The Big Picture

Collider’s Steve Weintraub talks with Ali Larter for
Landman
.
In the series, Ali Larter delivers an explosive, funny, and emotional performance as Angela.
During this interview, Larter discusses how
Landman
is inspired by real-life experiences, fighting hard for the role of Angela, and displaying utter faith in series creators Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace.

Ali Larter is a seminal face from so many beloved films from the late ’90s and early aughts, including Varsity Blues, Final Destination, Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, and Legally Blonde. Since then, she’s taken on regular roles on television shows like Heroes and The Rookie. Now, acting opposite the always memorable Billy Bob Thornton, Larter digs deep and turns in an explosive, funny, and emotional performance as Angela in Taylor Sheridan’s latest epic, Landman.

From television Western maestro Sheridan comes Landman, and inspired by Christian Wallace’s experience in the world of West Texas oil rigs, formally expressed as the popular podcast Boomtown. Landman takes place where roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fuel an enormous boom — so big it reshapes our climate, economy, and geopolitics. In the show, Larter plays Angela Norris, ex-wife of Thornton’s Tommy Norris. Landman also stars Jon Hamm and Demi Moore.

Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the opportunity to sit down across from Larter to talk about all things Landman. During this conversation, they discuss how she fought, giving everything she had, to audition for the role of Angela, a vivacious and dimensional woman of age, as well as the utter faith she has in series creators Sheridan and Wallace.

Ali Larter Cut Her Teeth On ‘Dawson’s Creek’
“I think it was kind of a special, magical time.”
Image via WB

COLLIDER: I like throwing a curveball at the beginning, and my curve for you is very, very early in your career you did two episodes of Dawson’s Creek.

ALI LARTER: I sure did.

Talk a little bit about what you remember about being on the show, especially when you were just trying to get your break and do anything at that point.

LARTER: Of course! I played a character named Kristy, and she was in high school with Pacey, with [Joshua Jackson]. David Semel was the executive producer and the director at that time. I’ve worked with David Semel many, many times since then. We all were down there in Wilmington together. My husband’s actually filming The Runarounds in Wilmington right now. That time in our business was very special. That’s when Dawson’s Creek was, Varsity Blues , all these teen movies. It was just that late ’90s/double-zeros, and there was just so much of that content being made.

I think it was kind of a special, magical time to have all those great opportunities to be able to flex my skills and learn what I was doing. I was like a puppy with big paws back then. You’ve been to acting class, you’ve done that, but really, for me, it’s been trial by fire. I’ve learned along the way, and I’ve worked with some amazing acting coaches. But you take each thing and you learn, at least for me. I learn from experience. I’m a very curious person. So, starting there, I was so close with Josh for so many years, and I wish him only the best with his family. It was great.

Ali Larter’s Angela Is an Absolute Firecracker on ‘Landman’
Image via Paramount+

You have done a lot of stuff in your career. Which shot or sequence do you think was the toughest to pull off because of camera, move dialogue, whatever it may be?

LARTER: “Bolognese” right now. It’s Episode 5, “Bolognese,” because it was an eight-minute scene, and in television, there’s no such thing. It was extraordinary. So we were able to live within this world where I’m in the house, then I greet my son at the door, and I’m making this elaborate dinner for everyone, and we have a table full of family. You have the awkward, funny moments, these beats, and she’s trying so hard to bring her family back together and show her love through her bolognese and her Italian night. She’s dressed looking Italian. Then you see us go from the table into the kitchen, and you see her break down.

The emotional demands of this role were harder than anything I’ve ever done because she turns in scenes. She’s laughing, she’s crying, she’s all over the fucking place. So, when you have to do that, it takes a lot of the mental game to stay very calm and conserve your energy because she’s such a firecracker. When I cry, I cry. I go there, and I find it because I’ve worked on the character. This woman was an emotional tornado, and it took all I had.

Ali Larter Was Terrified Auditioning for Taylor Sheridan
“I fought for her because I wanted the chance to be able to express this incredible woman.”
Image via Paramount+

I am so curious about this because one of the things about this role, as you said, is I don’t know what Angela’s gonna do in any scene.

LARTER: It could go any way. She’s wild!

When you were signing on and Taylor or Christian are telling you about the role, how much are they telling you, “Here’s the arc, here’s what we’re thinking about Angela,” and how much are you like, “I just trust Taylor?”

LARTER: Number one: you trust Taylor. That just is what it is, and you’ll hear that from Demi [Moore] and everything because she knows somewhere where her character is going, and you have to lay the groundwork. With Angela, I had to audition for this role, and then I had to screen-test 19 pages for him. It was so terrifying and it was so hard. But from the first page that I read of Angela, I knew I wanted this. I fought for her because I wanted the chance to be able to express this incredible woman. For me, especially a woman of age, who’s still sexy, and fun, and flirty, and loving, and very alive! I don’t wanna go play a lawyer. She is just so full of fun and love and passion. That was so fun to play.

Then you go for the ride with Taylor, and Taylor does start writing for his actors. That’s just what he does. He has this world of the Permian Basin, of the dangerous world of oil. We have Christian Wallace, who comes in and really keeps it authentic. He’s from that world. His family is from there. When he did his podcast, Boomtown, it really showed you an eye into this world. Then you have Taylor creating all these dynamic characters around it. So you get on board, and you trust him. I trust him 100% and anything he wants me to do, I’m in. He’s an amazing person to collaborate with.

The Joys of Acting With Billy Bob Thornton
Image via Paramount+

You and Billy Bob have such fun scenes. I’m a big fan of his work.

LARTER: Of course.

What was it like actually working with him and doing these scenes? Because it’s very fun, and I think the audience is gonna really respond to the dynamic.

LARTER: It’s a very interesting relationship that I don’t think you’ve seen on screen before. There’s one thing that’s on the page, but then Billy and I really looked into, “Who do we want to portray? This is a television show. What story do we wanna tell about who these two people are and why they love each other?” So, for us, it was really getting back to the thing that they accept each other for who they are, and they love each other for their faults. I find that so rare in relationships. It’s so easy to judge someone or to live in low-level energy and all this B.S., and they really accept each other. There’s such beauty and freedom in that, where you can really get to a place of true love. That was amazing, which is finding that in all the scenes. That was the game. How did we find that in all the scenes? Even if it wasn’t supposed to be in that scene, we were gonna find it.

So it was that, and then, he’s an incredibly confident actor who’s been doing this for a long time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and intimidated on these sets because it’s a crew of 300. It’s really fast, and you don’t wanna take up too much time, or you can get into that kind of worry. He doesn’t allow that to happen. I felt I was completely protected within the artistic vision I wanted to put forward into this role because so often I was with him, and you’re not moving on until we’ve got there where we feel like the scene is the best that it can be. That was amazing. Also, when he wakes up in a scene, it could take two minutes, four minutes, who knows? Everyone has to wait. It is a masterclass in waking up. Sometimes, it was really hard not to laugh out loud in some of the scenes with him because he’s also really funny. That’s why he’s brilliant!

Here’s Hoping for ‘Landman’ Season 2

One thing about making the first season of a TV show is you’re learning how to make the show. If you’re fortunate enough to make Season 2 next year, what did you learn making the first season that you want to take with you?

LARTER: The first season was really, really hard for me. It was incredibly demanding. I was down there for five months. Also, when you’re not watching it, when you don’t see it, there are so many different storylines and so many different tones within this show. I didn’t know how it was all going to work together. It was this incredible leap of faith with Billy and then also with Taylor, putting it out there and not knowing if it was gonna work or not, because she is such a larger-than-life character, this emotional tornado. I had to go for it. The mental game for me was being able to stay calm. To be able to deliver the work and not get really nervous, because it was such a big deal working with this level of talent. Now, I’ve seen the show, and I’m like, “Let’s go. Let’s go!” She is fun, and it was so great having Stephen Kay, Michael Friedman, and Taylor as our directors. I just trust them. I’m really proud to be part of this, and I hope we continue to get to tell this story.

Landman is available to stream on Paramount+.

A modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of West Texas oil rigs.Where To Watch Paramount+

Watch on Paramount+