For Ali Larter, being a Jersey girl isn't just about where she's from - it's an attitude and way of life. The 49-year-old Cherry Hill native is used to having a reputation for being feisty, whether it's bantering with cops and firemen or navigating the complexities of rural Idaho after years living in New Jersey.
Her accent remains unmistakable, even when she's speaking to Jimmy Kimmel about her roots. "I just slip right back into it," she says with a chuckle. Her mother still pronounces "wooder" as she did when Larter was growing up - a trait that has served her well on set, where she often finds herself playing complex characters.
But for all the acting chops and awards won, there's one thing that defines Larter as Jersey-born: an aversion to pumping gas. When Kimmel asked if she'd ever had to fill 'er up after leaving New Jersey, she quipped, "Who wants to get out and pump gas? I don't." That, of course, is the most quintessentially Jersey thing about her.
Larter's journey from modeling in Milan and Tokyo to landing a breakout role in Varsity Blues wasn't without its twists. She credits her first acting gig - a Philadelphia Phillies commercial when she was just 13 years old - with changing everything. And it set her on a path that would see her playing characters who defy expectations: Angela, the no-nonsense oil business owner in Landman; a stripper with superhuman strength on Heroes; or a vain fitness instructor wrongfully accused of murder in Legally Blonde.
For Larter, it's not just about landing complex roles - it's about giving women like her characters the humanity and depth that they often deserve. "Throughout my career, women are always tremendously underwritten," she told the New York Times earlier this month. It's a sentiment that shines through in her performances, where strength and fierceness are writ large.
As for working with co-star Billy Bob Thornton on Landman - well, it's been an experience. The unlikely pairing may seem chaotic at first glance, but Larter describes their chemistry as "oil and water." And when asked about what it was like to film alongside him, she just laughs: "We're really not alike."
Her accent remains unmistakable, even when she's speaking to Jimmy Kimmel about her roots. "I just slip right back into it," she says with a chuckle. Her mother still pronounces "wooder" as she did when Larter was growing up - a trait that has served her well on set, where she often finds herself playing complex characters.
But for all the acting chops and awards won, there's one thing that defines Larter as Jersey-born: an aversion to pumping gas. When Kimmel asked if she'd ever had to fill 'er up after leaving New Jersey, she quipped, "Who wants to get out and pump gas? I don't." That, of course, is the most quintessentially Jersey thing about her.
Larter's journey from modeling in Milan and Tokyo to landing a breakout role in Varsity Blues wasn't without its twists. She credits her first acting gig - a Philadelphia Phillies commercial when she was just 13 years old - with changing everything. And it set her on a path that would see her playing characters who defy expectations: Angela, the no-nonsense oil business owner in Landman; a stripper with superhuman strength on Heroes; or a vain fitness instructor wrongfully accused of murder in Legally Blonde.
For Larter, it's not just about landing complex roles - it's about giving women like her characters the humanity and depth that they often deserve. "Throughout my career, women are always tremendously underwritten," she told the New York Times earlier this month. It's a sentiment that shines through in her performances, where strength and fierceness are writ large.
As for working with co-star Billy Bob Thornton on Landman - well, it's been an experience. The unlikely pairing may seem chaotic at first glance, but Larter describes their chemistry as "oil and water." And when asked about what it was like to film alongside him, she just laughs: "We're really not alike."