Sam Elliott’s New Taylor Sheridan Casting Is Even Better After His Role In Timothy Olyphant’s 15-Year-Old Western Crime Drama Series

By Sean Morrison

Published May 11, 2025

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Legendary Western star Sam Elliott has been cast in Taylor Sheridan's Sam Elliott was cast in Landman season 2.

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Sam Elliott's currently unknown role in Landman season 2. Elliott has long been a legend of Western movies and shows, and his expertise is something Landman and Taylor Sheridan will almost certainly make use of. It will also be a reunion for Elliott and Tommy Norris actor Billy Bob Thornton, who first collaborated on Tombstone. Perhaps the most exciting part of Elliott's casting, however, is his 2015 role on a season of Timothy Olyphant's acclaimed Western crime drama Justified.

Landman Is Already Similar To Sam Elliott's Story In Justified Season 6

Elliott Played Avery Markham, A Ruthless Kentucky Gangster Out For Land, In Justified

Avery Markham sitting down with Raylan in Justified

One of the best signs of how good Sam Elliott could be in Landman season 2 is how similar his villainous character in Justified was. In Justified season 6, Elliott played Avery Markham, a ruthless gangster and drug dealer who was looking to buy up land and grow weed in Kentucky. Elliott's Markham is immediately similar to Landman and its characters, particularly Gallino (Andy Garcia), a ruthless cartel boss who's trying to edge in on M-Tex's land and get in on the oil business. If Elliott's character ends up being a villain in Landman season 2, he can just channel the same performance he gave in Justified.

Even if Sam Elliott's Landman season 2 character turns out to be an ally to Tommy Norris, his experience from Justified will still be helpful. Elliott has already learned how to think like a powerful and land-hungry criminal in Justified season 6, so he should be able to use that knowledge to deal with Gallino and the cartels in Landman. If he plays some kind of enforcer for M-Tex or a lawman helping Tommy out, Elliott will already have all the knowledge he needs to turn the cartel plot in Landman season 2 into a full-on war.

Sam Elliott's Landman Season 2 Casting Gives Him A Taylor Sheridan Replacement Show After 1883

Elliott Already Appeared In Sheridan's Yellowstone Universe As Shea Brennan

There's another show in Sam Elliott's history that's also relevant to his Landman casting: Taylor Sheridan's 1883. Elliott was the star of the Yellowstone prequel 1883, where he played wagon boss and Civil War veteran Shea Brennan. 1883 already proved that Sam Elliott can perfectly breathe life into Taylor Sheridan's impeccable writing, which is another great sign for Landman season 2. His experience with the writer and director should make it even easier to Landman partway through its story and blend into it naturally.

The Bad News Bears, Landman and Tulsa King characters

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Additionally, Elliott's casting in Landman demonstrates that he's earned Taylor Sheridan's respect as an actor. Even though Sheridan regularly recasts actors in different shows, he also has a reputation that allows him to get pretty much any actor he wants. If Sheridan thinks that John Hamm, for example, is the right person for a role, then Hamm is probably going to take the part. The fact that Sheridan got Sam Elliott to do another project in the form of Landman season 2 is proof that he thinks Elliott is the perfect person for the part. If there was someone better, Sheridan would have been able to get them.

Taylor Sheridan's and Potential Series and Movies	Release Dates
6666 Yellowstone spinoff	TBD
Empire of the Summer Moon	TBD
The Madison Yellowstone spinoff	TBD
Mayor of Kingstown season 4	TBD
Tulsa King season 3	TBD
Beth Dutton & Rip Wheeler Yellowstone spinoff	TBD
Landman season 2	TBD
1944 Yellowstone spinoff	TBD
Lioness season 3	Rumored

Landman season 2 is also great news for Sam Elliott, as it gives him a replacement for 1883. As a limited series, 1883 only lasted a single season, and the ending of 1883 saw Elliott's character die. While it did work well, it also meant that Elliott was missing out on a longer-running show with the ever-popular Taylor Sheridan. Landman season 2 is the perfect replacement for 1883: now Elliott can be part of a Sheridan show for as long as it runs, and he can enjoy even more popularity than 1883 had. Sam Elliott's role in Landman season 2 is already primed to be great.