Sad Details About Landman's Ali Larter

Ali Larter had a major career resurgence upon joining the cast of "Landman." But that doesn't mean the actor hasn't endured her fair share of hardship. In fact, between Larter's career anxiety, a freak accident that she feared might stop her from taking the "Landman" gig, and an injury sustained on set, there are a number of sad details about the "Final Destination" star's life. Although Larter is a familiar face thanks to her steady work on shows like "Heroes" and "The Rookie," alongside several movies, like most actors, she's had plenty of lulls as well. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, in 2025, she admitted that before moving to Idaho with Larter's real-life partner Hayes MacArthur, both of them were in one of those periods. 

"We left before this show came. Neither of us were working. It's challenging," the actor confirmed. That said, she added that both of them were well used to the highs and lows. "When you have a lifelong career as a working actor, that's the reality of the life. You have to dig deep inside yourself and have faith and continue the work, hoping that that great opportunity is going to come. So much of being in our business is the mental game that you play," she said. 

It's worth noting that even Larter's "Landman" role didn't come easy. Far from it; she auditioned along with 11 other actors for the part. However, luckily for the "Legally Blonde" star, she was ready to dig deep when the opportunity arose. "It was something I fought for because I wanted to work in Taylor's world. I think he's a brilliant writer. That's when I really felt, 'It's time to fight for something again,'" she recounted. Larter got the job, and the rest is history.

Considering all the mental work that went into scoring her role in "Landman," it should come as no surprise that when Ali Larter sustained a facial injury, she was terrified it might compromise her new gig. It doesn't help that the incident itself was particularly traumatic. As the prolific actor shared in a 2025 interview with ET, "Two weeks before we left to go filming, I was at the treadmill class trying to get in shape [...] and I went to let our puppy out of the car, I left the hatchback open [...] hoisted her up and I cracked the corner of my head, and I went down to the ground with blood everywhere. It was terrifying," (via YouTube). 

During an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Larter confessed that talking about it gave her PTSD. Likewise, when the "Heroes" star was lying on the ground, Larter was convinced she'd broken her nose and possibly even lost an eye in the scary incident. "We race to the hospital, and I just, you know, I can't believe it. It's two weeks [...] I think I'm going to get fired. I think this job is over," she recalled (via SlashFilm). 

Thankfully, the injury didn't cost her the job, though she was on bed rest for a week, and had to conceal the scar when filming eventually commenced. "I was trying to hide it from, like, Taylor Sheridan, going, 'Oh my God, are they going to fire me?'" the actor told ET. For what it's worth, she did a pretty stellar job, and despite the seriousness of the injury, there were no major changes to Larter's appearance apart from the scar.

Unfortunately for Ali Larter, knocking her head on the corner of her hatchback's liftgate wasn't the only injury she sustained around the filming of "Landman." Granted, Season 1 was apparently incident-free, but in Season 2, the actor had an unfortunate run-in with fire ants during a key sequence. Elsewhere in her "Late Night with Seth Meyers" interview, the "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" star explained that they had been shooting during sunset, meaning time was of the essence, when she suddenly realized she was amidst an army of fire ants. 

"I'm standing there and I'm looking at the horses, and all of a sudden I feel something crawling between my toes. And I look down, and there are fire ants biting my toes. But then I feel Billy [Bob Thornton] come up behind me and I'm just like, I just have to live through this," she recounted. Ultimately, the show's director commended Larter on her emotional performance, and it was only then that she let everyone know what was really going on. "I'm like, 'I'm crying because I was getting bit by fire ants!'" she laughed. The actor went on to detail why she soldiered through: "I was scared they were going to yell at me because they weren't going to get the shot."

Larter revealed that the bites were so bad that they left welts on her feet, but no one could suggest she didn't take her job seriously. Between that and the TV star's rigorous training routine for her character's preference for bikinis over clothes, Larter joked to Meyers, "This show takes a toll on this bod." Add Larter to the list of actors who suffered damage to their bodies while filming.

"Landman" has been a major hit for Ali Larter, alongside the entire cast and crew, but it's not exactly surprising that her character, Angela Norris, has been slammed as a sexist stereotype whose standout lines include things like, "My only job is to make my man happy. Then he will buy me the things that make me happy." However, the actor who portrays her has addressed the criticisms head-on. While chatting to to The Hollywood Reporter, Larter argued, "This character is a full rainbow." She elaborated, "She wants to be flashy in a bikini and be all hot, and then you see her crumbling trying to keep her family together. You see her battling and feeling like she's getting older. Then you see her find her calling and going to the old folks' home and giving these people hope to live and bringing joy into their life. It's all very multi-dimensional to me." 

As for the complaints about her being objectified, the "Rookie" star wasn't particularly upset about that, either. In fact, she joked, "I'm also like, 'Objectify me, c'mon.'" Larter also clarified that she wouldn't do something if she wasn't completely comfortable with it. "I have two children. I've been married for 19 years. I love playing this character," she reiterated. All things considered, the actor appears to have a pretty good life. She and Hayes MacArthur are on their way to being one of Hollywood's longest lasting couples, plus her gig on "Landman" has been a major career boost. As for injuries and criticisms along the way, Larter seems happy to look for the positives.