‘Landman’ Star Billy Bob Thornton Reveals Surprising Career Switch

Before Billy Bob Thornton began his acting career, he was a musician in two bands in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He then pursued a solo music career in the early 2000s, releasing four albums between the years of 2001 and 2007.

While Thornton currently has a leading role on the hit show Landman, which was renewed for a third season in December 2025, he’s also returning to his music roots in a surprising career move. “I’ve been writing a lot of country songs,” He told KSBY News. “For some reason, all of a sudden.”

While Thornton pointed out that he grew up on rock and roll music and never knew “how to write a country song,” he added, “Next thing you know, all the country guys want to write songs with me.”

Thornton and Mike Collie penned the song “Midland After Midnight,” which was recorded by Flatland Cavalry and included on the Landman soundtrack. After dipping his toes into country music with that track, Thornton said he’s now written about 18 to 20 songs.

“Fourteen of those have been recorded and are being put on albums and some are on albums already,” Thornton shared. “So that’s a thing that’s kind of new to me … writing in that world.”

The actor admitted that “modern country music doesn’t thrill [him]” and said it “just sounds like pop music, mainly.” However, his country tunes are “more like the old days of Waylon Jennings and people like that. Johnny Cash. That kind of thing.”

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Most of Thornton’s new songs were recorded in Texas. “You go in there and you pick up an acoustic guitar and next think you know it’s like, well, that’s what I’m doing now. I guess I’ll give it a shot.”

Despite Thornton’s new passion for writing country music, he doesn’t seem to be keen on giving up acting. Production on Season 3 of Landman is expected to begin next month.

Landman, Season 3, TBD, Paramount+