Ali Larter has finally opened up about the most disturbing scene of Husbandman season 2.
In conversation with PEOPLE magazine, Larter spoke openly about the physical demands of playing Angela, the ex-wife of Tommy Norris (played by Billy Bob Thornton) and Cooper (Jacob Lofland) and Ainsley’s (Michelle Randolph) mother in the neo-Western drama series created by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace.
For those who don’t know, episode 9 of the second season showed Angela’s daughter Ainsley heading to TCU for cheer camp, hinting at what life will be like when she heads off to college soon after. Angela will struggle to survive without Ainsley in the house.
Larter admitted to those “ugly sobs” in the scene, when Angela was visibly overcome with emotion in her car after seeing Ainsley enter her dorm.
Referring to the departure of her character’s daughter, the 49-year-old American actress and former model admitted: “Episode 9 was a very painful episode for me to film. I think it was one of the most difficult scenes.”
“Angela feels like a loss in her life now that her daughter is leaving,” she revealed. “I have a lot of friends who are empty nesters, and I’ve seen those ugly sobs.”
The final destination star explained, “I think Angela doesn’t really feel like she has a purpose without her daughter. What will her life be like when she grows up?’
Later “just really wanted to [the audience] to feel what she felt” in that particular scene and became successful at it.
“I’ve heard from all these moms that they can see that [moment]and that it made them emotional. Because that’s the reality of raising these babies, and then they leave and start their lives, and who are you? What is your identity without them?” she said of the fans’ reaction.
Before we conclude, it is important to mention this Husbandman Season 2, which ended on January 18, 2026, is streaming both seasons on Paramount+.
