FORT WORTH, Texas — Christian Wallace is proud to make “Landman” in his home state.

The West Texas native always wanted to be a writer, but before he picked up the pen, Wallace worked in the Permian Basin oil fields as a roughneck. Later, he would join Texas Monthly as a fact-checker and soon as staff writer, crafting stories about everything from oil field medics to Myrtis Dightman — the Jackie Robinson of rodeo.

His “Boomtown” podcast served as the inspiration for “Landman,” which he co-created with Fort Worth native Taylor Sheridan.

The Paramount+ series proved to be smash hit in ratings and acclaim, garnering a Golden Globe nomination for Billy Bob Thornton. The show was also recently awarded the inaugural “Texas Made” award at the ATX TV Festival.

Wallace was joined by Thornton, Jacob Lofland and Michelle Randolph in Austin for the award. “Yellowstone” and “Lioness” star Dave Annable and wife, Odette, were also on hand to meet the fellow Sheridan-verse crew.

The Star-Telegram spoke with Wallace about winning the award, the high-profile locations the show has filmed at around Texas, casting Jerry Jones in that hospital scene and what to expect in Season 2.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Q: “Landman” Season 2 started filming in Fort Worth a couple of months ago. I wanted to start there and check in with you. When the show is in production, are you running around busy all the time?

A: (laughs) Yeah. I mean, typically its a 12-hour day, five days a week. It’s about a 100-day shoot, so it’s a long process. Some days are a little shorter than others. We had about a 20-hour shoot day the other day, because we had a night shoot and some stunts to do. All the props go to our crew and cast for putting in the hours to bring this show to life. I mean, it really is a lot of hard work. They do it with such grace and grit that it’s pretty incredible to watch everyday.

Q: I know some writers like to be on set, some do not. It sounds like you’re on set pretty much everyday, right?

A: Yes, sir. Every day I’m there. I feel like, if the crew has to be there, I should be there. I’m on hand for things like how to pronounce “Pecos” the right way or answer any questions they might have, or just be an extra set of eyes to look out for authenticity and help wherever I can.

Q: I was going to ask if you served as a “Texas fact checker” to the non-Texans working on the show.

A: Absolutely. Over 50 percent of our crew is from Texas. I’m by no means the only Texas fact checker, but I do pride myself in knowing West Texas pretty well. Since so much of the show is set and based in West Texas, I definitely can throw a flag here and there when I see something that’s amiss. But even, from Season 1 to Season 2, it’s incredible how much people have learned about the oil and gas industry and about West Texas. I’m having to throw a lot fewer flags this season than last. I don’t even know if they’ll need me here if we get to keep going (laughs).

Q: Part of that Texas connection came on June 1, when the show was awarded the inaugural “Texas Made” award from ATX TV Festival in Austin. You, Billy Bob Thornton, Michelle Randolph and Jacob Lofland were there to accept the award. What’s that like to be awarded for bringing more jobs and eyes to your home state with this show?

A: One of the most rewarding aspects of working on this show is getting to tell a story about West Texas, told by many people who are from Texas, and we get to shoot it here in Texas. We’re all over Fort Worth. We’re west of Fort Worth. I’m talking to you right now from Odessa. We’ve been out here all week running around Stanton, Big Spring, Goldsmith and, of course, Midland-Odessa. I mean, we’re talking these tiny little towns. We’re going to bring these stories to life and show these places to the rest of the world that have never been seen.

The Permian Basin is an incredibly important region of the world and yet so few stories have been told about it. Especially from a place of authenticity, from that place. It’s just an honor to get to do that everyday and to be recognized for it by ATX TV Festival and Media for Texas, who spearheaded the bill that hopefully Governor [Greg] Abbott is going to sign at any moment now for the film incentives. That’s just a huge honor, and just kind of icing on the cake.

Q: That bill would expand film incentives to $1.5 billion over the next 10 years. “Landman” is set in Texas and filmed here, like you said. But the way this business is, for example, with Taylor [Sheridan] on “Hell or High Water” he wanted to film in Texas but was not able to. For “Landman,” were there any discussions on filming anywhere other than Texas? Or was that a non-negotiable?

A: No, it was always going to be in Texas, but the financial realities do put pressure on you to do things wherever it makes the most sense. This film incentive package is just going to guarantee that more shows like “Landman” and more films are going to be shot here in Texas. It’s going to make it easier for crews to live here and work here year round. It’ll develop the infrastructure that we need to really make this industry thrive in Texas.

Q: One of my favorite things about the show, being from North Texas, is hearing from family and friends about the show filming near them or around their town. As a Texas native yourself, do you hear from people asking for the show to come to their town?

A: Absolutely, now that people have seen the show and they kind of know what we’re doing. I mean, people have really just flung open their doors to us, saying, “Please, come visit us. Please come see us. Come shoot here.” It’s funny because we were filming on I-20 near this tiny little town, if you can even call it a town, it’s kind of an oil field scrapyard at this point. But it’s a place on the map called Penwell. I had buddies reaching out to me, they were driving out to the rigs like, “Hey, are y’all shooting out here? We saw an M-TEX truck.” It’s pretty fun just how excited people are out here and really all across Texas.

Q: I mean, some of the locations y’all have been able to shoot at have been iconic - from TCU and Sundance Square, to Ratliff Stadium in Odessa.

A: Really iconic Texas places, I would say. There’s places that are iconic to West Texans that we’re able to shoot out here as well. I think they will eventually become more iconic, more recognizable to those not from this region.

Q: That’s what I was going to ask about, are you ever surprised about what Texas locations y’all are allowed to film at? Or with Taylor [Sheridan] around, does that make it easier to get access to these places?

A: I don’t think you can ever overstate Taylor’s impact in this world, and what having his name and his creative force behind this does to open doors. It really is incredible how much people respect him, admire him, and want to work with him to bring these ideas to life. I’m honestly never surprised [laughs] when we show up to any location, because it just kind of feels like he’s a part of that world as well. It makes sense for us to be there in a lot of ways. But that doesn’t mean that it’s not just really pretty cool, some of the places we’ve gotten to shoot. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s so dynamic. From a nursing home in Weatherford to, like you mentioned, Ratliff Stadium in Odessa, it’s just a very dynamic show. It brings you to a lot of locations, from the middle of the oil field to the heart of downtown Fort Worth.

Q: I talked to the folks over at the Fort Worth Film Commission earlier this year about “Landman.” They put out a survey asking people how likely they are to visit Fort Worth after watching shows filmed here. The response showed that people are two times as likely to consider visiting. I don’t know if y’all mean to, but it sounds like the show is increasing tourism in Fort Worth and Texas.

A: I mean, I think it’s an all ships rise situation. I had a friend tell us, my wife and I, that over Christmas she was back home in New Jersey talking with her cousins, and they were saying, “Yeah, we have a trip planed to Odessa coming up.” Our friend was like, “Why are you going to Odessa on vacation?” And they were like, “Oh, we want to go see where ‘Landman’ is shot.”

(laughs) I don’t think many people have considered Odessa-Midland a tourist destination in the past, but there’s cool things to see out here. It’s a landscape unlike most people have ever experienced. If it can make people curious about these places, whether that’s Fort Worth or Midland-Odessa, and people come to visit. The one thing about these places is they have incredible people. You sit down at a bar or at a restaurant, and you end up talking with the people next to you. That is a selling point of this region. It would be great for more people to understand just how amazing it can be.

Q: With you and Taylor being from Texas, how does that influence the show or help in the creative process?

A: I don’t think you can make this show without having a deep knowledge of these areas. Fort Worth is not like other cities. What makes it tick, what makes it run, is very unique to Fort Worth. The Permian Basin is a world unto itself. It is not something that an outsider can spend a weekend and be like, “Okay, I got it. I understand that place and I can start writing about it now.” The fact that Taylor is born and bred, and I’m from here as well, is incredibly vital to telling the story that we’re telling.

Q: We talked about the iconic Texas locations the show has filmed at. Speaking of Texas icons, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appears in Season 1 as himself. How did y’all get him in the show? Was it always Jerry, or was there another Texas billionaire in the script originally?

A: All I’ll say about that is Taylor is incredibly specific. He has a relationship with Jerry and the Cowboys, and has for a while. What an incredible addition to last season and the show, Jerry was. Being able to speak from his heart on camera like that and share his story. I think that is truly one of the most iconic cameos in television history. I’m not being hyperbolic. To sit in a room with Billy Bob Thornton and Jon Hamm and to deliver a monologue like that. I mean, Best Supporting Emmy right there. I was so glad that Taylor wrote that in and that Jerry was game for it. It’s pretty incredible.

Q: Last thing for you: This is the part where I ask you to spill the beans on Season 2. Please tell me what’s going on.

A: Man, my lips are sewed pretty tight on all of that. I would just say, if you loved Season 1, there’s going to be even more to love in Season 2. It’s just great to be back working on it, and we’re thrilled to be able to do that. So, just stay tuned.

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All episodes of “Landman” Season 1 are streaming on Paramount+.

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