Ali Larter Is Worried About Angela Threat to Tommy

[This story contains major spoilers from the Landman season two finale, “Tragedy and Flies.”]

Landman got a happy ending when season two concluded on Sunday.

After a devastating penultimate episode, the mega-hit Paramount+ oil drama starring Billy Bob Thornton drilled on with its season finale, as Tommy Norris (Thornton) got son Cooper (Jacob Lofland) out of legal trouble for retaliating against the man who attacked his fiancee Ariana (Paulina Chávez) and moved onto his next threat: Demi Moore’s Cami, who had just fired Tommy as president from M-Tex Oil.

Finally betting on himself, Tommy makes a deal with the devil, cartel boss Gallino (Andy Garcia), to start his own family-run, independent oil company called CTT Oil Exploration & Cattle, with the initials “CTT” representing son Cooper, father T.L. (Sam Elliott) and Tommy. After appointing his crew with top jobs in the new company, Tommy visits his ex-wife/wife Angela (Ali Larter) for some words of wisdom. After Angela tells Tommy to enjoy the moment, Tommy once again is faced with the coyote from season one, and the metaphor remains open for interpretation as Tommy and viewers await season three.

“Most of the time, you see Tommy and Angela in these heightened moments where he’s provoking her and she’s reacting, and the reality is that when they’re actually in deep crisis, things are very quiet,” Larter tells The Hollywood Reporter of the final scene between the reconciled pair. “We don’t have any guarantees for tomorrow. We have this moment, and Angela tells him that. She sees joy all around. That’s who she is, and she wants him to feel that way.”

Below, Larter unpacks the season two ending and how it sets them up for the already renewed third season, while sharing her own burning questions after the finale and her fears about what’s ahead. She also touches on some of the biggest viewer reactions to the season (including Thornton’s “full-frontal nudity” scene) and how she’s keeping busy until production starts on season three in the spring.

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How has the season two release of Landman compared to last season’s rollout for you?

You’re always hoping the audience receives it, and really feels how much love and work we put into this show, but you just never know. When we saw the numbers from the second season, it was a complete blow-away. We are humbled by it, in a way that feels really true. It’s connecting with so many people who live in so many different places and who are in so many different age groups. People have found something they connect with, and that’s been the key to its success. We’re thrilled, and I think everyone gets it this year. They get the tone. That’s a big part of it also.

We spoke at the beginning of this season about how co-creators Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace wanted to lean into Angela’s over-the-top antics — and I have loved every FaceTime scene with her this season. What has been most fun in finding comedy within the drama?

[Me and Michelle Randolph are] the comedic relief. As an actress, what’s really exciting is to have those different dynamics to explore. But there’s always a throughline of truth. Angela is someone who loves to put on a show, and that’s where the humor comes. The world is her stage, and I can lean into that.

What I really loved about the end of the season was showing the true pain that she feels with [daughter] Ainsley [Randolph] leaving for college. That was a really hard scene to shoot; we shot it for a long time. And it really broke Angela. I really played that and felt that as a loss in her life. Who is she and what is her identity without her daughter that she’s put her whole life towards? I wanted that to feel heartbreaking, and it was heartbreaking to play. And then of course Taylor, as he does, cuts it with humor and has her call Neiman Marcus [after dropping Ainsley at college]. That’s why he’s a brilliant writer.

I want to unpack this final scene between Angela and Tommy. After you first read it in the script, what was your process: Did you sit with it or have conversations with Sheridan, showrunner Wallace or Billy Bob Thornton about how to play it?

There were no conversations. We’re really very comfortable in our characters at his point. No matter what’s on the page, which is always where we start from — we just don’t know what direction we’re going — we understand where we have to get to. But within the world, there are many different ways to get there.

When I read the last scene, I thought it was so beautiful. Most of the time, you see Tommy and Angela in these heightened moments where he’s provoking her and she’s reacting, and the reality is that when they’re actually in deep crisis, things are very quiet. I loved that I got to have that in the finale. Those are my favorite scenes to play, because there’s a real quiet, truthful, organic exchange and when you get to go there, for me as an actor, it’s my favorite thing to do.

The finale is also a reality — we don’t have any guarantees for tomorrow. We have this moment, and Angela tells him that. She sees joy all around. That’s who she is, and she wants him to feel that way. I think it’s beautiful that people will be able to see themselves in that moment.

She seemed so calm and all-knowing in this conversation.

(Laughs.)

Tommy is having a crisis, but she’s not. What does that say to you about Angela’s growth, and them as a couple at this point?

You know, we’re still not that far into our story. It’s only been a couple of months [in the Landman timeline; each season spans 10-15 days]. But I think they realize they want to figure out how to make this work. You see Angela asking Tommy to step up this season. Is he going to be able to be there for her, as she’s going through these moments of growth in her life with becoming an empty nester, trying to repair this marriage and having his father [T.L.] move into the home? You see Angela’s worth in that moment and how family is everything to her. Is he going to be able to step up and be that man?

We explored that a lot this season. I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but she is someone who lives in the moment. She lives and feels things deeply. She says what she thinks. She loves to break the rules and lives by her own law. She’s sitting more in her skin with the choices she’s made in her life.

Earlier in the finale, there was a close up on Billy Bob Thornton when Tommy was having a panic attack about his decisions. When he walks up to you in this final conversation, that is written all over his face. But then after your conversation, he tells the coyote that he has won today. How much has Angela calmed him heading into season three?

Momentarily! That’s the whole thing with T.L. [Sam Elliott] saying to his son: “She’s right in front of you. She’s not really your ex-wife, she’s your wife. You better figure this out before it goes away.” You see him making a go at this again, and these two see each other really clearly. She’s never going to truly understand and know the depths of the danger in his world, because I think they know what each other can handle. Yet there is something they find in each other that brings them some peace, and sheer excitement in life also. Momentarily, she gave him a glimpse of peace.

Did it scare you when you watched the Gallino scene with Tommy, where Andy Garcia’s cartel boss calmly threatened to destroy everything Tommy loves if their oil company deal goes badly?

It did. It really made me question next year what that would look like, because obviously, that would be me or Ainsley.

Or both of you.

Or both, exactly! So, who knows where that will go. But you feel the danger of that threat. I thought that was really interesting where that storyline is going and… we’ll see. We never know where Taylor is going to take it. I think what’s been so great is that we put the time into developing this story and our chemistry as a family, so wherever the story goes, we can take it there.

What will Angela’s role be in CTT Oil? She didn’t get a job title.

Ya know, me and Michelle were really bummed we weren’t in that scene. We were like, “What the hell, Taylor?” (Laughs.) But I think it’s really beautiful how he included Ariana, and all the different parts of [the company]. He really tied up the season by showing the three generations coming together. He’s going for it and rolling the dice. I also love that these are not the moments when you see Angela freaking out or melodramatic and extremely upset. She isn’t scared, because she’s been scared before. That’s what I loved about the finale; we got to show the depth of their relationship and the shared team they have, and how they’re going to grow from it.

When you look at where Tommy and Angela started this season to where they end up, will you and Billy Bob approach how you play them differently in season three, since they are on more solid ground?

I just never think that will last. (Laughs.) They are solid for the day, until something else happens. She never found out that her son [Cooper] was in jail, so there could be a breakdown over that. There are so many different ways for it to go. I don’t think you’re ever going to see just a happy family home in the Norris household.

I forgot that she doesn’t know about Cooper nearly being charged for murder.

And again, who knows where Taylor is going to take this story, but I doubt it’s going to be a quiet house.

Viewers reacted to Billy Bob’s “full-frontal scene.” Were you shocked by that scene, and what was it like filming it? [Writer’s note: Prosthetics were used; read that and more in an interview with Wallace.]

We couldn’t believe it. We both read it and called each other immediately and were like, “What are we going to do with this?” We just kind of got on board and really went for it. We understand the tones in our show, so that is a moment where it’s grounded, but also bringing humor into the show. Obviously when Taylor was writing it, he made himself laugh. Then other people laughed. And I hear people now making jokes about the medications and all of that (laughs). It was really funny. We tried to keep it really real. The scene was cut shorter than it was. We kind of kept going in the scene. You never know where they’re going to tighten an edit. But, he went for it! That man is up for anything.

Then with the storyline around Ainsley’s nonbinary roommate, Paigyn (Bobbi Salvör Menuez). Viewers have pointed out that Taylor Sheridan seems to enjoy poking the liberal bear. Do you understand that response from some fans?

I think that episode was just a really difficult scene to shoot, for everyone involved. But we get there and you have to tell the story honestly through your character’s point of view.

Assuming that Ainsley will stay in college, do you feel like season three will separate you and Michelle Randolph more, or will Angela always find a way to be near her daughter?

Ainsley had a long season to get where she was going. She’s been living in this bubble, and for Angela and her to expand Ainsley’s horizons and find out more of who she is, that’s part of growing up. She just had a little bit of delayed maturity (laughs). But the more experiences she has, that will just bring more to the relationship. There may be conflict, but there’s always going to be a tremendous amount of love and connection between those two. Any mother and daughter can understand that.

Will you pitch to keep your scenes with Michelle?

I don’t pitch anything! I understand this show and whatever the vision is. All the actors are really comfortable at this point; it doesn’t matter what direction we go in — if it’s conflict and fighting and separation — this cast is extraordinary. And you don’t always get that. You just don’t. I’ve been doing this for a very long time and everyone is just phenomenal at what they do, from the icons all the way down to people who are just starting out within this business who are on our show. It’s a level of respect that people pay the crew and the actors. It’s a really special set.

I saw that you were bitten by fire ants during filming. Was that the craziest thing that happened to you this season?

(Laughs.) There’s always something crazy that happens. It wasn’t great! I did have welts on my feet. Between that and having to wear high heels, my toes are getting destroyed by this character — I’m forever scarred by Angela! It’s just part of it, though. Every actor knows when you’re in production, you have minutes to get a scene and then the light is gone. So it was about pushing through it, and it was a funny story for me to tell Seth [Meyers].

What are you up to while you wait to get back to set for Landman season three?

We shoot for five months and then I do press for three months, for the full run of show. I was just in New York for the week, we were at Critics Choice and it’s so beautiful that our cast was nominated for the SAG Awards [now called the Actor Awards]. I have a pile of scripts sitting at my house. We’ll see if we can fit something in. I have a couple of offers and opportunities before I go back to work, but it’s really about figuring out what strikes me and what I feel like is the right compliment to the work I get to do on the show.

If I’m going to be away from my family, it needs to be something I can’t say no to that is challenging me as an actress, where I’m inspired by the director with a story I need to tell. So I’m looking right now, I just haven’t had a minute to come up for air! I’ve been barreling since November with press for the show; the response has been incredible. You want to go out and talk about something you’ve been making. And then I have children and a husband and aging parents and there’s still life — it’s just busy and full and robust, so we’ll see.

Do you have an idea of when you’ll go back and start filming season three?

I think we’re going back in May, so we’ll probably head down [to Texas] in April. It’s very rare that we get to stay pretty close to what our [release] cycle is and that we’re going back to film the next year. So often with TV shows, you could have two or three years between. Our show is tight to stay within the cycle, so I’m in the world of Landman for eight months of the year.

How many seasons do you think Landman will go?

I’ve been doing this long enough to know to never jinx it. It’s just going really well and the response has been incredible. I think as long as Billy wants to play the landman, we’ll keep going. I think a lot of it sits on him. And I think Taylor really enjoys writing our show, but [it’s also about] how much he wants to do it. I think if the fans keep showing up in the way that they do, we’re going to keep making it.

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Landman is now streaming all of season two on Paramount+. Read THR‘s finale interviews with star Billy Bob Thornton and co-creator/showrunner Christian Wallace.