Taylor Sheridan has a chokehold on the Western genre — and he's keeping his Paramount+ content machine humming along at a brisk pace with another upcoming series.
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"Land Man" is adapted from the Texas Monthly podcast "Boomtown," which offers a top-to-bottom look at the oil industry — from the suits who call the shots from city high-rises to the black-splattered hardhats toiling at the wells. While details about the plot of "Land Man" remain sparse, an early logline for the upcoming series indicates the adaptation will follow a similar thread. According to the official logline, the series is "an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires that are fueling a boom so big it's reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics."
A casting call was posted on Facebook last month asking for people with experience in the oil industry to apply as extras, which bodes well for the authenticity of the series. But who on screen will appear front and center? Variety reported last year that "Land Man" had cast Ali Larter, Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland to join Billy Bob Thornton, who is set to star in the series.
Here's everything we know so far about the "Land Man" cast.
Billy Bob Thornton as Tommy Norris
FX
Sheridan revealed that he wrote the script of "Land Man" with Billy Bob Thornton in mind for the lead role. Not much is known just yet about the character of Tommy Norris, aside from him being a crisis manager for an oil company.
From those sparse details alone, the role already seems to be extremely Thornton-esque. With his gruff, no-nonsense demeanor, Thornton is just the man to play someone tasked with managing the rough, macho personalities of an oil well.
Thornton is easily one of the most recognizable celebrities in Hollywood. The 68-year-old actor, writer and director won an Oscar for 1996's "Sling Blade," for which he was also nominated for Best Actor. In the 1990s, he also starred in the science fiction disaster flick "Armageddon," the highest-grossing film of 1998; and in "Simple Plan," which garnered him a third Academy Award nomination.
In the 2000s, he continued to work on numerous critically acclaimed projects. He starred opposite Halle Berry in "Monster's Ball" (2001); he played an inspiring high school football coach in the sports drama "Friday Night Lights" (2004); and in the raunchy comedy "Bad Santa" (2003), his iconic turn as an alcoholic mall Santa made the film a not-so-family-friendly holiday favorite.
He also starred in the television series "Fargo" (2014), playing a psychotic hitman who turned a sleepy Midwestern town into the site of a bloodbath; and "Goliath" (2016), in which he played a washed-up, formerly legendary lawyer. Each role earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor.
Given Thornton's resumé and his knack for picking ace projects, we're beyond excited to see what he can do with "Land Man."
Michelle Randolph as Ainsley Norris
Paramount
Michelle Randolph will star as "the wild and strong-willed 17-year-old daughter of Tommy Norris (Thornton)."
Randolph took to Instagram to express her excitement for working on the project. "I'm so excited, y'all!" she wrote in the caption.
This isn't the first time that Randolph has worked with Sheridan on a project. She also plays Elizabeth Dutton in Sheridan's "Yellowstone" prequel series "1923." In the '20s epic, she plays the daughter at the Duttons' neighboring ranch. She falls in love with Jack Dutton (Darren Mann), which leads to their marriage and pregnancy.
She was outstanding in the series, and Sheridan clearly agrees, tapping her for yet another performance in "Land Man."
Randolph also has a comparatively small role in the Peacock mystery series "The Resort" (2022), and a lead role in the comedy-drama "5 Years Apart" (2019).
Jacob Lofland as Cooper Norris
AMC
Jacob Lofland, 27, will play the role of Cooper Norris in "Land Man." Cooper is "Tommy's son, who is new to the demanding work in the oil and gas fields of west Texas."
Lofland is an American actor who is best known for his role as Neckbone in the film "Mud" and as Aris in the film "Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials."
After his breakout performance in "Mud," Lofland has also gone on to appear in series including "Justified," "Texas Rising" and "The Son." He will make an appearance in "Joker: Folie à Deux," the upcoming sequel to Joaquin Phoenix's "Joker" film.
Ali Larter as Angela
Sony Pictures
In "Land Man," Ali Larter is set to play Angela, Tommy's ex-wife.
The 47-year-old actress and model is best known for playing the dual roles of Niki Sanders and Tracy Strauss on the NBC superhero drama series "Heroes."
After her breakout role in "Varsity Blues," Larter went on to become a certified scream queen of the late '90s and early aughts, starring in bloody horror flicks including "House on Haunted Hill" and "Final Destination." In line with her horror roots, Larter also starred as Claire Redfield in three film adaptations of the popular video game series "Resident Evil."
