Landman: Angela’s Character Arc & The Strange Way It Was Filmed Explained By Ali Larter


Landman Angela’s actor Ali Larter explains how the ex-wife of Billy Bob Thorton’s Tommy Norris will play a part in season 1’s story, breaking down how they filmed the FaceTime scenes. The series takes place in the heart of West Texas, following Thorton’s coordinator as he deals with incidents and constant crisis in the oil business. Tommy Norris is divorced but shares two children with his ex-wife, Angela, who is remarried and lives somewhere else. The two have been FaceTiming in episodes 1 and 2, but the show teases Angela will come to West Texas soon.




Larter tells Screen Rant that there’s more than what meets the eye about Angela, The actor teases that the future episodes will “peal back the layers of the onion” with her character and see that “Angela is all heart.” The actor explains that Angela’s unique position as a woman married into the oil world will also show “the bust” and “the cost.” At the same time, Angela is a “powerhouse” who will stop at nothing to put her family back together.

Definitely, I think that one of the things that Taylor does best is create these powerful, dynamic, fascinating women, but also show their vulnerabilities and their insecurities, show what makes them crack. So, what was really fun for me was kind of digging into this world and understanding what it would feel like to be in the oil world with the booms, and then experiencing the bust, and what that cost would be to her marriage, and when she lost her marriage, and had to figure out how to take care of her children.

So, when you find her, you don’t see all that in the beginning, but you get to kind of sprinkle that stuff in. And as you peel back the layers of the onion with her, you really see what makes her tick, and Angela is all heart. She’s feisty, she is definitely a powerhouse, but you also see her and how much she loves her family, and what she’s willing to do to put them back together.


The actor reveals that the filming of the FaceTime scenes took place very late in the five-month production in Fort Worth from January to late June, where they dealt with “a lot of weather” while under “high pressure,” but she notes that her co-stars and the show creator, Taylor Sheridan, made it easier. The FaceTime scenes took “three hours.”

You know, we shot [the FaceTime scenes] very, very late. This was a five-month shoot down in Fort Worth, Texas, from January to late June. It was very long and arduous. We also dealt with a lot of weather. It was very high pressure, it was a demanding set. It wasn’t this like very relaxed environment, you needed to perform, and I felt it was very high stakes. So, when I actually did those scenes, Taylor came in and directed all of those, and they were towards the end.

We shot them in three hours, that was just easy. And when I’m with Taylor, he wants to do my off-camera [line reading], but if I’m not with him, Billy always does the rest of it. So, I always have this really generous actor who’s who’s right there to make sure that we’re doing it, and nobody’s phoning it in. Everyone gave 110% on this, and you can really feel that in the performances. We have such an unbelievable cast on this show.



What This Means For Landman

Angela Will Play A More Active Role

The Landman premiere positions Angela with a hint of humor by showing her as the “scary ex-wife” who gives a minor heartache to Tommy Norris every time she calls. Tommy not only uses an unflattering picture of Angela as her profile but also gives her a dramatic ringtone. However, the ex-wife hardly lives up to the scary reputation Tommy makes her out to be. Larter’s comment sheds some light on the “feisty” side of this character that the series will show more in future episodes. Her comment also indicates that Angela will have a more active role beyond FaceTiming with Tommy.


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While only sprinkles of it are shown, the show also teases the misunderstanding and main conflict point in Tommy’s marriage with Angela with Thorton’s titular landman putting his family on standby every time to prioritize work. Aynsley Norris’ arrival in Fort Worth earned her some harsh criticism from her father, while Tommy almost died in an accident. Larter’s comment indicates that Angela’s arrival will show a different side of her and her marriage with Tommy, seeing her fighting for her family.

Our Take On Landman Premiere

It’s Full Of Drama And Tension

Billy Bob Thornton in a Cowboy Hat in Front of an Oil Rig in Landman


Landman is off to a strong start with two relatable episodes, not shying away from fatal accidents and gruesome deaths. The series shows the stress and high stakes in the oil business, where losses are the norm and gains are rare occasions. While It may be true that Tommy seems to have everything together in terms of business, this isn’t exactly true with his family. In the incident that took out the three patch workers and injured Cooper Norris’ ears, Tommy doesn’t behave like a father but a coordinator.

The only time Tommy shows any interest in parenting seems to be when giving his children lectures, which can be both medicine and the sword. Tommy seems to be exactly what his daughter needed to see the truth about her relationship in the Taylor Sheridan-created series. His people skills turn out to be very useful. On the other hand, the lecture he gives Aynsley in Landman about how her lifestyle could potentially be the cause of her being a victim of domestic abuse is problematic. It’s clear that they need Angela in Texas.


Landman temp tv series logo poster

Landman is a drama series created and written by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace. Based on the podcast series Boomtown, Landman follows the wealthy oil tycoons and the workers involved in the Texas oil industry., comparing and contrasting their lives while exploring the politics between the two.

Cast
Billy Bob Thornton , Ali Larter , Michelle Randolph , Jacob Lofland , Alejandro Akara , James Jordan , Kayla Wallace , Paulina Chávez , Mark Collie

Seasons
1

Writers
Taylor Sheridan , Christian Wallace

Creator(s)
Taylor Sheridan , Christian Wallace

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