Ali Larter and Billy Bob Thornton Reveal Landman Stories from Set; Talk Sam Elliott Joining the Cast

0:01 -I never see you anymore, but I saw you a month ago.

0:02 You were at my brother's wedding.

0:04 -That's right.

0:04 It's weddings and your talk show.

0:05 -That's it.

0:06 That's where I see you.

0:07 And I was lucky enough a year ago now to be at your wedding.

0:10 -Yes.

0:10 -Which was a fantastic wedding.

0:11 And I had a memory today when I was thinking about it.

0:13 And I want you to verify for me.

0:15 I remember you had a beautiful wedding gown,

0:17 and then it was sort of dance-floor times,

0:19 and you had a moment where you just weren't feeling the restriction

0:23 of your dress and you just tore off the bottom of your dress.

0:26 -Yes!

0:26 It was so foolish.

0:27 It was one of the dumbest things I've ever done.

0:29 I felt like a cupcake on my wedding, you know, like, prancing around.

0:33 And by the end of the night, we were all dancing.

0:34 And I wanted to be free.

0:36 And so we just cut it all the way up.

0:38 And it's literally in our garage in Idaho right now in some,

0:41 like, cardboard box with ugly little pins across it.

0:44 -So you saved the bottom half.

0:47 -Exactly.

0:48 -It was so funny because, at the time, I was like, "Oh, my God,

0:50 they must have had that planned." And people were like,

0:52 "That was not planned." -That was not planned.

0:55 -Scissors.

0:56 If there are scissors, it is not planned.

0:57 -It's so true.

0:58 It was terrible.

0:59 But you gave the most amazing toast at our wedding.

1:03 And then at Josh and McKenzie's wedding, your toast was so beautiful.

1:06 -Thank you very much.

1:07 That's very— You know, it's kind of my bread and butter.

1:09 That's all I bring to the table.

1:11 If you're wondering what their gift was, that was it.

1:14 -It was amazing.

1:15 I mean, you talked about how, like, you know,

1:18 your friends are your family, and that's so true.

1:21 You know, and you surround yourself with such incredible people.

1:23 -Well, and we were very lucky.

1:25 We have a lot of overlap in our friendships.

1:26 And so that made it a nice night, too.

1:28 Congratulations on this show.

1:29 -Thank you.

1:30 -Um, this is, uh, based on a podcast.

1:32 Was it "Boomtown"?

1:34 -That's right.

1:35 Christian Wallace.

1:35 -Christian Wallace and then Taylor Sheridan, who, of course,

1:38 we know from "Yellowstone." So the two of them created this together.

1:40 Did you know anything about "Boomtown"?

1:42 -I had never listened to it before.

1:43 Um, but, you know, once I got the job, I was like, "Okay,

1:46 I need to know more about this," as I started to research it.

1:49 Christian really brought the authenticity to it.

1:51 His family's from the Permian Basin in Midland, Odessa in West Texas.

1:56 And so as we dive into, like, this dangerous world of oil, you have Taylor,

2:00 who's bringing these prolific characters and these amazing storylines,

2:03 and then you have Christian that makes it very authentic.

2:05 -That's good.

2:07 So an oilman would watch this show and be like, "It good." -It's good.

2:10 -Yeah.

2:10 -Oh, you wouldn't say oil, though, you'd say, "Oll." -Well, you did work.

2:13 You had to do work on the accent.

2:14 And by the way, very— And I will say I

2:17 believe the scene we saw was your first day of shooting.

2:20 And so you are now— You have to do a Texas accent...

2:23 -That's right.

2:23 -...in front of Billy Bob Thornton.

2:25 -Oh, my God, I know.

2:27 Mr.

2:27 Arkansas.

2:27 But it's like the accent was so specific.

2:30 Everything in this job was just, like, it was big time.

2:33 You know, I was working with Oscar winners.

2:35 Taylor is such an incredible storyteller.

2:37 And, you know, part of it is also the mental game,

2:39 you know, like, you do the work.

2:41 You know, I work with my acting coach and dialect, but then you have to show up.

2:44 And the way that Taylor shoots, there's no rehearsal, there's no blocking.

2:49 This is my first day of shooting.

2:51 I am in 5-inch heels getting off a G5, and I'm like waiting,

2:54 you know, hoping we're gonna, like, you know, have a little run-through.

2:57 "Action!" Out I come and it is just like the Wild West.

3:00 And off we go.

3:02 -That's so fantastic.

3:03 Well, it looked great.

3:04 So the process works.

3:05 -You have to know it backwards on Taylor's shows.

3:08 That's what I think it is.

3:10 It's like you can't get nervous.

3:11 You have to know your stuff so great that, you know,

3:14 when the pressure and when it hits the fan that you can still deliver.

3:17 -I've heard you say this is a very rewarding role.

3:20 One of the more rewarding you've played.

3:22 Is it just that it's a character unlike anything you've done before?

3:26 -You know, I mean, I think in Taylor Sheridan's universe,

3:28 women don't expire and...

3:29 -That's a very nice way to put it.

3:31 -It's true.

3:31 I mean, he writes women of all ages that are powerful and sexy.

3:35 And he also then— What I love about this character specifically is that he also

3:39 takes you into the darkness of the night

3:41 when she's raw and vulnerable and breaking down.

3:43 And so you definitely see her, you know, in all her glory, she's a firecracker.

3:48 But then you see, you know, her motivations and you see,

3:50 you know, that she's just trying to put her family back together.

3:53 -I know that this was an arduous audition process as well.

3:56 It must have been a part you really wanted.

3:58 And then, um, you had something unfortunate happen,

4:00 like, right in the middle of it.

4:02 -Oh, my God.

4:02 Okay, so a lot of people get his stuff.

4:04 He does all the movie stars.

4:06 But, you know, I was not one of them.

4:07 So I auditioned three times and then I had to screen test for this.

4:10 And the strike happened and it kept getting delayed.

4:12 And I was like, "Oh,

4:14 okay." Finally it was time to get into, you know, character.

4:16 I'm working with the acting coach, dialect coach,

4:18 and I have to get in shape because this character wears a lot of bikinis.

4:21 -Yeah.

4:22 -And I was like, "Okay, you got to pull it together.

4:24 You want to feel great." So I'm at my treadmill class and I'm running.

4:27 It's two weeks before we start filming and I'm like, "Okay, I'm gonna get there.

4:32 I'm gonna get the body going." And I go out to the car

4:35 and I have the dogs in the car and I open up the hatchback.

4:37 -How many dogs?

4:37 -So we have a big Bernese and then a baby Bernese.

4:40 -Okay, gotcha.

4:41 -And so the baby Bernese will not get in the car.

4:43 And I have my hat on and I'm trying to wrangle this puppy and I can't get it in.

4:47 The hatchback is open.

4:48 And I finally grabbed the puppy and I throw it

4:50 in and I cracked the corner of my head into the hatchback.

4:54 -Oh, no.

4:55 -I dropped to the ground.

4:56 Blood is gushing down my face.

4:59 I can't even take this.

5:00 It's like giving me PTSD.

5:02 I'm crawling through the snow, like, 4 feet of snow.

5:05 Up to the treadmill class.

5:07 And I'm banging on the door.

5:08 And my girlfriend Ryan comes up to it and she's

5:10 looking at me and I am freaking out and she's like, "You're gonna be okay.

5:15 You definitely broke your nose.

5:17 Maybe lost an eye." And I'm like, "Aah,

5:20 call Hayes." And we raced to the hospital and I just,

5:23 you know, I can't believe it.

5:26 It's two weeks and I think I'm gonna get fired.

5:27 You know, this job is over.

5:29 -I will say that opening scene would have

5:31 been way different if you walked out with only...

5:35 Yells indistinctly] -...and, like, a missing eye.

5:37 You're like, "Hey, y'all!" You'd be like, "Oh!

5:40 Where is that confidence coming from?!" -Totally.

5:44 My God.

5:45 -But I mean, it healed up nice.

5:47 You can't even tell.

5:48 -It healed up.

5:49 But, like, you know, I live in small-town Idaho in the mountains.

5:52 So we get to the hospital and we walk in and I'm like, "I need to see a doctor.

5:55 I'm leaving to shoot in two weeks." -Yeah.

5:58 -And she was like, "What are you going hunting for?" -Of course.

6:00 -I swear to God.

6:02 I was, like, screaming.

6:04 I was like, "It's over for me." -Yeah.

6:06 -Forget it.

6:07 -That's fantastic.

6:08 Well, bounced back and it all worked out.

6:10 The last time you were here,

6:12 it was right before season one of this show premiered.

6:14 And I don't think— I mean, obviously, uh, you were very proud of it,

6:18 but you could not have imagined what this show has become.

6:21 It is just nuts.

6:23 -No, but you were the first one to believe in me in the show.

6:25 The very first.

6:26 And then, like, the rest of the world caught on.

6:28 You were number one, so thank you.

6:30 -But I should say I am such a— Look, we're old friends.

6:33 We know each other very well.

6:35 Um, I was lucky enough to be at your wedding.

6:36 Even if you were in something super [bleep] I would have you on the show.

6:40 -I've been in some [bleep] ones and you've had me on, so thank you.

6:44 -Thank you for being in a good one.

6:46 -Oh, my God, I know.

6:50 Exactly.

6:50 Thank God for that.

6:51 I'm so excited.

6:51 -I mean, it's so great.

6:53 And, you know, the season two premiered,

6:55 over 9 million people watched it in two days.

6:57 -Yes.

6:58 Yeah.

6:59 -Obviously you're all aware now that it's a runaway hit,

7:01 but how different is it on the streets?

7:02 I mean, you must get approached all the time about this show.

7:04 -Well, you know, we live in a small town in Idaho now,

7:06 so everyone's kind of blasé about me.

7:08 It's no big deal.

7:10 But it's my daughter's 11th birthday, Vivienne, this week,

7:12 and so I brought her on this trip.

7:14 As all working moms do, you just have to do it all.

7:15 And we get to the hotel and there's a ton

7:18 of paparazzi taking pictures and she's like, "Who's here?

7:20 Who's here?" And it was like, "Oh, she's kind of gonna realize what I do

7:24 for a living now." Maybe she's be nice to me.

7:26 -By the way, what a bummer for an 11-year-old girl in New York City to find out,

7:30 like, "Oh, you're here?" -Yeah.

7:32 Such a disappointment for her.

7:35 -Yeah.

7:36 -Totally.

7:37 -But has there been anyone— Have you gotten recognized

7:39 by anybody in the city that maybe is like exciting to...

7:42 -Yes.

7:42 I mean, well, look, this is my favorite city in the world.

7:46 You know, I'm from Jersey, and being back here is the best.

7:47 I love New York City.

7:49 I love it.

7:50 Um, and one of my favorite restaurants is that very chic Polo lounge.

7:53 -Yeah.

7:53 Very hard— very hard to get a table.

7:55 -Very hard.

7:55 Best food, great martinis.

7:57 And we decided to take the girls there for this birthday dinner.

7:59 And so we're there on Monday night and it's probably like 8:30, 9:00.

8:03 And there's like a beat.

8:04 There's a vibe happening.

8:05 And this woman across the room catches my eye

8:07 and she has kind of like this twinkle,

8:09 and she's looking at me and I'm clocking her.

8:11 And Martha Stewart starts walking straight at me, okay?

8:16 And I'm going, "Oh, my gosh,

8:17 is that Martha?" She comes up to the table in this huge white fur,

8:20 like, this bold— She's like a lioness.

8:23 And she looks at me and she goes,

8:25 "I wait until 12:01 every Sunday to watch your show." -Oh.

8:31 -And then she looks at Vivienne and she goes,

8:32 "Your mother is a badass." And we were just, like, all enamored,

8:37 like, in this surreal moment of Martha Stewart, who I love,

8:39 who's like the queen, the icon, and she's a "Landman" fan.

8:43 -I mean, that's great.

8:44 -I'll take it.

8:45 -And again, anytime you can get praised in front of your children,

8:47 like, that's what you live for.

8:48 -It's actually the truth.

8:49 -And then she walked away.

8:52 And I'm sure your daughter was like,

8:53 "Did you pay that woman?" -"Who is that woman?"

8:54 -"Who is that woman and did you pay her," right?

8:57 I know, Martha Stewart icon,

8:58 but I would imagine a lot of 11-year-old girls are like,

9:01 "Who dat?" -Totally, 100%.

9:02 -Um, you guys obviously shoot in Texas.

9:05 The Fort Worth area.

9:06 -Yeah.

9:06 -You've shot on campus at TCU.

9:09 -We did, we did.

9:11 I think one of the things that makes the show

9:12 really special and authentic is that Taylor uses— Like,

9:15 the day players are real college students at TCU.

9:18 And when you're shooting on the oil rigs,

9:20 he goes out and he has the real men that run these rigs.

9:22 So you can feel just a level of authenticity that you don't always get.

9:26 -Yeah.

9:26 -Um, and it was great.

9:28 I mean, TCU is so welcoming and I love also— Like,

9:31 Texas is almost like, you know, a character in our show.

9:34 I mean, the heat's part of it.

9:35 We're always hot.

9:37 We're just like in it and we get to shoot where it's real.

9:39 -It's definitely— Yeah, it's not a controlled set.

9:40 -Yes.

9:41 No.

9:41 -You're shooting in Texas.

9:42 And I think one of the things about a lot of Taylor Sheridan shows,

9:45 and I think one of the reasons people are so drawn to him is like,

9:48 you know, some of the most incredible backdrops.

9:51 Uh, you know, you're shooting on, you know, everything Texas has to offer.

9:53 But are there difficulties?

9:55 I mean, you talked about the heat.

9:56 Are there things that ever go wrong?

9:58 -We had a scene this season where it was like, it's the end of the day.

10:01 You know, we have a huge crew.

10:03 It's high pressure and we are rushing to get the shot.

10:05 And it's supposed to be one of those epic Texas sunsets where the egg drops.

10:09 So it's like I'm standing there in this wide open field,

10:10 barefoot, jean shorts, and they're rushing, rushing, and I hear,

10:14 "Action." And I'm standing there and I'm looking out of the horses,

10:17 and all of a sudden I feel something crawling between my toes.

10:21 And I looked down and there are fire ants biting my toes.

10:25 But then I feel Billy coming up behind me and I'm like,

10:28 "I just have to live through this." So I leaned to him

10:31 and I go into the scene and I do the scene with him,

10:34 and all of a sudden, I hear, "Cut!" And Stephen Kay,

10:36 our director, runs up and he's like, "Ali,

10:38 you were so emotional, you were so connected." And I'm like,

10:41 "I'm crying because I was getting bit by fire ants" and I was scared

10:46 they were gonna yell at me because they weren't gonna get the shot, so...

10:49 -Oh, my God.

10:49 -And I get welts.

10:50 -The bummer now is, like,

10:52 anytime you're doing a scene where they feel like you're not reaching that peak,

10:55 they're gonna be like,

10:56 "Get the ants." -"Get the ants." -"Bring the ants in." -I mean, it's crazy.

11:00 I had welts on my feet.

11:01 I mean, this show takes a toll on this bod.

11:03 -I mean, I will say, like, you know, again,

11:06 these are these are rough and tumble, uh, characters.

11:09 I like the authenticity there.

11:11 Um, Angela, one of the funniest things about

11:13 this show is the theme parties that your character hosts.

11:15 -Oh, thank you.

11:17 -There's a really great scene at a pirate-themed party.

11:19 -Yeah.

11:19 -And is it fun to actually— I mean,

11:21 I would imagine anytime you get to dress up like

11:23 a pirate and not actually be in a pirate show...

11:25 -It's definitely fun.

11:27 More fun to see everyone else in pirate outfits.

11:28 Um, you know, our cast is so incredible and having

11:31 Sam Elliott join is just like— We have legends.

11:34 -Yeah.

11:34 -You know, it's like,

11:36 it's a bunch of these rebellious actors that have kind of done it their way.

11:40 And to be able to work against them is just incredible.

11:43 Um, when we were shooting that scene,

11:44 it was actually— A couple episodes before that was Sam's first

11:47 day when we got to meet him and he was sitting outside.

11:50 He doesn't even want a director's chair.

11:52 He sits on an apple box.

11:53 He comes first thing in the morning, whether he's working or not.

11:56 He just wants to be there and be part of it.

11:58 And he's so kind to the crew.

12:00 So he's kind of sitting there looking out,

12:01 and I just sat right on the arm of his chair and just started chatting.

12:04 And he connected with me and was so open

12:07 and just like the icon legend that he is,

12:09 he just brings so much soul to our show.

12:11 -It's amazing.

12:13 I mean, to have— to begin with, you know,

12:14 to start with Billy Bob and then add Sam Elliott,

12:16 it is— it's truly, truly something.

12:18 -Yeah.

12:18 And, like, you know, sometimes people make fun— Like, on the show,

12:21 like, Billy's always riding Angela, like, not literally, but kind of...

12:26 Laughter] -It is one of the appeals.

12:30 It is one of the appeals.

12:32 -Sometimes the characters in the show aren't super kind,

12:35 like Jacob to Ainsley and all that.

12:37 And Sam Elliott's character comes in, T.L., and he's so sweet to us,

12:41 and he kind of sees the joy that Angela and Ainsley bring and my character,

12:46 you know, spends so much time in the old folks' home.

12:48 It's like giving her this awakening, you know, of, like, this purpose in life.

12:51 And it's family first for her.

12:53 So she moves him into the house and you

12:56 kind of see her worth to the family this season.

12:58 -That's fantastic.

12:58 You, uh, you got a 15-year-old And an 11-year-old.

13:01 -I do.

13:02 -They are now— I mean, that's getting to the age where there's certainly

13:05 some of your work that you can show them.

13:07 I mean, have they watched "Legally Blonde"?

13:08 I mean, what are they watching?

13:10 -I mean, yeah, I think Vivienne watched

13:11 "Legally Blonde"— Teddy watched it years ago.

13:13 I mean, he really has no interest.

13:15 Neither of my kids, like— I mean, parents know it.

13:17 Like, the most humbling thing you can have is a child.

13:20 -Right.

13:20 It truly is.

13:21 -It truly is.

13:22 -I do have a fear about your 15-year-old son because I sports fan, right?

13:25 -Yes.

13:26 -At some point, right, like,

13:28 they start going through sports movies and like "Varsity Blues" comes up.

13:30 -Oh, my God.

13:31 -And, you know— -I thought you were gonna

13:33 say he's not a Bears fan because my husband's,

13:35 like, after him for not being— -Is he not a Bears fan?

13:38 -No!

13:38 And my husband's, like, ready to kill him.

13:39 -Who does he root for?

13:41 Rams?

13:41 -Whoever he wants.

13:42 -Oh, my God.

13:43 -I mean, not even the Eagles for my dad.

13:44 The kid is, like, a contrarian.

13:46 -He's his own guy.

13:47 -He's his own guy.

13:48 -But, you know, "Varsity Blues," fantastic movie.

13:49 One of the best movies of the '90s.

13:51 Super rewatchable.

13:53 You're in "Varsity Blues" in a way that might be, you know...

13:55 -Oh, my God.

13:56 I mean, it's still.

13:57 I have scarred my husband.

13:59 I've scarred my dad.

13:59 I have scarred my son.

14:00 It's not easy.

14:03 -Yeah.

14:04 -Um, but hopefully the rest of the world likes it.

14:05 -I get intense.

14:06 Fortunately, enough time has passed that I can tell you that they— they did.

14:10 -Okay.

14:11 Okay.

14:12 But, you know, I wanted to show her vulnerable side.

14:14 -Absolutely.

14:16 -I mean, that's what it's all about, being vulnerable.

14:17 -Um, congratulations on everything.

14:19 -Thank you.

14:19 -It's so fantastic.

14:20 I mean, again, I know your husband, Hayes MacArthur, very well.

14:23 There is a big Bears game this weekend.

14:25 Will you— Are you supportive of the time...

14:27 -I am.

14:27 So, you know, we live in the cold.

14:29 And he sat outside, you know, smoking cigars, watching it.

14:32 My son was actually very involved.

14:33 The last Bears game was extraordinary.

14:35 So he was just, like, panicked and excited.

14:37 -Why did he have to be outside?

14:40 -He wanted to feel like he was in Chicago.

14:41 -Oh.

14:42 -So he put on jackets and put the TV on outside.

14:45 -I forget he's [bleep] insane.

14:48 That's so funny.

14:50 Did he really want to make it cold enough?

14:51 -Yes.

14:51 He wanted to feel like he was there.

14:54 So they just froze.

14:55 So I couldn't watch the game with him.

14:57 I was not going through that pain.

14:58 -That's fantastic.

14:59 I love him so much.

15:00 Um, I mean, I wouldn't have married him, but...

15:03 You're shooting "Landman" near Odessa, Texas,

15:06 which is where you shot the wonderful film "Friday Night Lights." -Right.

15:09 -I'm wondering, have you shot in any of the same locations?

15:12 Have you run into people you met on that film?

15:14 -Yeah, actually, uh, yeah,

15:16 we shot the first season of "Landman," we mainly shoot around Fort Worth,

15:20 in and around Fort Worth, but we were out in Odessa for a few days,

15:23 and we actually shot a couple of scenes at the stadium where we did

15:28 "Friday Night Lights," and I kind of got a chill when I got there.

15:30 But, uh, there were a lot of background actors,

15:34 obviously, because it's a football game and, uh,

15:38 some of them would come up to me like, you know,

15:40 25-year-old guy come up to me and his sister or something and say, you know,

15:45 "Our dad was an extra in 'Friday Night Lights' and stuff."

15:48 So it was like the next generation of— of— of background actors.

15:52 And we were— we were shooting on the 20-year

15:56 anniversary of "Friday Night Lights" when we were out there.

15:58 Yeah.

16:00 -You talk about, uh...

16:01 Cheers and applause] You talk about getting chills.

16:03 I think a lot of people got chills.

16:04 You know, the halftime speech.

16:06 Uh, you know, look, you've had a lot of iconic moments in film, but, like,

16:09 that's really right up there as one of— one

16:11 of the more heart-pounding— Did you know when you were shooting it?

16:15 Are you like, "Oh, this is— this is a good one right here"?

16:17 -Uh, you kind of know, but you never know what the audience is gonna think.

16:21 I mean, even when you're in the middle of something

16:23 you think is— when you think you're awesome, you know?

16:27 -Yeah.

16:28 Well, that is, I will say— -Yeah, but, uh, no, I mean,

16:32 usually you kind of have an idea that this might be special.

16:37 And that particular monologue, I had just, uh,

16:40 gone through a thing that was not easy to deal with.

16:43 And I asked Pete Berg, the director, I said, "Look,

16:47 do you care if I kind of go off the page a little on this one?" And I did.

16:51 So all that stuff about if you can look your teammate

16:54 in the eye and— and be there 100% and tell them that, you know,

16:58 that you're honest with them and that you're there for them.

17:02 Whether you win or lose,

17:03 if you can look each other in the eye and know that you're there for each other,

17:07 that was all stuff that I said from something that happened the day before.

17:10 -That's unbelievable.

17:12 And I would— I would just say as well...

17:14 Applause] Usually— usually when actors say,

17:17 "I want to go off the page," it's a disaster.

17:20 So...

17:22 You have a writing background.

17:24 Yeah.

17:25 -Well, you know, it's funny because I worked with an actor years and years ago,

17:29 back in the mid '90s, uh, and I— I talked to the director and I said, "You know,

17:35 I think this scene, it shouldn't be, I wait for your line.

17:37 You wait for my line.

17:38 It should be kind of messy,

17:40 you know?" And we did a take and this actor said to me,

17:42 "Man, that was awesome." He goes, "Can we write that down?" I said,

17:46 "Well, that defeats the whole purpose." I said,

17:48 "That's the point is you don't write it down." But anyway, it was a good actor.

17:53 He just couldn't improvise.

17:55 -You also have another film of yours I love.

17:57 "Primary Colors," directed by the late, great Mike Nichols.

18:00 -Oh, yeah.

18:01 Yeah, yeah.

18:02 Mike Nichols, yeah.

18:03 -You know, I only crossed paths with Mike once,

18:06 but it was everything I wanted it to be.

18:07 How was working with him?

18:08 I mean, it must have been something else.

18:10 -Well, it was awesome.

18:11 You know, he was iconic, you know?

18:12 And Elaine May, who was his partner, uh,

18:15 wrote the screenplay, and she was there all the time.

18:18 And for the younger folk, they won't remember this, but, uh,

18:21 it was even before my day, which is...

18:25 which is a long time ago.

18:28 Um, but, uh, they were, you know,

18:31 Mike Nichols and Elaine May were a comedy duo and they were brilliant.

18:35 So we got to actually witness it, you know, right there in person every day.

18:39 And the funny thing about Mike.

18:41 Uh, he— If a director yells at somebody, you know, it's kind of like, "Ah,

18:48 come on, don't yell." But it was a hell of a lot better than what Mike did,

18:52 because it really just took you down to that.

18:55 One day we were shooting a scene and we

18:59 wore suits mostly in the thing, you know?

19:02 And, uh, I was doing a big scene with Travolta and Kathy

19:05 Bates and a bunch of people and Emma Thompson, and, uh,

19:09 somehow when I was in the trailer, I forgot to put my tie on, and, uh,

19:15 and the wardrobe people didn't notice it either.

19:18 And we're halfway through the scene and it was going very well, swimmingly.

19:23 And I guess the script supervisor must have said to Mike,

19:27 "He doesn't have his tie on and has to match this other

19:31 scene." And all you hear from back in the darkness by the monitor,

19:35 you hear Mike go, "Oh.

19:37 Come on."[ Laughter] You know?

19:42 -Did you have a moment where you're like, "Oh,

19:44 I hope that 'Oh, come on' wasn't about me"?

19:47 -Oh, it was.

19:48 -Yeah.

19:49 Uh, "Landman." Fantastic.

19:51 Season two.

19:53 I mean, I feel like I can say, you know, you end up out of a job.

19:57 And I'm just wondering, have you, uh, Billy Bob Thornton,

19:59 have you ever been fired in real life?

20:02 -I've quit more than I've been fired.

20:05 -Gotcha.

20:06 -Uh, but, uh, I'm trying to think back.

20:09 I mean, I had some crummy jobs, I mean, over the years.

20:12 Uh, when I first got out of high school,

20:14 I worked at a machine shop running a drill press.

20:16 My first job was hauling hay.

20:18 Then I went to a sawmill.

20:19 And I have to do this because it's just too funny to me to not do it.

20:23 But you know what that is?

20:25 That's a sawmill worker ordering five beers.

20:28 Anyway, so...

20:32 Laughter] -I'm glad— I'm glad you got out.

20:36 I'm glad you got out.

20:38 -But, yeah, I just.

20:39 I never really got fired.

20:40 But I did quit a few times.

20:42 Just because I was a long-haired hippie kid who didn't want to work.

20:46 -Yeah, well, there you go.

20:48 I'm glad you found your way into something you enjoy doing.

20:50 We had your co-star Ali Larter was here last week,

20:52 and it turns out shooting "Landman" not without risk.

20:55 She was saying she did a scene with you where she had to get emotional.

20:59 And it was easy because while during the scene,

21:00 fire ants were just biting her feet.

21:02 -Yes.

21:04 -And did you know about this or did she share that with you?

21:06 -Oh, she shares everything.

21:09 There's not much that she doesn't tell me.

21:12 Um, yeah, we were doing this very emotional scene.

21:16 It's the last scene of the season.

21:17 -Yeah.

21:19 -And, uh, we're standing there at the fence out there,

21:22 and the coyote comes up and all this and— and she goes,

21:26 "Babe, these fire ants are eating me alive." And I said,

21:30 "Okay, well, I don't know what to do about it.

21:32 I mean, you don't have any shoes on, so, you know, they just exist here." -Yeah.

21:39 -I mean, I told one of the guys, one of the grips, I said,

21:41 "Do you think you could get the lady

21:43 a quarter apple box or something for her?" It's like,

21:46 "Well, no, because then she'll look like she's 6'3".

21:49 Yeah.

21:50 So.

21:51 -So you just had to let the fire ants have their day.

21:52 -Yeah.

21:53 I think it worked out okay for her.

21:55 -She did say— She had wonderful things to say about you,

21:58 but she did say Sam Elliott, who joined the show, plays your father.

22:03 She said he's the most popular guy on set.

22:04 What do you think?

22:05 -She's in for it.

22:06 -Yeah.

22:06 -Yeah.

22:07 -You don't care for that kind of talk?

22:09 -It's really mean.

22:11 She's my wife.

22:12 No, no, Sam— Sam is the greatest.

22:15 I mean— I mean, when Sam comes around, he's— Everybody loves him.

22:19 He's an icon, and we all love him so much.

22:22 And I go back to the late '80s with Sam.

22:24 So he's been a mentor and an inspiration to me for years and years and years.

22:30 And we've worked together twice before this.

22:32 But now I get to see him on a daily basis.

22:35 And it just— It thrills everybody that he's there.

22:38 -I, you know, I was told today that you

22:40 guys had worked together on the wonderful film

22:43 "Tombstone," and I kind of forgot that you were

22:45 in "Tombstone" because you look a great deal different.

22:47 -Yes.

22:47 -And, you know, you kind of get, you know,

22:50 you kind of get knocked around a little bit.

22:52 And that's not the Billy Bob I'm used to seeing.

22:53 -That's right.

22:54 Yeah.

22:54 Yeah.

22:55 Kurt Russell slapped the piss out of me, yeah.

22:58 Uh, but, uh, and, you know, it's funny,

23:01 that was— If I ever see a picture of those days,

23:04 because this was back, you know, when you're a younger actor,

23:07 you're like, "Well, I'm gonna gain 75 pounds for this.

23:10 And the next time I'm gonna do this and whatever,

23:13 I'll cut my own cheek," you know, that kind of thing.

23:16 After a while, as you get older, you stop doing that stuff.

23:19 But, uh, for "Tombstone" and "U Turn," a movie

23:23 I did with Sean Penn years ago, uh, I gained 60 pounds, and then I was

23:30 in a movie called "Pushing Tin" about air traffic controllers.

23:34 And it actually was about Newark right down the road here.

23:37 And, uh, I got down to 128.

23:40 Like, for instance, now I weigh probably 143, 144.

23:43 I weighed 128.

23:45 -Wow.

23:45 -So I stopped doing that.

23:47 -Yeah.

23:47 -Because it does not feel good.

23:49 -No.

23:50 Not worth it.

23:51 -No.

23:52 -Also, we like the way you look right now.

23:54 -Well, thank you very much.

23:55 -Yeah.

23:55 -Well, I mean...

23:57 -We're very happy with it.

23:58 Also, your band, uh, Boxmasters is playing Stagecoach.

24:02 Uh, fantastic.

24:02 Are you excited about that?

24:03 -Yeah, I am.

24:04 Yeah.

24:05 We've never played Stagecoach and Stagecoach— I mean,

24:07 you know, we're a rock 'n' roll band,

24:08 but, uh, I mean, our last tour we opened for The Who, so it's like.

24:12 And the Stagecoach is known as a country festival, but now they're mixing it up.

24:17 They're having rock 'n' roll bands and country bands,

24:19 and we play Stagecoach April 25th.

24:21 -That's fantastic.

24:23 Well, we're very happy you're keeping busy.

24:24 It's always the best to see you, Billy.

24:26 -You too.

24:27 -Billy Bob Thornton, everyone.

24:29 Second season of "Landman" is streaming now on Paramount Plus.