SPOILER ALERT: Andy Garcia Talks About His Role in “Landman” Season 2
Andy Garcia made his debut in “Landman” as Gallino in the Season 1 finale, where he was introduced as a cartel boss who spared the life of Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) and hinted at a future partnership. In the latest episode, titled “Almost a Home,” tensions rise between Gallino and Tommy as they navigate a new business deal.
Despite the onscreen conflict, Garcia reveals that working alongside Thornton on the “Landman” set feels like home to him. “I was embraced first of all by Billy, who’s the most generous,” Garcia says. “There’s a mutual respect there. We already had a friendship from acquaintances over the years, and so it was walking into a place where you felt you already belonged. There’s a bonding that happens with actors: You have to rely on each other to do the best work, because your best work comes from the people in front of you. That’s where you pull it from.”
Garcia also shares that the role of Gallino was tailor-made for him by the show’s co-creator, Taylor Sheridan. “When he approached me, he hadn’t written the part yet,” Garcia explains. “He met with me and said, ‘I’d like to create this part for you.’ He was a fan of a movie I did many years ago called ‘Eight Million Ways to Die,’ and I played this crazy young drug guy, and he killed people. Not so much like Gallino, but maybe it’s Gallino when he was 18. I think he writes to people.”
Furthermore, Garcia reveals that his own background helped shape Gallino’s backstory. “I said, ‘Who’s this guy?’ And he said, ‘He’s a cartel leader in the Permian Basin,’” Garcia recalls. “And I said, ‘There’s a cartel in the Permian Basin? Is he a local kid? Is he Mexican?’ And he just said, ‘It’s you.’ So immediately that located me as saying, ‘Okay, who is the person as close to who I am, where I’m from?’ And I said, ‘My character is from the Caribbean.’ In my own mind, I’m saying, ‘He got to the Permian Basin because he’s the guy who has access to where the source is, where the product is coming from, because of his access to the Caribbean, South America.”
Garcia’s insights into Gallino’s character development provide a deeper understanding of the complexities of the role and how it resonates with his own experiences. As “Landman” continues to unfold, audiences can look forward to more dynamic interactions between Gallino and the other characters in the series.
