Guy Burnet Talks Charlie Newsom, “Landman” Season 2, & Dressing for West Texas

If you’ve kept up with Landman, the latest Paramount Plus sensation from Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan, then we’re willing to bet that you were taken with a certain newcomer last Sunday. Portrayed by Guy Burnet, Charlie Newsom flies onto the screen for episode four and is almost immediately swept up in a whirlwind romance with Rebecca Falone (Kayla Wallace) aboard a private plane.

In fact, Rebecca’s chance encounter with Charlie mimics the serendipitous, lightning-strike moment that led Burnet to join the cast of Landman Season 2. “We met in the most bizarre circumstances,” Burnet says of Landman creator Taylor Sheridan, adding with a laugh: “I’ll give you the short version.” (But you’ll have to read on for the rest of that story.)

“if you work hard enough, I think circumstances come about where there’s a sprinkle of magic, somewhere, that occurs. I know that sounds kind of wanky, but sometimes that just happens in this industry.”Guy Burnet

As Burnet speaks about his Landman experience, he’s affable and easy to engage with, not unlike the character on screen. As Burnet describes his on-set experience, he’s quick to highlight the chemistry among castmates. He recalls going out for drinks with Sam Elliot and Andy Garcia and crowns Billy Bob Thornton as “just the coolest guy — a rock and roller.”

There’s no doubt that Burnet’s words are genuine — he’s authentic to the core. Even his premiere look was self-styled, pulled from a smattering of “great old vintage fashion shops between [Fort Worth] and Dallas.” In a candid interview, Burnet gives SHARP his style tips for West Texas and tells us what to expect from Charlie Newsom in the latest season of Landman.

Congratulations on joining the cast of Landman! How has it been, seeing Season 2 roll out?

Guy Burnet: It’s cool to be part of it! I mean, it’s a big cast with big names and stuff like that, so somehow, you’ve got to fit in. So far, it’s been a great experience. They’ve all been super accommodating, and I think, just in general, it’s cool to be in something that’s good. Everyone has their own opinion, but in general, you can somewhat objectively say that you’re part of something you think is a really good show. So, yeah — it’s a privilege to be part of it.

So, how did you hear about the part and end up signing on to the role?

That story’s kind of crazy. Taylor Sheridan is such an instinctual human being, you know? I don’t think anything is ever linear with him, in terms of how he executes what he does. That’s what I’ve learned about him.

We met in the most bizarre circumstances. I was sparring in a boxing gym. I’ll give you the short version: This guy — I didn’t know who he was, just this tanned, cool guy comes up to me — and he’s like, ‘I know you.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, yeah?’ I’m just going along with it, and he’s like, ‘Why are you doing this?’ and I say, ‘Oh, I’m just here at the boxing gym, just doing some boxing.’ [Laughs.] I’ve been boxing for years. The next day, I get a message from a director saying that he’s with Taylor [Sheridan] and talking about his interaction with me, saying, ‘I’d like to do something with this guy.’ It kind of snowballed from there. We met again, maybe two months later, and [Taylor Sheridan] told me what he wanted to do.

I said, ‘Am I playing American, or what?’ And he said, ‘No, I want you to be you. I want to put someone like you in that world.’ [Sheridan] sold it as this Indiana Jones-type role, this adventurer that would come in. It sounded cool, so we went and did it. And the writing! He writes so well, it’s crazy.

Wow. Have you experienced something like that before, where you just meet someone organically, and it leads to a project?

No, it doesn’t normally work that way. This industry’s a weird one. People talk about, ‘You make connections along the way,’ all that kind of bullshit, man. I’ve never experienced that that’s worked — it’s never worked for me, but occasionally, there is a sprinkle. Like, if you work hard enough, I think circumstances come about where there’s a sprinkle of magic, somewhere, that occurs. I know that sounds kind of wanky, but sometimes that just happens in this industry.

This situation is very unique, but also, knowing Taylor now, I recognize that this is the bubble he operates in. Circumstances are just flowing towards him in some kind of way, and he goes along with it. I guess it’s just very fortuitous, in a way, too: timing and circumstances that just fit together.

“After finishing work some days, and [I’d be] going out for drinks with [Sam Elliott] and Andy Garcia — it was surreal to some degree, but within a social setting, it just feels like you’re with another bloke in the pub.”Guy Burnet

In Landman, the cast is really, really strong: Demi Moore and, of course, Billy Bob Thornton. What was it like to join after Season 1 and work with those names on set?

After he told me I was gonna go and do it, I went and watched the show, and I really liked it. Now, that’s kind of rare in itself. There’s a lot of stuff out there that I’d love to be part of, and then there’s some stuff that you’re like: ‘Gosh, I don’t know.’ But this, I liked it. I just found it’s comfortable, it’s nice, and it has everything. It’s just a show that I want to watch anyway, so to go into something I would watch anyhow is cool.

To work with those actors, man, it’s great. I can’t give away too much of the storyline, but I work a lot with Kayla Wallace, who plays a lawyer in it. She’s so lovely, and she was hungry to branch out from what she had been doing throughout the show so far, and create a new dynamic for her character. So, it was cool that we got to build something together. Then, the character branches out, and I get to interact with some of the others, and that was just magic. The coolest thing about it is that — and I’ve found this to be, actually, in a lot of jobs that I’ve done over the years, where I’ve got to work with people that are well-known — they’ve always been really very humble and nice, and in this circumstance, maybe more so than ever. Billy Bob’s just… he’s just the coolest guy — a nice, cool rock and roller. And Demi is just so nice, so accommodating, and so cool. I know it sounds like actors saying nice things about other actors, but it genuinely is true. If it wasn’t, then I just wouldn’t say anything.

It’s really cool to be part of this. After finishing work some days, and [I’d be] going out for drinks with [Sam Elliott] and Andy Garcia — it was surreal to some degree, but within a social setting, it just feels like you’re with another bloke in the pub. Down-to-earth, nice human beings who are hard workers and want to do good work.

The show feels rooted in the actual environment, landscape, and culture of West Texas. What was your perception about the industry prior to signing on?

That’s a good question. I wasn’t very familiar with the Texas oil world. Taylor told me that the base education that my character had was in geology. By chance, my dad has a lot of geological experience or some shit, so I had a chat with him about it, and then I went into, like, a deep dive of research into how could I place this guy — an English guy — over there?

Learning the science behind it, the geological understanding of that… out of anything I’ve done, that was maybe the coolest education. I wasn’t really familiar with all of it: how they find the oil, the depths they go down, the small percentage of success, and all the research that goes into it.

I received these scripts for these scenes, and man, the stuff I’d be talking about is so specific. I mean, it’s like, Taylor, how does he know? I’d go and research what he had written, just to make sure that what I was saying was correct — and also to understand what I was saying — and it was spot on. Everything was meticulously researched and understood.

“It all takes place in and around Fort Worth, so it’s authentic to what that area brings. You’re living down there, and you’re amongst the people down there who are super lovely, and so you just feel part of the community.”Guy Burnet

There was this really cool day I got to experience. Taylor — again, it’s like out of the blue — he’s like, ‘Hey, listen, I need you to go down to Louisiana. Get down to Texas, and then there’s gonna be a plane, like a jet or something, that will take you down to Louisiana.” So, I get to this airport in Texas, and I’m looking for a small jet or something. I’m just waiting around, thinking, ‘I guess no one’s here.’ Then a pilot pops his head out of, like, a Boeing 737. He’s like, ‘Guy? What are you doing? Get on board!’ I’m like, ‘You’re the jet?’ So, I get on this jet — it was a proper Boeing aeroplane, a private one — and some of the crew were on there.

There was also this lovely lady, Gloria Moncrief, whose family is part of that world. We got on really well and started chatting about what her life was like. She gave me a very clear understanding of that world. We flew down to Louisiana, and we went down onto one of their rigs that was in operation, and I got to research while we shot on that rig. I didn’t have any prior experience of that, you know? The basic fundamentals [of Charlie Newsom] are, like, an adventurer. He’s a person who has an education in that world, but his essence is just this ‘live life for the moment’ adventurer. Everything else was just an education that I built upon.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work on some cool stuff, but this writing is on the highest level. […] There’s this kind of ease and naturalism in the dialogue.”Guy Burnet

Taylor’s writing is really the heartbeat of the show. How was the script laid out for you? How did you approach those technical aspects, mastering the dialogue and finding that rhythm?

I always find that if you know what you’re talking about, then it makes it much easier. So, doing the research. But also, the way Taylor writes just makes it easy. For me, it’s conversational. It’s not just like, ‘This person talks, and then this person talks, and then this person has exposition, and then this person has exposition.’ There is exposition in there — there are all kinds — but it’s so fluid. It’s so conversational. Like you and I just having this conversation, trying to find the words of what we’re saying, in a way.

I’ve been lucky enough to work on some cool stuff, but this writing is on the highest level. It’s the highest level I’ve experienced. And it’s not hard to learn it, even if there are paragraphs and 8–10-page scenes and whatever, because it just flows. There’s this kind of ease and naturalism in the dialogue that just feels like he’s writing on the fly. It works in a natural way.

Costume design and set design are huge pieces of the show. What is your process like, in terms of working with the costume design folks on set?

It’s a good question. She’s so lovely, I want to give her a shout-out: Janie Bryant does the costume design there, and she works closely with Taylor — as everyone does there — from show to show. For me, it’s one of the most important aspects of figuring out the character: what’s he wearing?

That’s what is presented to the audience. It’s also what I’m living in whilst I’m doing the character. We tried a few different things initially, and then we hit it on this idea that, when you meet this guy, there’s a specific jacket that he’s wearing. There’s a simplistic nature to it. It’s not one of these: “Oh, we meet an English guy in Texas, and he’s working in the oil business, but he’s going to be dressed up.” No, he’s just this regular guy from London who’s educated in that world, travels the world, speaks different languages, and has taken to the culture of West Texas. [He wears] a t-shirt, jacket, some jeans, and works on the rigs too, so he has some of that rawness. Then, we have “the hero jacket.” We meet him in that jacket, so we see that’s kind of a part of him, you know?

They’ve got a great cinematic team of set designers. It all takes place in and around Fort Worth, so it’s authentic to what that area brings. You’re living down there, and you’re amongst the people down there who are super lovely, and so you just feel part of the community.

I’ll add this bit as well, because this is something important: Taylor was very specific in the script about this guy — even if he was an adventurer, there’s this rough-and-ready element about him — he has his specific soaps, and cosmetic needs. Initially, I was like, ‘No, I don’t get it. How does that fit?’ But I think that was part of this guy having that European element in that world, is that he talks about the shower gels and the scents that he uses. So, you’ll see a bit of that. It becomes a running theme for this guy. To be honest with you, when I was playing it, I was like, “Man, I don’t feel very cool saying this.” But to some degree, that built the character in a different way.

On that theme, I read that you do a lot of your own day-to-day styling. Does that mean you’re more involved with costume design on set? Or, when you’re styling for a premiere, are you taking cues from the costume design?

If I get a gig, the first thing I do is obviously the research into the character. Then, I build a vision board for that specific character. Normally, it’s based on a feeling for the character, but also what he would wear. Then, I share it with both the costume/wardrobe department and the hair and makeup teams. Obviously, they’re great at what they do, so I’m very open to their ideas. For this one, they talked about a mullet, and, like, so there were specifics, and we built something around that, look-wise. With Janie in the wardrobe department, I’ll come in with my ideas, she’ll have her ideas. Sometimes those can clash a little bit, but somehow, we meet in between. With any of the jobs I’ve done, I think clothing is such an important aspect.

Sometimes you’re not lucky enough to have a stylist with you all the time; maybe it’s not being covered, or you know, there are all these things that people don’t think about when they see it from the outside. If you peel back the curtain, you can understand that it’s not always possible to have that, depending on where you are on the ladder at that point.

For me, the family on my mum’s side works in the clothing business, and actually, my grandparents on my dad’s side also worked in that world. It’s always been my hobby — and my love — to design, pattern make, and collect items in different places in my travels.

I think people assume, when you’re part of a project, they must be dressing you and taking care of all that. It’s cool to see people take initiative and embrace their own personal style.

Yeah. I think most people get dressed — as in people come to dress them and style them — and that’s a really nice position to be in. People are supremely talented at doing that. You also get access to amazing pieces if you’re lucky enough.

I just enjoy doing it. Maybe if I weren’t doing my job, I’d be attempting to work in that world. So, I’d be happy to do some of my own stuff along the way as well. And I really, genuinely mean it in a humble way — it’s not like ‘I don’t want to use a stylist,’ you know? I enjoy doing it. There are certain cuts that I love: 1950s into the 60s, you know, there are different generations and areas where they dressed beautifully, or the cuts were, sometimes, better than what we find today. And thicker cloth and fabric. I just like collecting fabric or old vintage pieces that I’ll find in different places around the world whilst moving around. So that’s just a hobby that I can bring into this world.

“There is an unexpected element that you will find with Charlie along the way.”Guy Burnet

Being based in Fort Worth, was there anything that stuck out to you in terms of clothing patterns and specific items?

Fort Worth itself has great restaurants; it has great old vintage fashion shops between there and Dallas, which, on my days off, I’d go and visit. I went to this record store — I wish I could remember the name of this place, I have it written somewhere — and in the back of it, there was a vintage clothing market, and I found this pale, off-pink suit for $50 or $60. It’s from the ’50s. I’ve since had it tailored slightly, and I want to wear it at some point, if I find the right circumstances. There are a bunch of places like that.

The people are really nice and into it, too. And yes, […] I’ve always had a pair of cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, but I wasn’t gonna wear them down there, you know? But then, I’d go to the Stockyards, and everyone’s dressed like that. Initially, I actually genuinely thought, ‘Are these tourists coming down here and dressing like that?’ But no, they dress like that, and it’s cool. They mix that up with a more bohemian style, too, which I didn’t think would be down in Fort Worth. It’s a really cool place, man. I like it down there.

Were there any unexpected moments — either with your character or behind the scenes — that shaped your filming experience?

I think a lot of the stuff in my character is relatively unexpected. Someone like him in that world is unexpected: the circumstances under which he comes in, and him still being there in a different capacity. Even if there are elements of the character that we may have seen before, there is an unexpected element that you will find with Charlie along the way.

For me, I was unaware of where it was going. Taylor would be writing it and just throwing it at us. I’d be like, ‘Oh, now I’m going this way.’ And then the specifics of the engineering, the geological understanding of that world, that became a massive education to me. I was just cramming as much as I could whilst doing that. So, for me, it was constantly unexpected. I didn’t know where this was going. I hope, to some degree, it’ll be unexpected for the audience, too.

This transcript has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.