Taylor Sheridan has created an empire, and the actors on his shows do not hesitate to praise him for it. Stars from Landman and his new show, The Madison, have praised Sheridan in recent interviews.
Landman stars Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, who is trying to secure his company’s lead in the oil industry. The show premiered in 2024 and quickly became one of the platform’s most popular shows. At a recent Q&A panel, Thornton credited Sheridan with Landman’s success. Per Variety, Thornton said Sheridan’s casting decision is the foundation of their chemistry. “People say, ‘How do you build chemistry?’ I don’t think you can. I think it’s just there or it’s not. And we had it immediately,” Thornton explained.
“Working with this caliber of actors and having that material that Taylor Sheridan generates consistently, you can’t ask for any more. We’re just so lucky to be here and do what we do,” said Sam Elliott, who also worked with Sheridan on the Yellowstone spinoff 1883. Elliott joined Landman in Season 2 as Thornton’s father.
Building on that praise, Demi Moore spoke about Sheridan’s writing, saying, “The thing about Taylor’s writing is that you know it’s going to be smart and rich and heartfelt and always with a surprise.”
Similarly, Michelle Pfeiffer was so confident in Sheridan’s abilities that she signed onto The Madison before reading a single script. “When Taylor Sheridan meets with you and says, ‘I would like to develop a series around your character,’ I mean, you don’t take that lightly,” she said. Her intuition was correct. The Madison became Sheridan’s most-watched debut with 8 million views in the first 10 days, according toVariety.
The Madison follows the Clyburn family after the deaths of Preston and Paul, played by Kurt Russell and Matthew Fox. Pfeiffer plays Stacy Clyburn, the matriarch, as she and her daughters deal with the loss. Both Pfeiffer and Russell were shocked by the viewers’ emotional response to the show. Pfeiffer said, “What I have been the most surprised by is how deeply this show resonates with people…I think it’s given people an opportunity to just let it out, and maybe men especially don’t give themselves permission to do that.”
Russell shared a similar sentiment: “I had a hard time getting through every script. If there’s any guys out there that think the way I do, they’re going to be crying their eyes out half the time, and unabashedly so, because it’s the kind of thing that makes you really feel something.”
Thornton also believes Sheridan’s ability to relate to people is what makes Sheridan so successful, claiming that the showrunner has his “finger on the pulse of people.”
Adding to that point, Landman actor Andy Garcia says that Sheridan’s writing is the foundation on which all of their success is built. “It starts with the quality of the writing and the ensemble that he’s chosen to execute his words…it all starts from the storytelling and Taylor’s words and the way he builds a season,” explained Garcia.
Further supporting Sheridan, Thornton told Us Weekly, “He’s created quite an empire. And you have to respect him for that. He has the fame, he has the success, he deserves to be recognized for the work in shows.” He also pointed out that, despite how prolific Sheridan is, neither he nor his shows have received any awards.
Both The Madison and Landman have been renewed for another season. Sheridan’s catalog is available to watch on Paramount+.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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