ABC’s hit drama series The Rookie exploded in popularity upon its debut back in 2018, even spawning a spinoff amid its long run on the broadcast network. And fans can rest assured that the O.G. show seems to have no plans to slow down. Household name Nathan Fillion owns the eponymous role, and Season 2 welcomed fellow lovable performer Ali Larter — whose originally planned two-episode arc ultimately evolved into a major 13-episode role. Now, she’ll be stealing scenes in an entirely different series, this one helmed by none other than TV titan Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown). MovieWeb recently spoke with Larter at the Landman press day and learned more about Larter’s positive experience on The Rookie — and whether she’ll ever return to the beloved role of Dr. Grace Sawyer.
“It was so fun to play Grace, and Nathan was, you know, also wonderful to work with,” Larter told us. “It’s interesting, you know, since we kind of moved outside of Hollywood, the idea of wanting to work on that kind of television isn’t as enticing to me. It’s been really amazing to work down in Texas [for Landman] and do something that’s super special. But it was great to be on The Rookie when I was on it and, you know, it was awesome.”
Landman: ‘Something Special’
In her post-Rookie era, that means it’s onwards and upwards to Larter’s latest starring vehicle: Sheridan’s thrilling new series Landman, where Larter plays Angela, the wildcard of an ex-wife to leading man Billy Bob Thornton. As Angela, Larter is sharp-witted, sexy and downright hilarious opposite the equally riotous Thornton, their frequent friendly-exes banter funneling laugh-out-loud comic relief into an otherwise suspenseful tale about the tragedies that ensue within the West Texas oil scene.
Tommy (Thornton) and Angela are constantly having to babysit their frenzied 17-year-old daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph), which means there’s plenty of clashing between the parents as to how to handle their offspring. Larter spoke to us about the thrills of working with a seasoned pro like Thornton:
The guy just has to, like, mutter something out and he’s so funny. He’s so gifted. I mean, he’s just such an incredibly talented actor. And so, to be able to work with him, it just raises the bar every single day. That was amazing.
“And then,” continued Larter, “Michelle as Ainsley is so funny in the show, too, you know? Like, you really have these moments where you feel the weight and the heaviness of the dangerous world of oil — and then you have these moments at the country club, and you have the moments with the billionaires and the tycoons. And it’s like all these different tones that come together to give this show something special. And as soon as things are too heavy, Taylor knows exactly when to shift. He’s just such a master storyteller.”
