When “Landman” premieres on Paramount+ on Sunday, you’ll once again be transported into a world that the American public barely knows.
Taylor Sheridan’s work often does this, so adapting Christian Wallace’s Boomtown podcast (with a little help from Wallace) about the rigors of the oil and gas industry was a perfect choice .
TV Fanatic had the opportunity to interview Wallace and his stars Billy Bob Thornton , Ellie Larter , Jacob Lofland , James Jordan , Mark Corley , Kayla Warais during a recent press tour and Paulina Chavez. They share unique insights into the series, its characters, and what drives them.
When it comes to adapting podcasts into full-fledged series, few storytellers have as much influence in the industry as Taylor Sheridan.
As Landman co-creator Christian Wallace revealed, Sheridan’s reputation played a key role in realizing the series’ vision. “One of the things about working with Taylor is I think Paramount really trusted him as a storyteller and as a unique voice,” Wallace noted.
Sheridan’s influence gave him a clear, uncompromising vision—a vision that Wallace credits with giving Randleman a real, down-to-earth energy.
“Not everyone has that kind of influence,” he admits. “But when you allow a creative like Taylor to do that, I think you get something like Randleman, which is a concrete, real vision.
This commitment to authenticity is ingrained in the series, particularly in its depiction of the often hidden world of the oil and gas industry.
Wallace said much of what viewers see is directly inspired by real-life events and people, although fictionalized for dramatic effect. “A lot of it is taken directly from real life…people I’ve met and interviewed,” he explains.
“The situations and things that happen are based on real life… Oil and gas and the dangers of working on a rig are very real.” By embedding these real elements, Landman hopes to pull back the curtain on this often The curtain around an industry that operates out of the public eye.
In Wallace’s eyes, Landman is more than just entertainment; it provides a voice for the often-overlooked men and women in West Texas and beyond whose lives are intertwined with this complex and sometimes dangerous field.
He shared, “A lot of reporting on oil and gas tends to focus on business, economics…and this show is more about the individuals, the men and women, who live in West Texas and their stories.”
The heart of Landman, however, is more than just the spectacle or industry details; Characters like Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy embody the rough, unfiltered reality of life in West Texas.
Wallace describes Thornton’s image as deeply rooted in the world of crisis managers he encountered during his research. “Billy’s character is unique… He’s funny, he’s a badass, he’s got guts.”
To the audience, Thornton’s Tommy is more than just a larger-than-life character, he is a composite of a real person, embodying the truth that Wallace hoped “you could feel through the screen.”
Ultimately, Landman works to reveal the industry’s intricate balance of ambition, survival, and moral ambiguity.
Wallace believes the show will leave viewers with big questions, encouraging them to reflect on their own connections to the world of oil and gas, from plastics to jet fuel, and think about how our lives are intertwined with the industry.
“I think this show just asks viewers to think about what it means to be involved in the end product of this industry,” he said.
While the series may not have all the answers, there’s no denying that it adds a new perspective to the conversation.
Sheridan’s acting world is all about star-making. While some of today’s greatest talents bring his stories to life, he also showcases emerging and seasoned talent as well as a host of actors who have worked with him before.
James Jordan, Mark Curley and Jacob Loveland are one such trio.
Lofland, an emerging actor whose credits include Mud, The Wire and Joker: Pas De Deux, plays Tommy’s son Cooper, who aims to work his way up to the oil and gas The pinnacle of the industry.
In our interview below, he reveals that while his hard-working, blue-collar background prepared him for the rigors of the oil industry, he was unaware of the industry’s dangers.
Jordan has been in several other Sheridan productions, from Yellowstone to Lioness, and his character Dale is also a rig operator. What impressed him most about Randleman was his sense of humor throughout. In his opinion, it was the funniest thing Sheridan had ever written.
Curley, a veteran actor who has appeared on shows like “JAG” and “Nashville,” plays Sheriff Walter Joberg, Tommy’s old friend and ally. Curley talks to us about Walter’s influence on Tommy and how he often pulled Tommy back from the brink of misjudgment.
Read our exclusive interviews with James Jordan, Mark Curley and Jacob Lofland below to learn more.
Kayla Wallace to play Fiona Miller in When Calls the Heart TV Fanatic will play a cutthroat corporate lawyer named Rebecca who’s either Soup Rice’s savior, or his downfall.
Wallace, who is no stranger to playing a woman who succeeds in a male-dominated industry, admits to relishing the opportunity to own a room “with the power and the power.”
It was a part of herself she’d never been exposed to, but it was clear she could get used to it.
Paulina Chávez, best known for her starring role in Ashley Garcia’s The Expanded Universe, plays a young mother named Ariana, She was forced to bear a burden that no one her age should have to go through.
While the characters may seem like polar opposites, Wallace and Chavez spoke to TV Fanatic about how their worlds would change if they had the chance to meet.
For more, watch our exclusive interview with Kayla Wallace and Paulina Chavez below.
Television and film actress Ali Larter, who has had roles in “Heroes,” “Pitch” and “The Rookie,” plays Tommy’s ex-wife Angela. Angela is a beautiful and passionate woman who has a soft spot for her ex. Even if their marriage didn’t work out, it did produce two adorable children and enough memories to last a lifetime.
Larter spoke to TV Fanatic about Sheridan’s skill at writing dynamic, powerful women at their most intelligent and most vulnerable.
She talks about the rise and fall of Angela and Tommy’s marriage and how Landman explores the decisions they made that took them in two different directions.
It seemed to me that Tommy was protecting his family from some of the realities of his dangerous profession, and Larter expressed her belief that Angela wasn’t in the dark at all. When Angela grounds Tommy, she’s the espresso he needs in his life.
See what else Ali Larter revealed in our exclusive interview below.
With his explosive talent and undeniable charm, Billy Bob Thornton is the perfect actor to play Tommy Norris, a capable crisis manager and father figure who those around him can’t live without.
Thornton shared with us that the story behind Landman is essentially a representation of the oil and gas business in the 2000s.
He laughed and said the names may have been changed to protect innocent people, but the fact is that if the people running these companies could make money through water, they would take the lead.
He acknowledged that it would be easy to throw stones at the industry, but they are not the only businesses that deserve the same fate.
Thornton talked about Tommy’s relationship with his boss, Monty (played by Jon Hamm), and how he liked Tommy’s sideways, humorous outlook on life.
Watch Billy Bob Thornton in his own words in our exclusive video interview below.
Landman delivers everything you want in a drama—from high-stakes action to heartbreaking moments—while uncovering the secretive business that drives our economy. The book’s strong characters blend seamlessly into Sheridan’s universe, each with vast lives and deep feelings.
Sheridan’s talent for creating memorable characters shines here. You could easily imagine Tommy and Angela going on a double date with Beth and Rip from Yellowstone, or Tommy kicking up dust on the Tulsa Kings with Dwight Manfredi.
But Landman is more than just another story in his world—it introduces a raw, rare side to life that brings a fresh perspective to television.
Whether you’re a long-time Sheridan fan or entering his world for the first time, Landman will capture your attention and draw you into his immersive storytelling.
“Landman” will premiere on Sunday, November 17, with two episodes.
