Hold the oil rig firmly. “Landman” is back for Season 2!
The first season of the Taylor Sheridan drama, which he created with Boomtown host Christian Wallace, introduced the world to Tommy Norris, the titular squire played by Billy Bob Thornton. Tommy works for the oil company M-Tex, drilling despite the constant dangers of oil fields, cartel troubles, and legal difficulties. Along the way, we learn about his family, his ex-wife Angela (Ali Larter), son Cooper (Jacob Lofland), daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph), and the economics of the oil industry, from the dangerous West Texas fields to the cutthroat boardrooms. Family issues take center stage in this second season as we finally meet Tommy’s father TL, played by Sam Elliott.
Variety spoke with several of the cast ahead of the Season 2 premiere on Paramount+ on November 16th, and they answered some burning questions about the show’s biggest changes, relationships, and that moment from Season 1 that shocked the internet.
What challenges will Tommy face in Season 2?
“At the end of the day, you’re going to see that he’s a real person,” Thornton says. “In Season 1, he was so busy that he didn’t have time to breathe. He had some very human moments in Season 1, but even more so in this one. You see how he deals with his family, his business, his mortality, everything. All the thoughts that go through every human being, and what he has to go through. In the first season, Taylor had to set up the show and introduce the audience to all the characters. Now you can sit back and really get to know everyone, not just their family relationships, but their business relationships and their dangerous relationships. ”
What will Angela’s journey be like this season?
“In the first season of our show, the oil was set and there was danger and cost to the whole family,” Larter says. “In the second season, Taylor wrote about family. We find ourselves at the heart of the show and everything goes along with that. For Angela, it starts with the dinner scene. That’s how she shows love and how she puts pressure on it. She wants everyone to feel it so hard, so she does the best she can. Then there’s the antics. Tommy’s always going to do something to turn her on. But the thing is, we’re sitting on the floor together. ‘If we don’t do this, who are we?’ Taylor also wrote some really beautiful scenes that show the bond between Tommy and Angela. ”
“Landman” co-stars Billy Bob Thornton, who plays Tommy Norris, and Ali Larter, who plays Angela Norris.
Emerson Miller/Paramount+
How will Ainsley’s role change this season?
“We meet her when she’s 17, so we’re seeing her in her most formative years,” Randolph says. “We watch her figure out who she is. She realizes that her parents aren’t always perfect. They don’t always know everything. We see Ainsley navigate her identity, her independence, her attention, and figure out how she wants to be seen in the world.” I’m very happy as an actress because I’m not playing a fully formed person yet, so I can throw in little hints of realization in these scenes. I tried to find those moments as much as possible in the script so that I could see her growth.”
Is the cast already talking about next season even though it hasn’t been decided yet?
“I just finished watching season two,” Elliott says. “We’re talking about Season 2 here, but that’s all wrapped up. I’m thinking about what’s going to happen and I’m excited about what’s going to happen. Viewers are excited about what’s going to happen right now. I’m excited about what’s going to happen next season, which I haven’t done yet. Just having the opportunity to work with all of these cast members and that’s it, and the fact that we have this amazing crew, many of whom we’ve worked with before.” “1883” I love working back in Texas. There are so many positive things about this that it makes me happy to go to work. ”
What is your favorite Billy Bob Thornton Tommy moment of all time?
“There are so many that it’s hard to remember,” Thornton said. “But I think one of my favorite moments is when Ainsley goes to a football game and she has her boyfriend there. Of course, I’m the father of a 21-year-old daughter who’s in college now, so she said to me, (Editor’s note: This is the scene in the pilot where Ainsley tells her father about her sex life with her boyfriend.) (As long as he doesn’t come inside me, he can come anywhere on me. Needless to say, this moment went viral on the internet.) Plus, when I hear Michelle come out of her mouth sometimes, she tells me what she will or won’t let her boyfriend do, and I probably don’t want to hear anything about it, but all I can say is: “I’m going to go get some Dr. Pepper, do you want anything?” Because you can’t even think for yourself at that point, right? ”
How did Michelle Randolph survive filming that scene?
“There were 10 episodes, so we shot them in the middle of the season, so they were out of order,” Randolph said. “It was freezing cold that day. There was a storm brewing. We only had 10 minutes to get this shot, and there were so many people behind us in the audience. All I could think about was that these people were hearing this line, and no one knew what this show was about. So I honestly felt a little bad, as I did, for saying this line out loud to these people. Billy just walked away, so I guess you could say it was easy.”
Is Sam Elliott doing anything to preserve his distinctive voice?
no! “It’s all natural,” he says.
Watch the trailer for “Landman” Season 2 below.
“Landman” airs Sundays on Paramount+. This interview has been edited and condensed.
