Billy Bob Thornton, Lionel Messi in new Michelob Ultra ad – Exclusive

Billy Bob Thornton is once again picking up a beer bottle, but this time, he's leaving the cowboy hat at home.

The "Landman" actor, whose character Tommy Norris drinks Michelob Ultra on the Paramount+ show, is starring in a real-life campaign for the beer brand ahead of the FIFA World Cup. USA TODAY has the first look at the ad, titled "The Superior Match," which also stars soccer superstar Lionel Messi.

"I never had a Michelob Ultra until I started 'Landman,' " Thornton, 70, tells USA TODAY from the set of the commercial. "That's (the only beer) I've had since."

On "Landman," Tommy is a recovering alcoholic but drinks Michelob Ultra, deadpanning that "there's more alcohol in orange juice" than the light beer. In real-life, Thornton jokes that it actually depends on the orange juice's expiration date.

All kidding aside, Thornton is happy to endorse a brand he actually likes. It's his third commercial as an actor.

"When I was coming up in the entertainment business, commercials weren't a popular thing for serious actors but now everybody does them," he says. "It suddenly gives you cachet if you do commercials."

That is evident from the Super Bowl, where a number of actors who have limited to no commercial experience have jumped into the mix. Michelob Ultra tabbed Kurt Russell for its big game ad, his first, in February. Emma Stone also made her Super Bowl commercial debut in February with Squarespace. Other first-time Super Bowl ad stars in recent years have included Jim Carrey (Verizon, 2022) and Michael Shannon (Ritz, 2025).

The cast of "The Superior Match" is vast: Messi and Argentine teammates Lautaro Martínez and Nicolás Paz Martínez face off in an impromptu soccer match against U.S. Soccer’s Christian Pulisic, Sergiño Dest and Antonee Robinson. The match takes place in a hotel lobby and the winner scores a bucket of Michelob Ultra beers. The problem? That bucket was ordered from room service by Thornton.

There are also appearances from Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, Brazilian two-time World Cup champion Ronaldo Nazario and two-time World Cup champion Alex Morgan, who announced on Mother's Day that she's expecting her third child.

No AI is used in the ad but directors Jaron Albertin and Rune Milton were forced to get extra-creative: All of the commercial's celebrities were filmed on the same set, except Thornton and Messi, who were in a different location.

Thornton is paying attention to the use of AI and thinks "like any other thing that people come up with, if it's used for good, it's awesome."

"If you want to make funny videos and stuff like that, or if it's helpful in the medical world and they can perfect it enough to actually help people, I think any of that's fine," he says. "The only way it could get dangerous is if they start to drop people's jobs because of it. We don't want any more help in that area."

As far as Thornton's work, he's getting to ready to release his 21st album with his band The Boxmasters, "In the Bay." The band, which also features Grammy-winning recording engineer J.D. Andrew, will tour from June 13 through Aug. 8. 

While on the set, Thornton reveals he's already writing songs for the band's next album.

"We just try to schedule things where we're an album ahead all the time," he says. "We're working on the next one already because I have to go back and work at the sawmill for about four-and-a-half months."

No, not an actual sawmill like the one Thornton worked at in Arkansas before he made it big as an actor. Season 3 of "Landman" will begin filming at the end of August, once he's off tour. There's a good chance he'll have the beer bottle, but this time, the cowboy hat will be along for the ride too.