Landman star Andy Garcia reveals why Taylor Sheridan crafted Gallino’s character for him

Andy Garcia gives life to the character of Gallino in the Paramount+ original series, Landman. Created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace, the series features Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, and Jacob Lofland in the main leads.

While Garcia wasn't introduced as one of the leads in Season 1, his entry in the season finale as a cartel boss left many in suspense about what might come. In a recent interview with Variety, Garcia spoke about stepping into the role and shared how creator Taylor Sheridan first approached him for the character, saying:

"When he approached me, he hadn’t written the part yet. 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."

Andy Garcia added that Sheridan often writes characters in the actors' voices, and he crafted Gallino using what he understood of Garcia's persona.

Andy Garcia breaks down the making of Gallino's backstory in Landman

Andy Garcia also talked about how he helped shape Gallino's backstory in Landman. When Andy first asked Sheridan about the character, Sheridan told him that the character is the boss of a cartel in the Permian Basin. Andy then asked him:

"There’s a cartel in the Permian Basin? Is he a local kid? Is he Mexican?"

He said Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the show, told him the character was himself, leading him to get to use his own background and experiences. Along with telling him that Gallino is a cartel boss, Sheridan also told him that:

"Your character is integrated into society, and he’s living under the radar there."

Andy Garcia pictured Gallino as someone from the Caribbean, with ties to South America, possibly raised up in Miami, and then moved to Fort Worth to run his cartel.

Explaining the same, he told Variety:

"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."

In Landman, the relationship between Andy Garcia, who plays the character of Gallino, and Billy Bob Thornton, who plays the character of Tommy Norris, is full of tense and surprising situations. Sometimes, Gallino is seen helping Norris while simultaneously bringing challenges for him because of his cartel ties.

While the onscreen relationship is somewhat complicated, Andy, while talking about his relationship with Billy in real life, told Variety that they both share mutual respect for each other and a strong bond that helps them bring out their best performances together.

For viewers, Gallino is not just a cartel boss but also the leader of Sonrisa, Gallino's fake oil company, which makes his character more intense and important in the series.

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Landman is streaming on Paramount+.

Also Read: Who is the villain in Landman Season 2? Here’s all you need to know about Gallino

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