When What to Watch joins Ali Larter for an exclusive interview about her new Paramount Plus drama Landman, we’ve seen the first two episodes and are excited to chat about her excellent performance as loveable, unconventional, and larger-than-life matriarch Angela Norris.
In this 10-parter from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, Billy Bob Thornton leads the cast as the titular landman, Tommy Norris, a self-proclaimed debt-ridden, alcoholic who puts all his energy into ensuring that everything runs smoothly for his billionaire oil baron boss Monty Miller (Jon Hamm) in Odessa, Texas.
The other side of Tommy's life involves his family, namely his son Cooper (Jacob Lofland, Justified, Joker: Folie à Deux), teenage daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph, 1923, The Throwback) and last, but never, ever least, his ex-wife Angela.
In the first episode, you learn that Tommy’s dangerous daily duties include everything from greasing the wheels with the police and the press to negotiating land rights with drug dealers - something he does effortlessly while being held at gunpoint in the lip-chewingly tense opener.
However, the job takes on an alarming aspect for the hard-bitten fixer when Cooper quits university to work the rigs. Soon afterwards the former geology student is involved in an explosive work accident that instigates the semi-permanent arrival of Angela and Ainsley, introducing a minefield of complications for Tommy, and a rich new seam of drama, dilemmas and laugh-out-loud moments for viewers.
Here Ali tells us more about the star-studded show that includes Demi Moore, Andy Garcia and Michael Peña on the cast list…
Ali, we’ve just finished watching the first two episodes. Have you seen the finished article yourself?
“I sure have. A lot of times I don't want to watch the work, because I find that really challenging, but with Landman there are so many different storylines that I needed to understand how they were going to weave together.”
What were your first impressions?
“I think it's an incredible show. I'm so proud to be a part of it and I'm excited to be able to show people what we’ve created. Taylor is a masterful storyteller, it’s fast moving and, at its heart is Billy, who really takes you into this world.”
Was it a world you knew much about before filming?
“No, I didn't, but I think what makes Landman authentic is that it started from the Boomtown podcast by Christian Wallace. Taylor worked with Christian, who’s from this world, to craft it and make sure that there wasn’t a false beat. It’s storytelling but it gives you an eye into a real world that’s incredibly dangerous and high stakes.”
I was going to ask you, ‘What do you think it is about this environment that lends itself so well to drama?’ but, in a way, you've answered it!
“With the oil world, you're either born into it or you seek it out. There are definite personality types that are drawn to it. It’s filled with people who need money, gamblers, hopeless romantics and those who were born there and it's just what they know. All of that is very intriguing. The way that Taylor crafts a lot of the monologues that Billy does, it really takes you into that world of dreamers, but the reality of it too.”
In terms of Angela, we meet her through Tommy’s phone in the first two episodes. Please tell us that we’ll see a lot more of her later in the series?
[Laughing] “Yes, I live on FaceTime for a while! When she comes in though, it's definitely with a punch! I think of her as being an emotional tornado. Angela’s bold and wild, but she's all heart. That was something, you know, working with Taylor’s incredible scripts, and then me and Billy finding out what our organic relationship is and how we wanted to portray them; it was a really interesting way of being able to come at it.”
Even via phone she strikes us as a woman who stands apart in a man’s world. What do you like about playing her?
“I’ve never played a character this colourful and confident before. Everything about her is loud and sexy - even when she cries! She's as comfortable on a G5 as she is hanging off one of the oil rigs.”
Is it difficult not to be star struck when working with Billy Bob Thornton?
“Yes, and you have to get past that. To be able to work on this and find that [relationship between Angela and Tommy], was incredible. Billy simmers. He doesn't let it boil over unless it warrants it, and when it does, you can't take your eyes away. To be able to have that spar mate on set and knowing that you're in it together, that, for both of us, was essential to making sure that this was real, grounded and always truthful.”
What was the atmosphere like behind the scenes?
“It all starts with one down on the call sheet setting the tone and Billy’s unbelievable on set - he's a generous human being and really kind. This show has an incredible lack of egos in it, if you can believe that, because everyone was there to do the work. When you have someone like Billy - you know, he's from Arkansas, he's a good guy, and he's not coming at this saying, ‘Look at me’ or ‘Wait for me’. He's right there on set. He was actually there for every bit of off-camera I had, even the phone call scenes. He’s incredibly available as an actor, he cares about the craft, and he's at the top of his game.”
From what we’ve seen, we can understand why Tommy and Angela are no longer together, but at the same time, we would love to see them reunite. How would you describe their dynamic?
“Oil and water! Angela is his espresso - she keeps him going and there’s never a dull moment. But also, it's the first love, the one you never forget, he’s the father of her children. There's a true, deep understanding of each other in a world where there's so much going on, and there's a kind of safety and beauty in that love. As crazy as things can get, it always comes back to that.”
Can you tease how things develop for them?
“Once Angela enters into this world, things are never the same! It's fun, really painful at times, and incredibly complicated because this is a woman who's trying to heal her family and has a true, deep love for this man.”
Did you enjoy working closely with Jacob Lofland and Michelle Randolph?
“They are so great! I spent a lot of time with Michelle, who plays my daughter, during shooting and it was great for us to find a relationship, because it was very high pressure and intense at times. She’s such a special person and so talented.”
Can you hint at how involved Angela becomes in this world as the series progresses?
“She definitely gets entangled into the storylines. You have these moments with Jacob as Cooper, and his big, beautiful eyes, as he's falling in love and you see him all heart. And then you have the cartel coming through, and you see the incredibly dangerous world of being on the oil rigs, but why people have to do it. There are so many different parts to the show and it comes together in a magical way.”
If Landman runs to a second season, would you like to revisit it?
“Oh, absolutely. I love this family. I love how complicated and different they are. Filming season one in Fort Worth Texas for five months was a big commitment, because you’re setting up the first season and finding the world. It was definitely very stressful, but I think that under that pressure we created something really beautiful.”
Finally, you’re talking to a Resident Evil fan here who loves strong women characters. What was it about the franchise that kept you coming back?
“I think that was it [strong women characters]. Mila was really on the forefront of that, she’s an incredibly generous actor and an amazing woman and mother. I kind of grew up doing those movies with her, you know - we were working together, I was just dating my husband, then we were all married, and then we had our first babies on set in South Africa, which was wild. I think Resident Evil presented a world where women could come in in ways that you didn't expect. We need to keep breaking down those boundaries and continue to show women in every single way that we can.”
You can watch Ali Larter in Landman Season 1 when the drama premieres exclusively on Paramount Plus in the UK on Monday, November 18 2024. The series will launch with two episodes and subsequent episodes of the 10-episode season will be available every Sunday.
Ali Larter - CV
Ali Larter’s body of work has garnered her a legion of fans for very good reasons, whether it’s her eye-catching turn as Brooke Taylor-Windham in Legally Blonde, as protagonist Clear Rivers in Final Destination 1 and 2, pandemic survivor Claire Redfield in the Resident Evil franchise, or Niki Sanders (plus alter egos) in Heroes.
Who’s who in Landman
Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton)
$500,000 in debt, the tough, respected fixer works tirelessly for his billionaire boss, while holding a hazardous candle for his ex-wife.
Angela Norris (Ali Larter)
Brash with a heart of gold, a family crisis brings the former Mrs Norris back into his dangerous working world and reignites their fractious relationship.
Monty Miller (Jon Hamm)
Tension simmers between the oil baron and his crisis manager, as they juggle high pressure situations with far reaching political, environmental and personal consequences.
Cami Miller (Demi Moore)
The tycoon’s wife enjoys the high-life while remaining a powerhouse for her husband and driving his ambition behind the scenes.
Cooper Norris (Jacob Lofland)
Dreaming of a lucrative future, the eldest Norris child puts his life on the line to learn the oil business from the ground up.
Ainsley Norris (Michelle Randolph)
Spoilt but loveable, the boy-mad teenager and her doting father are both in for a rude awakening when Angela relocates them to Odessa.
Sheriff Walt Joeberg (Mark Collie)
A Texan lawman to his core, the jury’s out on whether the well-connected Sheriff is in the oil company’s pocket or his own man…
Galino (Andy Garcia)
Andy Garcia plays the enigmatic Galino later in the series and is described as ‘an extremely capable, powerful, and practical man.’
Armando Medina (Michael Peña)
Michael Peña plays Armando Medina, a veteran roughneck, trusted by Tommy, and tasked with introducing a rookie to the life of an oil rig worker.
Landman - additional information
Landman is co-created by Oscar nominee Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace,produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios, and Sheridan’s Bosque Ranch Productions exclusively for Paramount+.
Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune-seeking in the world of oil rigs. Based on the notable 11-part podcast Boomtown from Imperative Entertainment and Texas Monthly, the series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.
Landman is executive produced by Taylor Sheridan, David C. Glasser, David Hutkin, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari , Christian Wallace, Geyer Kosinski, Michael Friedman and Stephen Kay. Dan Friedkin and Jason Hoch for Imperative Entertainment, and J.K. Nickell and Megan Creydt for Texas Monthly also executive produce. Peter Feldman serves as co-executive producer. Landman is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
