5 Ali Larter TV Shows Landman Fans Need To Watch

Ali Larter started acting on the big screen in films like "Varsity Blues" — where she drew attention by sporting a whipped-cream bikini — and the "Final Destination" series in which she played iron-willed survivor Clear Rivers. She might be best known as the glitzy, ditzy Angela Norris from "Landman" these days, but she's got a long career behind her, and that journey through Hollywood has included plenty of television roles in addition to her film work.

Whether it's a super-strong mom cursed with multiple personalities, a brilliant deep-cover operative with a variety of skills, a kind but grounded doctor, or a tough-as-nails sports agent on the small screen, she can play sweet, innocent, or any and everything in between. On top of that, she's grown up onscreen — where once she portrayed teenagers, now she plays mom to one. Here are five shows in which Larter has a heavy presence, either as a regular cast member or as a frequently returning guest star, that should delight "Landman" fans everywhere.

"Heroes" provided Ali Larter with her first major television role, and one that deepened the geek cred she'd already accrued thanks to her work in "Final Destination." While she only appeared in the drama's first couple of seasons, fans still sympathized with Niki Sanders and took to her story. "Landman" fans who like its dense worldbuilding will enjoy watching the far-flung group of superpowered good guys find one another, even if the show peters out pretty early in its run (some "Heroes" fans gave up on it during Season 2).

Niki is a mom, with a significant other in jail, who suffered through abuse as a child. After watching her adoptive father kill her sister Jessica, she develops dissociative identity disorder, producing two distinct, different personalities over the course of the show in addition to her own. An alcoholic and gambler who's deeply in debt to the mob, Niki does what she can to raise her son Micah (Noah Gray-Cabey) the right way. When she discovers she has super strength her life changes, both for better and for worse.

"Legends" was a two-season wonder that had style, grace and sophistication. Like "Burn Notice" mixed with "The Pretender," it played with the psychological burden of taking on numerous personalities, looks, backstories, and faces all in the name of keeping your government satisfied. What's playful in movies like the "James Bond" series is pretty devastating here, making you feel sorry for a spy with no central identity of his own.

Martin Odum (Sean Bean) works undercover for the FBI, which means he has to be a different person with a different look for every single case he works. He starts to lose his grip on reality when a stranger (Billy Brown) causes him to question his very existence. Ali Larter is Crystal McGuire, Odum's long-ago love interest, who is as deadly, tough and professional as he is. The twosome have to get along and work in the field together, or face some pretty dire and deadly consequences.

While "The Rookie" is still going since its debut in 2018, Ali Larter only appeared during the second season of the long-running program. Her role may have been brief, but her character made an undeniable impact upon John Nolan (Nathan Fillion) during their sparkling romance.

Larter played Dr. Grace Sawyer, John's former flame, who has taken up a job working at Shaw Memorial Hospital. She starts helping John with his cases, but quickly finds the romance they kindled back in college didn't peter out. There's a fly in the ointment, of course — Grace is separated but not divorced from her husband. Though she and John get back together for a while, in the end Grace decides to get back with her husband and work things out for her son's sake. While John never sees her again, he'll undoubtedly always remember Grace fondly. Larter hasn't appeared on another show quite like "The Rookie" since, so her recurring part here will definitely please longtime fans.

A short-lived but much-beloved baseball drama that died a quick death on Fox, "Pitch" was all about the first female pitcher to make it into the major leagues. A solid decade after its cancellation, the show is still fondly remembered by baseball fans who loved the soapy drama it provided while also enjoying its true-to-life sports-based action scenes.

Ali Larter played Amelia Slater on the show, the tough-talking agent of the show's central athlete, Ginny Baker (Kylie Bunbury). It's Amelia's job to make sure Ginny gets her due in every way possible, including financially. Over the course of the show, she helps Ginny deal with an injury, romantic conflicts, and other challenges, while helping her keep her confidence up — a very demanding process in and of itself. She also protects Ginny from snakes who would gladly use her for their own gain, and pops up on the PR front as she tries to solve a variety of crises caused by Ginny's newfound fame.

Ali Larter doesn't have any other major television roles under her belt as of this writing, so we turn to one of her one-off guest spots to round the list out — mostly because "Landman" fans will probably adore the cynical, party-hearty ways of "Entourage" if they've never watched it before. 

Larter only appears once on the show — as herself, attending an afterparty thrown for Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier, who disappeared from Hollywood after the show wrapped) for the premiere of his movie "Head On." She's looking for Vincent but can't find him, and approaches his friends to track him down. Reacting to a come-on from Salvatore "Turtle" Assante (Jerry Ferrara), she rejects him — then tells Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly) to go f*** himself on top of it when he tries to talk her down.

If you're watching the show just to see Larter, that's all you'll get. But if you dive in looking for some juicy bromance or a whole lot of jaw-dropping party boy antics, then "Entourage" will definitely please you. It might not be a show exactly like Taylor Sheridan's "Landman," but it's still satisfying in its own special way.

If you or anyone you know may be the victim of child abuse, or needs help with addiction issues, contact the relevant resources below:

• Contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
• Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).