Ali Larter on ‘Landman’ Season 2 and Playing Out Her and Billy Bob Thornton’s “Unlikely Love Affair”

Ali Larter is currently in the middle of shooting Landman season two, which landed her on set in Fort Worth, Texas for about five months. Around the start of the pandemic, Larter and husband Hayes MacArthur relocated themselves and their two young children to a small town in Idaho and they never returned to Los Angeles. She spends her days off flying back for parent-teacher conferences and is now looking forward to welcoming her family down to Texas once school is out.

But when Larter steps onto Taylor Sheridan‘s set, the mother of two morphs into Angela Norris. Angela, also a mother to two older children played by Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland in the hit Paramount+ oil drama, is the feisty, spitfire wife of landman Tommy Norris, played by her scene partner Billy Bob Thornton. Viewers first met Larter’s Angela on a FaceTime screen and since that brief introduction, Larter has brought depth and heart to the matriarch of the series who reconciled with ex-husband Tommy, reunited her family and remains fiercely by Tommy’s side heading into season two after the dramatic cliffhanger conclusion of season one around Tommy’s oil business future.

Below, Larter talks to The Hollywood Reporter about the early criticism around Angela — which she says creator-writer Sheridan very much anticipated — what draws her to playing someone who is “ballsy and confident and who does not give a fuck what the world thinks about her” and what she can say about what’s in store for season two.

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So, when did you move to Idaho?

Four and a half years ago. It’s wild how COVID opened up so many different lives for people in unexpected ways, where you really stared your life in the eye and went, “Am I happy? What are the choices I’m making, am I willing to roll the dice?” It was the pandemic and our kids’ schools were shut down. It was a really challenging time. The kids were out of school for over a year and a half, and we decided to take them to a ski town. We went to a place I had never been to before that my husband had been as a child. We thought this was a chance for a couple months to just do something as a family.

My husband and I are both adventurous by nature. We don’t sit in the muck and that’s what it felt like — we were just sitting in the muck of this life that was not working. We went for two months and the schools were open there. We were able to put our daughter in kindergarten, and that was massive. We stayed for two more months and the dominoes kept falling in really positive ways so we just decided to roll the dice.

We had built our lives and our careers in this town [in Hollywood], and never even thought there was a world where we wouldn’t be living there. And it’s scary when you leave. You wonder if you’re ever going to work again, and if you’re giving it all up.

I’ve interviewed many of you Sheridan-verse stars, and a lot of you have left Los Angeles and moved all over the country. It’s like life imitating art.

Definitely. We left before this show came. Neither of us were working. It’s challenging. But when you have a lifelong career as a working actor, that’s the reality of the life. You have to dig deep inside yourself and have faith and belief and continue the work, hoping that that great opportunity is going to come. So much of being in our business is the mental game that you play.

When this [show] came about, it was something I fought for because I wanted to work in Taylor’s world. I think he’s a brilliant writer. That’s when I really felt, “It’s time to fight for something again.” It was so arduous the process of getting this, that it was not without its challenges.

How did the role come to you, through your agent?

Yes. [The audition process] started with four pages. Then you get to the next round, and you have 10 pages. Then you do another one. For the third round, they called us all down to screen test in Fort Worth. I got down there and I was in a room with 11 other women.

Did you recognize some of them?

Some of them, but that’s just insane. You get called in one by one, and then you have to wait until everyone’s done. It is no joke! When I say the mental game is so much of our business, you have to be able to perform, and I think that Taylor puts people under this kind of pressure to see if you can deliver when you’re working on his sets, because his sets have moments like that. As much as it sounds cruel, I can actually look back on it now as a way of editing out who can handle and withstand the heat.

I can’t imagine anyone else playing Angela now. As a viewer first meeting her, she stood out as a female character. Did you feel that as you were auditioning? Did this feel like a role that doesn’t come along often?

I had 18 pages when I had the screen test. That’s a lot of material to understand this character. And the big thing that made me really understand her was in episode three when she comes back and talks about her daughter, and she says she wants to leave [her second husband] and go be with [ex-husband] Tommy. You see this woman who’s made these choices in her life to take care of her children and you see she is she willing to give up this life of luxury and comfort to come back to where she belongs. She’s testing these waters. This woman who’s so ballsy and confident and who does not give a fuck what the world thinks about her. She’s very comfortable in her body and her sexuality. I love that Taylor writes for older women — women in their prime, that were still allowed to be alive! I love that he writes that. I know so many women who are like that. I love that she’s able to express that side of herself.

So there were all these different clues within the material that I was able to lean into. Then when I got the job and I got down here, me and Billy spent a ton of time mining this material. We had the luxury of having all 10 episodes [for season one]. Nobody knows where it’s going when I arrive [in the show]. But we knew the end and we were also playing this game. With television being so different from film, if we do this for seasons, we can’t tire it out. So, what is this relationship [between Angela and Tommy] and how do we find and show the history between these two characters? All of us the first season put in a tremendous amount of time and energy to build this house that we live in. There was a lot of the fighting and vitriol between the two, and Billy and I wanted moments of that, but we really worked to find our connection as humans that we could then bring into our work.

Your first scene was on FaceTime. Was that a challenging introduction?

That’s not hard at all. I think that’s what makes it interesting. Taylor wanted to keep me on FaceTime because he’s playing with the audience. The audience wants to be curious about what’s going on and that’s where you begin to see the entire arc of this character really start to unfold. You see her giving everything to try to put her family back together and this idea of this comfort and this world of taking care of her children, now she knows what life is about. She’s coming back to this true, endless love — this crazy love that these two have. This unlikely love affair.

I read an interview where you said Taylor knew what he was doing with Angela when there was early criticism of him objectifying women with Angela and Ainsley (her onscreen daughter played by Michelle Randolph). Now knowing how Angela has developed, when you look back at that early reaction, what do you make of it?

There’s good press and bad press. That’s challenging. I try to keep myself at arm’s length from that and stay with the work. This is Taylor’s baby. Anytime I would take my foot off the pedal, Taylor was on step. He wants her loud and emotional, like a tornado of energy. The way he envisioned this show is that it has so many tones. You’re able to go from the danger of the man camps to the romance of Cooper and Ariana to me and Ainsley — who are living our best life with food and wine and clothes — and then you shift to these really quiet moments between Tommy and Angela. There are so many different parts of this show, and I think what has connected with audiences is that all these tones work together in Taylor’s vision. First season, we didn’t know if that was going work. And as I was able to see it, I saw his vision unfold.

I’m also like, “Objectify me. C’mon.” (Laughs) Nobody’s putting me in a position that I’m not comfortable being in. I have two children. I’ve been married for 19 years. I love playing this character. If there was something I was uncomfortable with, I wouldn’t do it. What’s more uncomfortable is that people are so uncomfortable by their sexuality.

That criticism was around the same time Taylor guest starred in the final season of Yellowstone and had Kelly Riley’s Beth calling his character a misogynist. It seems Taylor was reminding viewers that he creates fierce female characters like Beth Dutton, and now Angela.

For sure. And if I didn’t have the really grounded moments with Billy, it would be a different show for me. That would be just one side, but this character is a full rainbow. I have so many parts of myself that I can put into her. She wants to be flashy in a bikini and be all hot, and then you see her crumbling trying to keep her family together. You see her battling and feeling like she’s getting older. Then you see her finding her calling and going to this old folks home and giving these people hope to live and bringing joy into their life. It’s very multi-dimensional, and that’s why it doesn’t bother me. You can do all of it. I just go to the material and find it within my work.

Do you know what inspired the retirement home storyline, where Angela finds her calling?

A lot of his stories are inspired by his wife. She does that. She goes to the homes here and has these incredible relationships. She plays games and sets up a bar for them. It’s the way it should be. They’re in their prime and they get shoved into these awful retirement homes where nobody loves or cares for them. Nicole [Sheridan] has really opened up this world of the way that we can see senior citizens, how we can treat them and have fun with them, and how little effort it takes to bring so much happiness to someone’s life.

So how long were you on set for season one and were you on location the whole time, or were you going back and forth to your family?

We shot for five months. It was hard the first season. We didn’t know how all the tones and how everything was going to work together. Me and Billy were still figuring out how we were going to do this. He’s so incredible to work with because he wants to put in the time. He’s first there, last to leave. We are mining the material. We’re finding things. You work 16-hour days and then you’ve got to go home for parent-teacher conferences. I hop on a plane and I’m home for three days and the kids come to meet. We never go more than two weeks. It’s spring break and they’re here. When I’m not working or with them, I’m exhausted and laid out in bed!

You’re back in Fort Worth now shooting season two. Is the second time harder or easier?

We’re midway through our second season, which is also five months. It’s actually not as hard. It’s nicer that we started later, in January, because my kids will be out of school and come down to me soon. We did the work last year so now we’re kind of on our way. That doesn’t mean that it’s not filled with nerves every day you go to set because Taylor’s writes me these long monologues, and they’re tongue twisters! But the second season is definitely easier because we know these characters now.

Is Taylor as present this season as he was last season?

Well, he’s still writing. Last year we had the luxury of having all 10 scripts. Now they’re just coming in. We only had three when we started. We’re all jonesing to be able to build the arc. You just have to put faith and trust into your creator. He has a vision. He knows where this is going. I’ve read up to seven at this point. So much of this season is about family. It’s the family unit, and it’s really beautiful. It’s emotional and has some very sensitive, incredible moments.

So you don’t know how the season is going to end yet. [There are 10 episodes.]

I have an idea. Stephen Kay is directing all 10 episodes this year. Last year, Michael Friedman directed three; Stephen directed, I think, five; and Taylor directed a couple. That being said, Taylor would come in and direct all my stuff because he loves forming these characters and he wants them big and bold. It’s easy for me to match Billy’s energy, and he never wants that! He wants to shake it up. Now I know what that is, but last year, we were figuring out who these characters were and what made them tick.

Do you have any scenes with Demi Moore this season?

I do. She’s amazing. Such an icon. She’s so beautiful. She comes in and out, while the rest of us are living down here. So I think there’s challenges and bonuses to that. But I have a big scene coming up with her in a couple weeks and I can’t wait. She’s great in this character and she has so much to offer. I’m excited to see what she continues to do.

So what are you and Michelle Randolph like on set? Was that a mother-daughter relationship that was instantly formed? You two are fun to watch.

Thank you. Again, the first season was not easy. You’re not hearing “great job.” We’re finding our accents. We’re working with our acting coaches. We’re figuring out our wardrobe. There’s so much approval that has to go into everything. Me and Michelle lived in the same apartment building, and we would take long walks and were able to really lean on each other without knowing if this show was working or if anybody liked our work. You’re here doing the work; you show up. We don’t rehearse. We don’t block. You walk on a set and it’s on, and you’ve got to just be ready to go.

And that takes a tremendous amount of energy and preparation to be able to be performance ready as soon as you walk onto set without knowing exactly what’s going to happen with your sparring partner. Me and Michelle were able to really find our bond and be there for each other while we were developing and figuring out what the show was, and also realizing that what Taylor wanted was that we were supposed to bring joy and light to the show. He wanted us having fun. We have a great time together. We love to laugh. We can drop into that part of ourselves when we’re on set, and now it’s just loose and fun. We’re high-kicking, we’re laughing, shimmying, fixing each other’s lipstick, pushing the boobs up. It’s nice when you put in the work and then you get to the place where it’s just completely free.

The season ended where it seemed like the show would be shifting into darker material, so I’m happy to hear that you two still bring the light. We talked to Billy Bob Thornton about that final scene and the symbolism of him seeing the coyote and if he’s staring death in the eye. What do we assume Angela knows about Tommy’s situation going into season two?

In episode eight or nine, when Angela and Tommy go to the work site and the man is crushed by the pipes, the audience is able to go through Angela’s point of view into the world and see through her the real danger of what that world is. I think there’s a delicate balance between how much is shared, but she knows what’s going on. Angela and Tommy have so much history together. They’ve been through the bust. Once you’ve been through that kind of horrific life where you’ve lost everything and you have two young children, they’ve understood and seen each other in the darkest of times. Now, coming back and seeing how they deal with each other, I feel like it’s how you are in a marriage. They’re definitely very honest with each other, but you don’t need to put the level of pressure and pain on your partner unless it’s truly necessary.

She’s not able to help that guy on the pipes. She’s not going to be down there with the cartel. So she does what she can do to take care of him. She doesn’t know how to help him other than making him blueberry pancakes. And that is how relationships are. For this woman, food and being able to take care of him and the children, that’s how she shows her love. The beauty of their marriage is that you get to see so much humanity in Tommy because of how he is with Angela.

Tommy is now the big oil man in charge in John Hamm’s absence [Monty died at the end of season one] — more money, more success, more power. That’s everything Angela has wanted: love and the life. Are they a level up this season?

You’re definitely going to go on the roller coaster with them. For me, being from New Jersey, it was always looking at New York. Am I getting there? As I went through modeling to commercials to getting in this business when I was 18 years old, going to acting classes, learning to hustle and building my life up with no net. If things didn’t work out, what was I going to do? That’s the position I was in. And I think about someone like Angela, she doesn’t think about a budget. That isn’t the way her brain works. I’m nothing like Angela, but I know women like that. And it’s interesting to get to play someone who doesn’t play that numbers game. She thinks it’s coming from this endless well. It just comes up roses for Angela.

How much have you been getting recognized for this role? How are you finding the reception to Angela and being in Taylor Sheridan’s world?

We live in a small town, so everyone knows me. I’m mom, or Ali. Then when we come down [to Texas], we’re on set and once I go out into the world, it’s incredibly overwhelming. People have connected with this show and I’ve been in this business long enough to know how special that is. Whatever it is about these characters, people just want to talk to you. They want to hug you. And when they see me and Billy together, it’s wild. We were in New York doing press and people get super excited to see us together. We love making this show and the fact that the audiences love it? I’m so grateful for it.

How does this compare to being recognized for your other roles?

[I get recognized] a lot for Legally Blonde, always. I actually get a lot of Resident Evil. I still get Obsessed, people still love that. Heroes, all the time. Sometimes I get Varsity Blues, not as much now, that was a long time ago.

Speaking of Legally Blonde, could we see you in any of the next projects?

Wouldn’t that be amazing? I don’t know. I’ve always heard that [Legally Blonde 3] was getting written, and that Mindy Kaling was doing it, so who knows. Now they’re doing the [Legally Blonde] TV show, so that’s going to take the space of that for a while. But I think that what Reese [Whitherspoon] has always said is if a great script comes and if they can really crack a reason to make it, then they will. And, of course, I’d love to play Brooke Windham again. I mean, come on! I need to get my high kicks back on!

You said you and Billy approached Landman as long-term roles. Are you hoping this will go on for multiple seasons?

This show has legs. You never want to jinx it, but I think there’s a lot of story to tell within our world, and so many different directions for it to go. We’re only 10 weeks/three months into our story. This is still a baby story. There is a lot of time and space for things to be able to happen. I think as long as people want to watch our relationship and watch Billy, who’s just so amazing in this role. And the kids are amazing — Jacob Lofland is amazing, and then we have these other characters who come in outside the family with Demi and Jon Hamm and now Sam Elliott and Andy Garcia coming on [for season two]. You hold the heart of the show being the family, and then you have all these other storylines. I think it’s game on. As long as people keep watching us, we’re going to be down here shooting it.

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Landman season one is now streaming on Paramount+.