Key Takeaways
- Billy Bob Thornton reveals that filming chaotic scenes with co-star Ali Larter in the new series Landman gives him “flashbacks” to his past.
- In the Taylor Sheridan drama, Thornton and Larter play a feisty divorced couple, a dynamic the six-times-married actor finds familiar.
- Despite the on-screen turmoil, the actors share a strong off-screen chemistry and have praised each other’s professionalism.
- Thornton calls the Landman set a “blessed” environment, crediting the cast, crew, and writing for the positive experience.
Billy Bob Thornton is finding his latest role in Taylor Sheridan’s hit series Landman to be a walk down memory lane, admitting his tumultuous on-screen relationship with Ali Larter is hitting close to home.
The veteran actor, 70, told PEOPLE that the feisty and unpredictable scenes with Larter, who plays his ex-wife Angela, occasionally trigger “flashbacks from my past.”
On-Screen Chaos, Real-Life Chemistry
In Landman, Thornton stars as Tommy Norris, a powerful oil man navigating a reconciled relationship with his firecracker ex. Their dynamic is anything but smooth, highlighted in a memorable scene where Angela destroys their living room with plates of pasta after a thoughtless comment from Tommy.
“Every time we do scenes together, it’s just a load of fun,” Thornton shared, emphasizing the positive working relationship he has with Larter. He noted that the two had a “natural chemistry” from the moment they met. “Automatically, Ali and I were just passionate friends,” he added.
A Past That Informs the Present
Given Thornton has been married six times, his comment about getting “flashbacks from various times of my life” adds a layer of personal history to his performance. The on-screen chaos, fueled by a daughter, Ainsley (Michelle Randolph), who takes after her mother, creates a dynamic that feels authentic, partly due to the actors’ real-life rapport.
“It’s a full-time job,” Thornton said of the family dynamic. “It’s been awesome. I mean, those girls, we love them — in real life and as characters.”
A ‘Blessed’ Set Experience
Thornton couldn’t speak highly enough of his time working on the Paramount+ series, calling it a rare project where he always looks forward to coming to work.
“It’s an amazing crew — best crew I’ve ever worked with — and we have the great words from Taylor, the great story from Taylor,” he explained. “I mean, honestly, I feel blessed every day because of this show. There’s never a day when I’m like, ‘Wow, I wish I could get the hell out of here.’ It never happens. It’s a wonderful place to be.”
Mutual Admiration Society
The respect is clearly mutual. Ali Larter, 49, gushed about her co-star’s talent and its impact on her own work.
“I get to work, I think, next to one of the best actors working in our business, and he brings out the best in me,” Larter told PEOPLE. “In our world, when we’re working together, there’s just never an inauthentic beat, and that is incredible. I love him so much.”
New episodes of Landman premiere Sundays on Paramount+.
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