Billy Bob Thornton has never been one to mince words, and he proved it again when he launched a fierce, unfiltered defense of Landman — and especially his co-star Ali Larter — after a wave of mixed-to-negative reviews targeted the Taylor Sheridan series. In a series of interviews and social media posts following the show’s strong premiere on Paramount+ in late 2025, Thornton went straight for the jugular, calling much of the criticism “cartoonish” and “out of touch,” while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Larter, who plays a tough, no-nonsense oil executive in the gritty Texas drama.

The backlash against Landman has centered on its portrayal of the oil industry, its female characters, and what some critics called “over-the-top” or “caricatured” depictions of working-class Texans. Thornton, born and raised in Arkansas with deep ties to the South and Texas through decades of film work, took personal offense. “These characters aren’t cartoons,” he told Variety in a candid sit-down. “They’re real. They’re the people I grew up around — rough, loud, loyal, flawed, and unapologetic. If you’ve never had to live that life, it’s easy to call it exaggerated. But it’s not. It’s honest.”

The 70-year-old actor, who plays a grizzled oil veteran in the series, made it clear this wasn’t just about defending the show — it was about defending authenticity. He singled out Larter’s performance as “one of the strongest, most grounded things in the whole damn thing,” accusing critics of missing the nuance in her portrayal of a woman navigating a male-dominated industry with steel and vulnerability. “Ali’s character isn’t a stereotype — she’s a survivor. And some people just don’t want to see women like that on screen,” Thornton said bluntly.

The comments have split the internet. Supporters flooded social media with praise: #StandWithBillyBob and #LandmanTruth trending, with fans calling Thornton “a real one” for refusing to back down. “He’s speaking for every person who’s tired of coastal critics judging Southern stories,” one X post read (45k likes). Detractors accused him of deflecting from legitimate critiques about pacing, writing, and representation in Sheridan’s expanding universe.

Thornton’s defense isn’t polished PR — it’s personal. He’s drawn directly from his own roots, insisting the characters reflect the people he’s known his entire life: hardworking, stubborn, and unfiltered. “Hollywood loves to romanticize or demonize the South and Texas,” he told Deadline. “We’re neither. We’re just people trying to survive. That’s what Landman shows — and if it makes some folks uncomfortable, good. It’s supposed to.”

The series itself continues to perform strongly, with Season 1 averaging 18 million viewers per episode and a Season 2 already greenlit. Critics may debate its tone, but Thornton’s stance has galvanized fans who see the show as a rare, unapologetic look at blue-collar life in the modern oil patch.

This isn’t damage control — it’s a standoff. And Thornton has made it crystal clear exactly where he stands: on the side of the people he grew up with, and the stories he believes deserve to be told without apology.