Jacob Lofland, who stars in Landman as Cooper Norris, acknowledges that his character has significant growing up to do. After inadvertently teaming up with Sonrisa CEO and cartel leader Danny “Gallino” Morrell, played by Andy Garcia, Cooper found himself way over his head when six of his oil leases turned out to be successful. Fortunately, his father, the experienced landman Tommy Norris, portrayed by Billy Bob Thornton, recognized the risky deal and managed to rescue his son from a potentially lethal situation. Lofland commented on Cooper’s ambitions, saying, “He’s definitely got a lot more to learn if he wants to achieve his dreams. He’s just reaching for his goals as fast as he can without considering the whole process.”

Despite returning to square one—broke and working alongside his father—Cooper remains undeterred. “Setting aside his pride is definitely the first step for Cooper to become the man he aspires to be,” Lofland explained. “Tommy can help him with that.” Fortunately, Cooper’s girlfriend, Ariana Medina, played by Paulina Chávez, stands by his side after a brief but painful separation. Now that Ariana has met Cooper’s family, it’s his turn to meet hers. Ariana challenges him to drive to Corpus, Texas, to ask her father, portrayed by Gabriel “G-Rod” Rodriguez, for permission to propose.

“Cooper definitely gains a better understanding of Ariana after meeting her father,” Lofland noted. “Ariana’s father raised a strong, decisive woman who knows what she wants.” While Ariana is still figuring out her own dreams, Cooper is focused on becoming a landman. “He’s seen what the oil business can offer and knows he can succeed in it,” said Lofland. “While he needs help understanding the business side, he’s committed to doing whatever it takes.”

Lofland recently discussed this week’s episode with Decider via Zoom, delving into Cooper’s career aspirations and sharing insights on which Landman character might be worthy of their own spinoff series.

DECIDER: Cooper is obviously a smart guy, yet he makes a poor decision by getting involved with Sonrisa and Danny Morrell for drilling loan costs. Why do you think he falls into such a rookie trap?

JACOB LOFLAND: He’s just reaching for his goals as fast as he can. He’s not thinking through the entire process. It seemed like a great deal, so he took it. We’ve all had one of those moments in life where if something seems a little too good to be true, it probably is. Cooper’s biggest mistake was rushing into something this big. He really needed to take more time to think about the bigger picture.

It’s staggering when Tommy lists all the things Cooper did not do before he started drilling. It shows just how much Cooper doesn’t know about how the oil business works. Can he put his pride aside and learn from his father now that he’s going to work for him again?

He’s going to have to. Putting aside his pride is definitely going to be the first step for Cooper to become the man that he’s wanting to be. He’s got a lot more to learn if he wants to achieve his dreams. Cooper needs to sit down and take the time to figure out his next business moves instead of just grabbing at whatever there is to grab. Tommy can help him with that.

Now, Cooper is back to ZERO dollars to show for all the work he put in to acquires the leases, drilling, etc. How will being humbled like this affect him going forward?

He’s going to keep fighting. Cooper is smart. He knows that he made a mistake, but he also knows that this is what he wants to do. I don’t think this hiccup is going to deter him a lot.

There’s a lot of talk of Danny being a snake and Tommy being a hawk. What animal would you compare Cooper to right now and why?

That’s a good question. Whenever it was mentioned on the show, I was sitting there going, “I wonder what animal Cooper is.” I really haven’t figured it out. Possibly some sort of a smaller bird.

Maybe a baby hawk?

[Laughs] Let’s go with teenaged hawk.

In last week’s episode, Cooper and Ariana reunite to attend Cooper’s grandmother’s funeral. How important was that trip for their relationship?

It was very important because Ariana now has an inside view of Cooper’s family and his upbringing. It was the first time that she had ever been around them. It was eye opening for Ariana to see the relationship between T.L. and Tommy and just how little Cooper and Ainsley are aware of what really happened in Tommy’s life. It helps Ariana a lot to see the family’s dynamic, especially because she is so close with her own family.

Cooper is a man who knows what he wants, and he wants to marry Ariana. Why do you think he is moving so fast?

It’s just a young man’s mentality. Everything is happening so fast, and know he just wants it to be perfect. He wants everything now. I’m 29 now. When I was Cooper’s age, I was the same way. Most men are. One of the reasons I love the role of Cooper is that he’s so relatable. He’s learning how to handle himself and how to slow down and make the right decisions.

Cooper, really listening to Ariana, goes all the way to Corpus to ask Ariana’s dad for permission to propose. You have a wonderful scene with Carlos, played by Gabriel G-Rod Rodriguez. Could you see the similarities between him and Ariana?

100%. You see that her father is this strong man who takes the weight of the world on his shoulders. The dynamic between him and Ariana makes so much sense. He doesn’t dream for his daughter. He raised a strong, decisive woman who knows what she wants. Cooper definitely walks away from that meeting with a little bit more understanding of Ariana.

Is Ariana right that Cooper’s main dream is to be a Landman? Does the money even matter to him?

I think he wants to be successful in what he does. If he was in any other business, I think Cooper would have the same mentality. He’s been raised around some really strong men and women. He’s watched what the oil business can do. He knows that he can do it. He needs help figuring out the business part, but he’s going to do whatever it takes. He wants to be able to provide for Ariana himself and not rely on Tommy.

When I spoke to Andy Garcia, he compared meeting with Taylor Sheridan to meeting with Shakespeare. Do you think that is an apt comparison? What do you remember from your first real sit-down with him?

I was just struck by what a strong man Taylor is and how smart he is. Honestly, that’s a great comparison. When you read his work—we’ve all said it a thousand times—it’s art. The way he writes dialogue makes our jobs so easy. It just pops off the page. All we have to do is say the words. The emotion is already written into it.

The Sheridanverse is full of spinoffs and prequels. Which character from Landman do you think deserves a series devoted to them ?

Oh, Ainsley and Angela, for sure. That would be really interesting. Though, I would love to see a day in the life of Dale. James Jordan is absolutely amazing. It’s such a privilege to work with him.