If there’s anyone out there that’s happy to see Ali Larter back in the acting world… you’ve got Taylor Sheridan to thank.
The Yellowstone creator and showrunner for countless other hits likes to do things a certain way. And hey, with Sheridan’s track record, and the belief that he’s one of the best in the business (if not the best), there’s clearly a method to his madness. He’s not much of an audition guy as much as he is a hand selector.
Taylor Sheridan often writes parts with specific actors and actresses in mind. Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm have both previously spoke on how relaxed and straightforward joining a Taylor Sheridan show is. Basically, you hear from Sheridan about a part, you meet with Sheridan, and then you work with him.
In some cases, the meeting with Taylor Sheridan is all you have to go off of. Michelle Pfieffer, the star of The Madison, recently told the media that when she agreed to be a part of the western melodrama, she had never even set eyes on a script. That’s because Sheridan often likes to cast first, then write the specific part for the person he’s selected.
And Taylor’s selection process is more so a “when you know, you know” type of thing. As he explained in a recent interview on Tom McCutcheon’s THE SHOW, Sheridan isn’t looking for previous experience or certain statistic when he’s filling out the cast for one of his shows:
“I don’t even look at their resume. I don’t care what they’ve done or haven’t done. It doesn’t matter to me.”
That takes a level of know-how and confidence that only Taylor Sheridan possesses.
Shortly after that, the man that brought Landman to our television screens revealed that one of the cast members of the oil drama was somewhat lured out of retirement. Sheridan says that Angela herself – Ali Larter – was actually out of Hollywood when she landed her role in the hit show:
“Ali Larter was essentially out of the business. She was living up in Sun Valley, Idaho and she put herself on tape and sent it to me (for ‘Landman’). I’ve known Ali since she was 19 years old. She put herself on tape and beat out the world… She’s special. She’s amazing. It’s so easy to write it for her because she’s that. She’s going to say exactly what she thinks.”
Sounds like Ali Larter and Taylor Sheridan were both in agreement… she was meant to play Angela in Landman.
Sheridan adds that it was the same with Beau Garrett, who sent in a tape audition for The Madison.
“She beat out movie stars. She beat out movie stars who don’t audition… she kicked everyone’s a**.”
Larter has been a scene-stealer in the show, and she actually helped the show go viral during it’s first season when viewers made the connection that she had previously starred in Varsity Blues and had one, particularly memorable scene in the late 1990s sports comedy. And now that she’s starred in Landman, it’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Angela.
You can hear Taylor Sheridan talk more about his casting process, and his admiration for Ali Larter, in the interview below:
