the ups and downs, ins and outs, the good, the bad, the ugly of the oil business.
InLandman, the protagonist deals with tons of issues that arise in oil production, including personnel, engineering logistics, and legal cases. The complications intensify when his family becomes involved.
Catherine Delgado
Articles Published :141
A geek enthusiast of fantasy and sci-fi, Catherine is also a screenwriter, completely obsessed with pop culture. Graduated in Audiovisual Production, she creates characters and writes about fictional universes when not writing articles, binge-watching shows, or reading sagas.
