Landman is the new Paramount Plus drama that has audiences raving. It’s also the latest show by talented writer and creator Taylor Sheridan. Landman is a gripping drama set in the high-stakes world of the oil industry, where power, ambition, and family dynamics collide. The show features dangerous explosions, drug cartels, and the volatility of the oil and fuel industry.
The TV series is based on a 2019 documentary podcast, Boomtown, set in the oil rigs of West Texas and following the stories of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires.
We’ve compiled the ultimate character guide for Taylor Sheridan’s hottest new show. The Season 1 cast features an incredible ensemble of Hollywood legends such as Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm. It also stars Ali Larter, several up-and-coming actors, and some familiar faces. Find out everything you need to know about each character and the actor that portrays them.
Landman premiered in November 2024 with the final episode released in January 2025.
Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris, the “Landman”
Tommy Norris, also known as the “Landman,” is played by Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton describes Tommy as a “fixer” who specializes in “crisis management” (per The Kelly Clarkson Show).
Tommy’s role is to ensure the men on the oil rigs do their jobs and stay safe, as well as make money for the owner (Monty Miller) of the oil company, M-TEX.
Alongside a demanding work life, the perpetually exhausted Tommy is surrounded by his “eccentric family,” and “every day of his life is like the weight of the world’s on his shoulders.”
Interestingly, Sheridan explicitly wrote the Tommy Norris character for Thornton. In December 2021, during the premiere of 1883, in which Thornton made a cameo, Sheridan pitched the idea of Landman to Thornton and said, “I’m writing a series called Landman for you, and I’m going to write it in your voice… it’s basically you if you were a landman” (per Paramount Plus). Thornton committed to the project before seeing the script because he felt the role would be a natural fit for him.
Billy Bob Thornton’s legendary Hollywood career spans decades and includes an Oscar for Sling Blade (1996). Thornton is also well-known for his role as Billy McBride in Goliath (2016-2021) and his appearances in Primary Colors (1998) and Monster’s Ball (2001), among many others.
Ali Larter as Angela Norris
Ali Larter plays Angela Norris, Tommy’s fun-loving, empathetic ex-wife who wants her husband back. The former couple share two children: Ainsley and Cooper.
Larter described Angela as “incredibly colorful” and “fiery…she fights for her family and loves to cause mischief” (per Taste of Country). Angela has experienced the highs and lows of the oil industry and loves to drive Tommy crazy.
Despite being divorced, Angela and Tommy both have a deep love for each other, which plays out in the series. According to Larter, “She can definitely cause problems, but she’s just kind of doing it to keep life interesting” (per CBR).
Larter revealed that Angela has been so much fun to play because she is her most complex role to date, describing her as an “emotional tornado.”
She also told BAFTA she loves Angela because she isn’t like her at all. She enjoyed finding the confidence within herself to have fun playing the character.
Audiences will recognize Larter from her previous roles in Final Destination (2000), Legally Blonde (2001), and Heroes (2006-2010).
Michelle Randolph as Ainsley Norris
Ainsley Norris (played by Michelle Randolph) is the 17-year-old daughter of Tommy and Angela. The youngest member of the Norris family is a candid, headstrong young woman trying to figure out who she is.
Throughout the show, we see Ainsley navigate relationships with her family and romantic ones. Randolph describes her character as “unbridled and free-spirited and confident” (The Wrap).
To prepare for her role, Randolph (who is 10 years older than her character) began immersing herself in the “high school football romance world.” She rewatched the television version of Friday Night Lights (2006-2011) and drew inspiration from Jane Fonda’s work in Barefoot in the Park (1967). Randolph also worked with a dialect coach to perfect her Southern accent.
Landman isn’t Randolph’s first time working with Sheridan. She also appears in 1923 (2022-2025) as Elizabeth Strafford.
Jacob Lofland as Cooper Norris
Jacob Lofland portrays hard-working Cooper Norris, the eldest child of Tommy and Angela. He’s a college dropout with a dream to run his own oil company one day. Despite this ambition, Cooper has very little knowledge of how the oil business works.
Throughout the series, audiences will watch Cooper navigate balancing his ambition with family loyalty. He will also suffer some significant tragedies that help shape his transition from boy to man.
To prepare for the part of Cooper, Lofland revealed to Screen Rant that he was sent on a “five-day roughneck camp” featuring all of the oil rigging equipment they would use on the show.
Lofland shared that he learned an incredible amount during this time, especially about the dangers faced by the men working in the industry. He described learning how the equipment worked from the professionals as “like a dance, and you just make sure you don’t step in the wrong place.”
Prior to his role as Cooper, Lofland appeared in Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials (2015) and Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2016). He also appeared in Mud (2012) and had a part in Joker: Folie à Deux (2024).
Jon Hamm as Monty Miller
Monty Miller (played by Jon Hamm) is a titan of the Texas oil industry and Tommy’s boss. He is happily married to his wife, Cami. Like Tommy, Monty’s role also comes with its own fair share of stress and exhaustion.
“He looks amazing, and yet he’s slowly…falling apart,” Hamm described Monty for Paramount Plus).
The fact that Monty and Tommy used to be good friends adds an interesting dynamic. Hamm explained that his character took certain risks and gambles that paid off, leading him to the position he’s in now (per This Morning).
Within the series, it becomes very clear that Tommy and Monty both rely on each other for their respective jobs. Hamm shared that while the two men have friendship and kinship, their relationship also has a hierarchy.
Audiences will recognize Hamm as Don Draper in Mad Men (2007-2015) and Ted in Bridesmaids (2011). He’s also appeared in the television series Fargo (2014-2024) and Good Omens (2019-2025).
Demi Moore as Cami Miller
Demi Moore portrays Cami, Monty Miller’s elegant and loving wife. Moore describes Cami as focused on “her family and their social existence” and “the ups and downs of keeping [Monty] grounded, healthy, and safe” (per Vanity Fair).
Like most actors working with Sheridan, Moore was drawn to his track record; he writes about “incredible, complex, dynamic and delicious women who are powerful, vulnerable, flawed.”
Moore is another legendary Hollywood actor with an impressive resume. To name just a few, she has appeared in Ghost (1990), G.I. Jane (1997), and Striptease (1996).
Jon Hamm, her on-screen husband, felt honored to play Moore and described her to BAFTA as “a force of nature” and a “tremendously intelligent, giving, expressive actor and person.”
James Jordan as Dale Bradley
Dale Bradley (played by James Jordan) is a petroleum engineer who manages and works with the roughnecks in the oil field. He’s also one of Tommy’s roommates.
When asked by Screen Rant how his character evolved from the script to the screen, Jordan replied that it all started with Sheridan’s words and that working alongside such a fantastic cast allows him to bring the character to life.
Jordan is no stranger to working with Sheridan. He’s featured in several other Sheridan productions, including Wind River (2017), The Mayor of Kingstown (2021-2024), 1883 (2022), Yellowstone (2018-2024), and Lioness (2023-2024).
Colm Feore as Nathan
Nathan (played by Colm Feore) is the company’s attorney and administrator and Tommy’s other roommate. He is essentially the company’s go-to man for damage control.
Nathan is quiet, well-meaning, and exercises plenty of self-control while living with Tommy. He also shows some decency when dealing with complicated matters such as payouts for deaths on the oil rigs’ sites.
Colm Feore is best known for his roles in The Chronicles of Riddick (2004), Thor (2011), and Face/Off (1997). He also appeared in the popular Umbrella Academy series (2019-2024).
Kayla Wallace as Rebecca Falcone
Kayla Wallace brings Rebecca Falcone to life as the big-city lawyer. One of her main roles is to negotiate a settlement for M-TEX with the families who lost loved ones during an explosion on an oil rig.
Like many of the show’s audiences, she is an outsider looking into the oil and gas industry and arrives with preconceived notions. However, her character grows and changes as she learns about the world of oil rigs.
To prepare for her part as a lawyer, she watched many trials online and even attended a trial in Fort Worth (per CBR). The actress shared her favorite scene as the deposition from the fourth episode, highlighting it for showcasing her strength, intelligence, and confidence. It was a “pivotal moment to prep for and play out.”
Before her breakthrough role in Landman, Kayla Wallace primarily worked in television, including several TV movies and series. Her most notable parts were in movies like Once Upon a Prince (2018) and Heatwave (2022). She’s also known for the series When Calls the Heart (2014-2024).
Mark Collie as Sheriff Walt Joeberg
Mark Collie, as Sheriff Walt Joeberg, is a no-nonsense lawman. Despite his position of authority, Walt has a close friendship with Tommy. Collie described his character to Screen Rant as necessary to the Norris family and that Walt “tries to be as accommodating, and he tries to cover Tommy’s a** when he has to.”
When asked how he prepared to portray the challenges of law enforcement in this part, Collie replied that he knows a lot of people in law enforcement and has a lot of respect for their jobs (per TV Fanatic). He also shared that in his role, he “tried to lean on what little [he’s] learned about making bad choices.”
Before his work in Landman, Collie appeared in The Punisher (2004) and Nashville (2012-2018). Alongside his work as an actor, Collie is also a well-established country singer and songwriter. He released his most recent album, “Book of My Blues,” in 2021.
Paulina Chávez as Ariana
Paulina Chávez portrays Ariana, the recently widowed mother who forms a close bond with Cooper Norris. Chàvez explained how she was “immediately struck by how resilient Ariana is… there’s so much nuance to her” (per Decider).
Chávez also revealed that Ariana “doesn’t apologize for what she is feeling” and that her “strength comes from her vulnerability.” Ariana’s grief journey and how Cooper supports her throughout the first season engross audiences.
Prior to her role as Ariana, audiences may recognize Chávez from Feliz NaviDAD (2020), The Long Game (2023), and The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia (2020).
FAQ
Is Landman connected to Yellowstone?
Yes, Yellowstone and Landman are connected in a few ways. While the storylines are entirely separate, both shows were created and written by Taylor Sheridan for the Paramount network. Several actors from the Yellowstone franchise also appear in Landman.
How many episodes are there of Landman?
Season 1 of Landman has ten episodes. There has been no official confirmation of a Season 2. However, in a recent interview with Deadline, Demi Moore revealed she is excited to start filming the second season at the beginning of 2025.
Where was Landman filmed?
Landman was filmed in and around Fort Worth, Texas.
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