Ali Larter is getting ready to return as Angela Norris in Landman Season 3, but the actress admits that stepping back into her character’s world after more than a year away has taken some adjustment.

Production on the Paramount+ drama’s third season began in Texas last week, nearly a year after Season 2 premiered. Larter, 50, told PEOPLE that the extended break had left her feeling disconnected from Angela, while her costar Michelle Randolph, who plays Angela’s daughter Ainsley, was facing a similar challenge.

“I just started on Monday. I called Michelle, I said, ‘Girl, we’ve got to put on some heels, our tight jeans. We need to go have some shots at the bar, and we’ve got to go find these girls again,’ because it’s been a year,” Larter said.

“We’re so distant from Angela and from Ainsley,” she added.

The actress made the comments at Step Up’s 2026 Annual Inspiration Awards, presented by TOMS, in Los Angeles on Sept. 25. She said returning to Texas had helped her settle back into the rhythm of the series and reconnect with the character she plays.

An Emotional Reunion With the Landman Cast and Crew

Getting back on set after such a long break was an emotional experience for Larter, who said she was delighted to reunite with the people behind the show.

“I love the cast and the crew,” she said, recalling that the first day of filming was delayed because everyone was busy embracing and catching up.

“When I saw the crew the first day, it was just like, we had to delay filming because there were so many hugs and how-are-yous. We have an extraordinary group of people.”

For Larter, returning to the production involves more than simply learning her lines again. She believes spending time in Texas is essential to rediscovering Angela and immersing herself in the show’s distinctive environment.

The actress described her latest Los Angeles trip as her last for a while, explaining that she needed to spend time back in Texas to reconnect with the world of Landman.

Why Filming in Texas Matters to Ali Larter

Larter believes the show’s location plays a crucial role in shaping both the story and her performance.

“I just love Texas. That’s the character in the show,” she said.

The series is set in the Permian Basin, where the oil industry shapes the lives and relationships of the people who live and work there. Larter said spending time in small-town Texas helps her understand the culture that surrounds the characters.

“Texas is a state unto itself,” she explained, describing its emphasis on family, faith, football and, ultimately, oil.

“I love that we get to shoot where our story takes place. That really influences it.”

She also praised creator Taylor Sheridan’s writing, particularly the distinctive way Angela speaks and the analogies she uses.

“I love the way Taylor writes her, because she’s so unique in how she speaks and all her little analogies and the way she’s raising her daughter to the best that she knows how,” Larter said.

Angela’s Confidence Makes the Role Empowering

Angela, who is married to Billy Bob Thornton’s oilman Tommy Norris, is known for her outspoken personality and determination to live life on her own terms.

Larter said family remains the central thread connecting her to the character, but she also enjoys Angela’s apparent indifference to other people’s opinions.

“I think that the thread for me is more the family first,” she explained.

The actress acknowledged that worrying about how others perceive her is something many people experience in their own lives. Playing someone who refuses to be constrained by outside judgment, however, gives her a sense of freedom.

“To get to play a character that doesn’t care about those things, for me is really empowering, and that’s why I’m like, alright, I’m ready to get back into this,” she said.

After more than a year away, Larter is now preparing to bring Angela’s bold personality back to the screen. With filming underway in Texas, the actress is once again immersing herself in the setting and relationships that define Landman.

Seasons 1 and 2 of Landman are available to stream on Paramount+.

Source: Compiled from various sources.