by Tim Gordon
Ali Larter has built a career playing women who command attention. Whether she is dodging bullets in Resident Evil, bending reality in Heroes, or navigating espionage in Legends, Larter has always brought intelligence, sensuality, and strength to the screen.
In Taylor Sheridan’s Landman, she channels all of that experience into one of her most complex roles yet as Angela Norris, the ex-wife of Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy, whose volatility and heart anchor the show’s emotional storm.
“One of the most exciting things is the emotional depth,†Larter says. “She is truly a rollercoaster of emotion, and she feels things deeply. Being able to find the moments of depth and take her on this journey, I love her emotions, and I love playing someone so free and alive with her body. As an actress, it is very freeing, and I wish I could be more like her. She doesn’t care what you think about her.â€
From Heroes to the Heart of Texas
Larter’s television breakthrough came with NBC’s Heroes, where she played dual roles as Niki Sanders and Tracy Strauss. The characters blurred the lines between power and vulnerability and revealed her gift for portraying women who are both commanding and emotionally unpredictable. It is a quality she continues to refine in Landman.
“Angela is one of those characters who lets me tap into all of it,†she explains. “She’s confident, complicated, and deeply human. Taylor’s writing allows me to explore her contradictions, her passion, her rage, and her tenderness. It’s really exciting to have someone writing like that for you.â€
The new season of Landman digs into Angela’s history with Tommy, exploring what love looks like after years of resentment and loss. “What we delve into in the season is the history of Tommy and Angela,†Larter says. “We dig in this season where you see a lot of moments where Tommy has to step up as a man and father during this reconciliation. She has lived her life to build this mini-me, and then she loses her. It was painful and exciting for Ainsley as well.â€
A Southern Code and a Texas Attitude
Angela, like many of Sheridan’s women, defies simple categorization. She is elegant, volatile, and utterly unapologetic. “There are Southern women and Texas women,†Larter explains. “For much of it, for me, it’s the pride that women in Texas take in their appearance, and it is part of the process of finding their inner sexiness. It’s not subtle, it’s ballsy, and that’s part of the joy of playing a colorful character.â€
It is a dynamic that Larter understands instinctively. From the driven lawyer in Obsessed to the survivor in Final Destination, she has consistently inhabited women who push back against the limits placed on them. In Landman, she transforms that same energy into something more lived-in and grounded in maturity.
“In this business, you know how hard it is,†she says. “It’s like that magic potion that comes together to make a great television or film. It is provocative to play a woman in her forties. I feel like that, as a woman who gets to do this role, it is emotionally challenging. Taylor goes all the way with us. Being able to flex all the muscles at this age is amazing. I’m incredibly grateful to work with actors on this level.â€
The Heart of Family
This season, Landman turns its gaze toward the Norris family, revealing the messy beauty beneath the oil and grit. “We really lean into the family in Season Two,†Larter says. “It is emotionally charged. Michelle and Jacob, whom I love, Michelle is playing a character who comes across as unsure, but Taylor wrote a character that shines. Jacob’s eyes and that pain, it really feels like he could be Billy’s son. It’s loud and boisterous, and it is what you see in families.â€
Larter’s performance anchors that chaos, shifting between maternal instinct and personal longing. “You see the moments with her, last year, it was good to see her finding a calling with the old folks,†she reflects. “She lives by her own code. You get to see many different sides of her character, and I don’t judge my characters.â€
Reclaiming the Narrative
After years of navigating Hollywood’s spotlight, Larter has found a renewed sense of self both personally and professionally. “I’ve been working since I was 14, in Hollywood since I was 19, being in the belly of the beast,†she says. “After I had my children, it was hard fighting my way back instead of staying home with my children. Who I am as a woman is defined in a very different way. Living outside of Los Angeles was an incredible gift, not being in it.â€
That distance gave her perspective and balance, grounding her artistry and allowing her to choose roles that challenge her emotionally. “Angela is not perfect,†she admits. “She’s messy and loud and vulnerable, but she’s also real. That’s what I’m drawn to now, the truth inside the chaos.â€
Before filming, Larter has a ritual that centers her energy. “I listen to a lot of Rihanna,†she laughs. “It’s funny that it’s the opposite of it. I’m visually stepping into my leopard suit. I need time alone by myself before shooting. I need the quiet to prepare to play this rollercoaster.â€
The Wild Ride Ahead
Larter teases that Season 2 will surprise viewers with tonal shifts and moments of unexpected humor. “The farce episode is shocking,†she says. “It’s just me and Billy, and it’s almost slapstick. What makes it original is that Taylor writes the show, and he is a master of giving the audience what it needs. For me, we thought, how are we going to do this? I hope it translates to the show.â€
From her early success in Heroes to her commanding presence in Landman, Ali Larter continues to evolve as an artist unafraid of depth or danger. Her characters may change, but her commitment to truth remains constant.
“Being able to find those moments of depth and play someone so alive, it’s very freeing,†she says. “I love that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. Maybe we could all use a little more of that.†“I love that she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about her. Maybe we could all use a little more of that.â€
