The actor and former director has moved beyond past Hollywood slights and his old hotheaded reputation. But he still keeps having to explain himself.

Letting Los Angeles cowpunk drummer and Arkansas native Billy Bob Thornton portray film and television characters for four decades has allowed a disruptive hand grenade to detonate in the global creative marketplace.

Jon Hamm, Demi Moore and Ali Larter also star in the West Texas-set drama about a corporate fixer navigating the booms and busts of the oil industry.