Ali Larter defends Taylor Sheridan’s portrayal of women in ‘Landman’: ‘People are so...’
'Landman' is a gritty tale about the ruthless oil industry and the big players who indulge in politics. Meanwhile, Taylor Sheridan is known for creating niche dramas that explore the struggles of a certain community. He did the same for ‘Yellowstone’ and now also has ‘Landman’ under his belt. The Paramount+ show has managed to garner solid viewership, and its second season is currently underway. However, it recently sparked controversy over the portrayal of female characters. Is the show male-centric? Yes. Is it borderline misogynistic? Maybe. But actress Ali Larter has a different perspective on playing her character of Angela Norris.
Larter doesn’t agree with the backlash and sees Angela as a character with her own personality traits. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she clarified that she has never once felt awkward while filming the show. She said, “Nobody's putting me in a position that I'm not comfortable being in. I love playing this character. If there was something I was uncomfortable with, I wouldn't do it. What's more uncomfortable is that people are so uncomfortable with their sexuality.”
Angela is the glamorous trophy wife of Billy Bob Thornton’s character, Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton). She is often seen sipping cocktails in a swimsuit or decked in her designer clothes. Larter’s character might be closer to a stereotypical woman, but she is who she is. Moreover, the actress believes that Angela also has complexities to her, but it is often overlooked because people focus too much on the surface. Critics bashed the showmaker for portraying the character as shallow or ornamental, but Larter doesn’t agree. She believes that underneath the materialistic façade lies a woman who is struggling to hold her family together, grappling with aging, and finding purpose in unlikely places.
“You see her crumbling, trying to keep her family together. You see her battling and feeling like she's getting older… It's very multi-dimensional, and that's why it doesn't bother me,” Larter explained. She even defended Sheridan, who received backlash for objectifying women, with Angela and Ainsley, her onscreen daughter, played by Michelle Randolph. “There’s good press and bad press. That’s challenging. I try to keep myself at arm’s length from that and stay with the work,” she said in her defence. As for Sheridan, who’s the brains behind the project, she declared that he knows what he’s doing and why, every step of the way.
“This is Taylor’s baby. Anytime I would take my foot off the pedal, Taylor was on step. He wants her loud and emotional, like a tornado of energy,” she stressed. “The way he envisioned this show is that it has so many tones. You’re able to go from the danger of the man camps to the romance of Cooper and Ariana to me and Ainsley,” she explained further. So, on one hand, characters are struggling in the business, but on the other hand, some people are living their best lives. This balanced dynamic is what makes this Sheridan universe what it is. “There are so many different parts of this show, and I think what has connected with audiences is that all these tones work together in Taylor’s vision,” Larter added.