Landman Season 2 Cast Talk Tommy’s Family Challenges & Cooper’s Growth

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Be aware, there are minor spoilers for Landman season 2! Taylor Sheridan’s drama about the oil industry returns with Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy, who is now facing new family issues. Season 2 begins a few months after the events of the first season, with Tommy teaming up with Demi Moore’s character, Cami Miller, to protect M-Tex’s image following the death of Monty (played by Jon Hamm).

Tommy faces more family drama in season 2 of Landman. His daughter, Ainsley, plans to attend college at TCU in Fort Worth, and his ex-wife, Angela, wants to move there with her. Meanwhile, his son, Cooper, uses his settlement money to start new oil wells. To make things even more difficult, Tommy’s mother passes away, leading him to reconnect with his long-estranged father, played by Sam Elliott as T.L.

To celebrate the new season, ScreenRant spoke with the cast of Landman, including Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph, Jacob Lofland, Paulina Chávez, Kayla Wallace, Colm Feore, Mark Collie, Mustafa Speaks, and Christian Wallace. Lofland, who plays Cooper, shared that it was “so much fun” to portray his character’s journey as he tries to establish himself in the oil business and step out of his father’s shadow, finally achieving some success.

Lofland described his character’s development as mirroring his own career growth, explaining that Cooper is striving to thrive as he starts his own drilling operations and begins to find success in the oil industry. He noted the story’s universal appeal, stating that regardless of profession, anyone committed to their work will put in maximum effort to achieve success.

Jacob Lofland explained that his character often rushes into things, which causes problems. This season is about him maturing and figuring out what he needs to do to achieve his goals.

Despite Cooper experiencing some wins, his family faces complications. This season, both Tommy and Cooper will connect with Sam Elliott’s character, T.L. This will be a fresh dynamic for Cooper, as he and T.L. haven’t had much time together before, according to actor Alan Lofland.

Okay, so heading into the rest of Landman season two, it sounds like my character, Cooper, is going to be our eyes and ears again. The actor, Lofland, hinted I’ll be uncovering the truth about what happened between my dad and grandfather – basically, I’m learning alongside the audience. He called it a ‘ride-along’ experience, and honestly, I’m really excited for everyone to see how our family history unfolds. It promises to be a pretty revealing journey!

The show Landman hasn’t fully explained the complicated relationship between Cooper and his sister, Ainsley, played by Michelle Randolph. Randolph, who will also appear in Scream 7, confirmed fan speculation that their conflict goes deeper than normal sibling disagreements, though she and the show’s creator haven’t revealed the specific event that caused it yet.

As a fan, I’ve noticed Cooper and Ainsley are total opposites – it’s like they’re reflections of each other! I think that difference is causing some serious jealousy. Honestly, it feels like whenever Cooper gets any kind of positive attention, Ainsley immediately gets upset. I’m really hoping the show dives deeper into why they dislike each other so much – I need to understand what’s going on between them!

Randolph explained that Ainsley is somewhat sheltered, living in a protected world largely created by Angela. This makes it hard for her to understand why Cooper is often so unhappy. Randolph isn’t sure if Ainsley will ever be able to overcome this difference in perspective.

Larter shared her perspective on Ainsley and Cooper’s troubled relationship, believing it stems not just from past events, but also from how much focus she’s given their daughter. Drawing a parallel to her own experience as a mother of two, she explained that favoring one child, even a little, can create distance between siblings. This understanding influences how she portrays their scenes, as she avoids adding fuel to the fire when their characters argue – believing that responding only escalates the conflict.

Ali Larter explains that you often have to downplay things, telling yourself ‘it’s no big deal,’ until a serious problem arises and you have to stop. She feels this is how her character, Angela, views certain situations, dismissing them with thoughts like ‘they’re just so cute,’ or seeing them as harmless little issues.

Angela and Tommy are facing a new hurdle in their relationship: Angela wants to move to Fort Worth, but Tommy is committed to staying in West Texas, where he’s busy with his work at M-Tex Oil and is comfortable with his current lifestyle. This situation is creating familiar tensions for the couple, but they’re both determined to make their second attempt at a relationship work.

Looking back on their relationship, Larter shared that Tommy and Angela “have a deeply connected past.” Their first marriage was difficult, impacted by the unpredictable nature of the oil industry, which caused significant hardship. Even when Tommy struggled with alcohol and Angela faced financial difficulties, she believed they were genuinely in love.

After several years of co-parenting and spending more time together for their daughter, Ainsley, both parents began to feel more understanding. This helped them each clarify their personal goals. While Tommy still has his difficult moments, Larter believes Angela can now prioritize creating a stable and healthy environment for their children.

I find Angela’s story really moving. She gives up a comfortable, wealthy life to return to her husband and try to rebuild their family, and it’s a beautiful thing. Their relationship isn’t perfect – they can be blunt and even a little harsh with each other – but there’s a clear, strong love and connection between them that overcomes everything else. It’s like their flaws somehow balance each other out.

Everything Else We Learned About Landman Season 2 From The Cast & Creator Christian Wallace

ScreenRant asked Mark about co-producing songs for the original Landman soundtrack with Billy Bob Thornton.

Mark Collie: We did. We wrote a couple of tunes. Yeah.

ScreenRant: Amazing. Can you talk to me about that experience?

I started writing songs around age twelve, and that’s how I got into the music industry. By the time I was in my late teens, I was writing songs for country artists in Nashville, which eventually led to me making my own records. It’s funny, I used to record bodybuilding competitions in Alabama, and years later I discovered Billy Bob Thornton was doing the same thing! He’d come from Arkansas, playing in a rock band, while I was in a country band. We were both there, but we didn’t even know each other. Songwriting just came easily to both of us. When we were reading a script together, we started working on a song called ‘Midland After Midnight,’ which the band Flatland Calvary ended up recording. Taylor also loved the song, and being a songwriter himself, I could talk about the craft forever. I’ll stop there, but it was a really natural and fun collaboration with Billy.

ScreenRant asked about Andy Garcia’s expanded role in season 2 and how his character will affect Boss. They wanted to know if we could expect some significant interactions between them and what impact Garcia’s presence will have on Boss’s storyline.

As a huge fan, I’ve always been captivated by Andy Garcia – he just elevates everything he’s a part of. And from what I’ve heard about this season, his character is going to really shake things up, especially for Tommy. It’s going to create a ripple effect, particularly in how Tommy and Boss interact. Basically, expect a lot more tension and drama from everyone involved – it sounds incredible!

ScreenRant asked about the impact of Jon Hamm’s character, Monty, being killed off at the end of last season. They wanted to know how the show, Landman, will address that loss and move forward in season 2.

When one character is removed, it creates chances for others to shine. This season, we get to see Cammie, played by Demi, take on a bigger role and navigate a challenging situation. It’s really enjoyable to watch her grow and find her footing.

ScreenRant asked about the decision to give the character a natural death, rather than having him die in a dramatic or spectacular way.

What struck me most about this show is how grounded it feels. It doesn’t shy away from the realities of life – the stress, the health consequences… it just feels real. The character’s high-pressure job definitely took a toll, and honestly, it’s a believable portrayal. While it’s impactful, and the character’s departure definitely leaves a void, it feels like a natural part of life, which I really appreciated.

Honestly, watching the Norris family work from home is a little stressful for me! I used to work from home myself for over two years, and I totally get how tough it is. I needed a separate office space to keep work and home life from blending together. I’m really hoping we see them finally get an office this season – it would make things so much better!

The house people refer to as the Norris family home is actually a rental from M-Tex. That means only Billy Bob, myself, and James Jordan really belong there – everyone else is just visiting. It’s a mix of guests, family, and ex-family, which creates a lot of complications. When Kayla points out how disorganized things are, we don’t have a good answer. And whenever I ask Billy Bob or Tommy to send people home, it just makes the situation even more complex. I think that’s intentional.

Kayla Wallace was explaining that, looking at things from Rebecca’s perspective, Ainsley is practicing cheerleading… and she’s wearing –

Colm Feore: Nothing.

Kayla pointed out that the cheerleader’s outfit was very revealing, and practicing in that location wasn’t suitable for a business meeting. She believes Rebecca prioritizes completing tasks, so she’ll proceed with the meeting despite being upset about the unprofessional setting. Rebecca is aware it’s not ideal and would prefer to have a proper office.

What’s great about this situation is that the constant stress and chaos of the household forces the characters to reveal how they deal with problems. This lets us see who they really are – how well they cope, or sometimes, how poorly. It’s a subtle way to tell their stories, and before you realize it, you feel like you truly understand them.

Kayla Wallace: I’m excited for people to see where our characters’ stories go.

Be sure to dive into some of our other Landman season 2 coverage with:

  • Our Landman Season 2 Review
  • Kayla Wallace & Colm Feore teasing the “missing pieces” left by Jon Hamm’s death
  • A guide on where and when to watch new episodes of Landman season 2
  • Christian Wallace teasing the “beautiful moments” to come from Sam Elliott
  • Christian Wallace, Mustafa Speaks & Mark Collie on Landman‘s future without Taylor Sheridan

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2025-11-20 16:34