Tough day on the job.
Ali Larter told People what the hardest scene for her to film in “Landman” Season 2 was.
“Episode 9 was a really painful episode for me to shoot,” the 49-year-old actress said in the interview published Sunday. “I think it was one of the toughest scenes.”
In Taylor Sheridan’s oil industry series, Larter plays Tommy Norris’ (Bill Bob Thornton) fiery ex-wife, Angela Norris, who has a tough time with their daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) leaving for cheer camp shortly before she goes off to college in Episode 9.
“Angela feels like it’s a loss in her life, with her daughter leaving,” Larter explained of the scene. “I have a lot of friends that are empty-nesters, and I have seen those ugly sobs,” she says.
Larter said she channeled those “ugly sobs” when Angela cried in her car as Ainsley goes inside her dorm.
“I think that Angela doesn’t really feel like she has a purpose without her daughter. What is her life going to look like, with her growing up?” the “Legally Blonde” actress shared, adding that she “just really wanted [the audience] to feel what she felt” in the emotional scene.
And Larter quickly learned that her performance resonated with viewers.
“I’ve been hearing from all these mamas about being able to see that [moment], and that it made them emotional,” she explained. “Because that’s the reality of it when you raise these babies, and then they take off and start their life, and who are you? What’s your identity without them?”
Larter has been open about the highs and lows of starring in the hit Paramount+ series.
She told People that bikini scenes are her least favorite to film.
“I don’t think there’s an actress alive that’s like, ‘Woo! Got a bikini scene!’” said Larter. “Nobody wants to do it.”
“Those are the hardest for me. I don’t enjoy them,” she continued. “It’s just part of the story that I’m telling, and I’m an actress, so I get on board. But those are definitely my least favorite.”
But Larter has also admitted that she sometime feels empowered by Angela’s provocative nature.
“Anytime you have to put on a bathing suit and walk in front of anybody, it’s really difficult,” she said in an interview in November. “When I look around, the sexiest women I know are the women that own it. So, part of getting there with Angela is owning it. There is no space in my mind for insecurity — I’m not allowing any of that into my space when I play Angela.”
“Angela walks through life without the fear of judgment of others,” Larter went on. “She makes up her own rules. And for me, that’s so exciting to play, because I’m not like that. And you really can’t be like that in most areas of life if you want to fit into the societal norms.”
The first two seasons of “Landman” are streaming on Paramount+.
