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All eyes can be on the return of Yellowstone but ICYMI introduced Taylor Sheridan another western to his repertoire of dramatic entertainment. And this time around, the cast is about as star-studded as it gets, with Billy Bob Thornton at the helm alongside other A-Listers like Jon Hamm, Demi Moore and Ali Larter. All this to say, if you’re looking for a series to end Yellowstone stings a little less, it’s time to add Husbandman to your watchlist.

Based on the popular Texas Monthly‘s podcast BoomtownWritten and hosted by Christian Wallace, Landman is set in West Texas and follows the highs, lows, chaos and corruption of the oil industry.

“The oil and gas industry makes $3 billion a day in pure profits – and it’s only growing,” says Billy Bob in the official trailer. “But before any of that money is made, you have to secure the land and manage the people. That’s my job. The first part is quite simple, it is the second part that can get you killed.”

Ever intrigued by Taylor’s mastery of modern drama, we sat down with Billy Bob and Ali to discuss what makes Husbandman a must watch.

“Intense” and “Enchanting” are the first words that come to Billy Bob and Ali’s minds, respectively, when asked to describe the new Paramount+ series. While Billy Bob plays Tommy Norris, a crisis manager in the oil industry, Ali plays his ex-wife Angela. This connection alone tells you an important plot point of Husbandman: It’s a story about high stakes, game-changing stress, and the family dynamics that exist in the middle.

“I hope people take away the fact that when you’re in such an intense, big, dangerous business… it affects you personally, and it affects your family, your friends, all the people you work with,” says Billy Bob . Rural life. “It’s a big world and one that’s easy to become obsessed with. It’s basically gambling, in so many ways: every day is a gamble and I’m the guy who’s going to place the bets and be sure to collect them to pay them out.

In the show, Billy Bob (Tommy) is also the guy who keeps it real. “I’m really happy that Taylor has added humor to the show, you know, where it’s not just constant drama, because usually these types of shows aren’t like real life; people are not just melancholic or angry every minute of their lives, or in danger every moment – ​​there are lighter moments in this, which I was very happy about,” he says.

Likewise, Billy Bob was happy to show his fear and vulnerability in the series as well. “If a main character is just a man of steel, what’s interesting about that?” he asks. “I mean, you have to see people’s flaws and their fear and all the different things that people feel because, you know, courage wouldn’t be courage if you weren’t afraid.”

Meanwhile, Ali is impressed with how well Taylor has handled the entire storyline. “I mean, look, Taylor re-romanticized the American West. There is no doubt about that,” she says Rural life. For her, what happens Husbandman What’s special is how the show offers an authentic glimpse into the dangerous world of oil in the Permian Basin, also known as the highest-producing oil field in the US.

“(Taylor) has built these dynamic characters that are complex and vulnerable and wild and full of feelings. When you put them together you really get an incredible show, but it is also authentic,” says Ali. “And I think that’s what makes it different, especially with Taylor’s shows, is the research that makes you really believe that you’re there.”

Part of what makes the show so relatable in Ali’s eyes? Just like Billy Bob, the real family bond of it all. “When it comes to my character, Angela Norris, you know, she’s been through the highs and lows with Tommy, and all those things have really affected her life and the choices she’s made,” she says. “So when you see her come in, she’s very bright and shiny, but it starts to unwrap and unravel and you peel back the layers of the onion to see the true cost of the high-stakes oil game.”

Another highlight of filming in Ali’s eyes? To show it all on the screen. “Taylor creates dynamic, powerful women and I’ve been fortunate to work in different genres and play many different characters in my career, but I’ve never gotten to play someone so emotionally complex and who makes it all happen. ,” she shares. “(Angela’s) someone who is very provocative – she’s also all heart and all love; she tries to bring her family back together. And in one scene she goes from crying to laughing to feeling empathy. I mean, she’s really capable of doing these twists. And that was like my biggest challenge as an actor was really being able to channel that and convey the powerful character that Taylor envisioned for her.

All this to say, Husbandman may look like a hyper-masculine, ultra-intensive western aimed at the male viewer, but underneath it is really a family affair.

“To me, every story always comes down to love – it’s what motivates us, it’s the biggest motivating factor in anyone’s life – and I think you certainly have a world of dangerous oil and the cartel and the billionaires and, you know, you have all this. But what it comes down to is the core and the family dynamic between Angela and Tommy and Cooper and Ainsley – I think that’s the heart and soul of the show,” Ali admits.

New episodes of Husbandman airs Sundays on Paramount+.

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