Exclusive: Ali Larter reveals why Billy Bob Thornton ‘simmers’ in Landman

“I sure have. A lot of times I don't want to watch the work, because I find that really challenging, but with Landman there are so many different storylines that I needed to understand how they were going to weave together.”

“I think it's an incredible show. I'm so proud to be a part of it and I'm excited to be able to show people what we’ve created. Taylor is a masterful storyteller, it’s fast moving and, at its heart is Billy, who really takes you into this world.”

“No, I didn't, but I think what makes Landman authentic is that it started from the Boomtown podcast by Christian Wallace. Taylor worked with Christian, who’s from this world, to craft it and make sure that there wasn’t a false beat. It’s storytelling but it gives you an eye into a real world that’s incredibly dangerous and high stakes.”

“With the oil world, you're either born into it or you seek it out. There are definite personality types that are drawn to it. It’s filled with people who need money, gamblers, hopeless romantics and those who were born there and it's just what they know. All of that is very intriguing. The way that Taylor crafts a lot of the monologues that Billy does, it really takes you into that world of dreamers, but the reality of it too.”

[Laughing] “Yes, I live on FaceTime for a while! When she comes in though, it's definitely with a punch! I think of her as being an emotional tornado. Angela’s bold and wild, but she's all heart. That was something, you know, working with Taylor’s incredible scripts, and then me and Billy finding out what our organic relationship is and how we wanted to portray them; it was a really interesting way of being able to come at it.”

“I’ve never played a character this colourful and confident before. Everything about her is loud and sexy - even when she cries! She's as comfortable on a G5 as she is hanging off one of the oil rigs.”

“Yes, and you have to get past that. To be able to work on this and find that [relationship between Angela and Tommy], was incredible. Billy simmers. He doesn't let it boil over unless it warrants it, and when it does, you can't take your eyes away. To be able to have that spar mate on set and knowing that you're in it together, that, for both of us, was essential to making sure that this was real, grounded and always truthful.”

“It all starts with one down on the call sheet setting the tone and Billy’s unbelievable on set - he's a generous human being and really kind. This show has an incredible lack of egos in it, if you can believe that, because everyone was there to do the work. When you have someone like Billy - you know, he's from Arkansas, he's a good guy, and he's not coming at this saying, ‘Look at me’ or ‘Wait for me’. He's right there on set. He was actually there for every bit of off-camera I had, even the phone call scenes. He’s incredibly available as an actor, he cares about the craft, and he's at the top of his game.”

“Oil and water! Angela is his espresso - she keeps him going and there’s never a dull moment. But also, it's the first love, the one you never forget, he’s the father of her children. There's a true, deep understanding of each other in a world where there's so much going on, and there's a kind of safety and beauty in that love. As crazy as things can get, it always comes back to that.”

“Once Angela enters into this world, things are never the same! It's fun, really painful at times, and incredibly complicated because this is a woman who's trying to heal her family and has a true, deep love for this man.”

“They are so great! I spent a lot of time with Michelle, who plays my daughter, during shooting and it was great for us to find a relationship, because it was very high pressure and intense at times. She’s such a special person and so talented.”

“She definitely gets entangled into the storylines. You have these moments with Jacob as Cooper, and his big, beautiful eyes, as he's falling in love and you see him all heart. And then you have the cartel coming through, and you see the incredibly dangerous world of being on the oil rigs, but why people have to do it. There are so many different parts to the show and it comes together in a magical way.”

“Oh, absolutely. I love this family. I love how complicated and different they are. Filming season one in Fort Worth Texas for five months was a big commitment, because you’re setting up the first season and finding the world. It was definitely very stressful, but I think that under that pressure we created something really beautiful.”

“I think that was it [strong women characters]. Mila was really on the forefront of that, she’s an incredibly generous actor and an amazing woman and mother. I kind of grew up doing those movies with her, you know - we were working together, I was just dating my husband, then we were all married, and then we had our first babies on set in South Africa, which was wild. I think Resident Evil presented a world where women could come in in ways that you didn't expect. We need to keep breaking down those boundaries and continue to show women in every single way that we can.”