Guy Burnet on Charlie and Rebecca’s ‘Naked’ Bedroom Scene

SPOILER ALERT: This post contains spoilers from Season 2, Episode 6 of “Landman,” “Dark Night of the Soul,” which premiered Sunday, Dec. 21, on Paramount+.

Guy Burnet has only been on two episodes of “Landman,” but he’s already made a big impact.

Burnet plays Charlie, a M-Tex geologist who had a one-night stand with Rebecca (Kayla Wallace) after a traumatic (and drunken) plane ride. Yet Rebecca had no idea they were both employed by M-Tex — and that she’s technically senior to him, breaking corporate rules — until she traveled to meet him at an informational meeting during this week’s episode.

It’s been a treat getting to see the high-strung Rebecca let her hair down around the suave Charlie, and the characters’ chemistry is electric. In an interview with Variety, Burnet is quick to praise his scene partner as essential to bringing the spark to their scenes.

“I think the secret behind it is having two people who are game to do something more, to elevate something,” he says. “Kayla is the opposite of her character. She is this wonderfully kind and generous and gentle human being. When I first went out to Texas, I got her information and said, ‘Hey, would you like to meet?’ Some actors just want to turn up and do the job. She’s not that way, and we share the same philosophy of, ‘Let’s do something fun here. Let’s build something.’ So we met up and talked about life and shared stories, and got on well. Kayla and I have a real protectiveness of each other, and we bring that chemistry to the characters and let that be natural.”

Burnet, who has also acted in series like “FUBAR” and “Counterpart” and films like “Oppenheimer” and “Pitch Perfect 3,” had the additional challenge of not just being emotionally vulnerable in his first episodes, but also putting it all out there physically as well. On his first episode, both Charlie and Rebecca woke up from their wild night in various states of disrobe, which can be challenging for even the most fearless and dashing actors. But Burnet thought about the situation and his character’s state of mind a little differently.

“Let’s be honest, I’m not Chris Hemsworth,” Burnet says. “Everyone’s a beefcake these days in these Marvel movies. Do I work out? Yeah, I train, and I box, but I’m not a lot like those guys, so whatever. I got to give up at some point and go, ‘All right, this is me. I’m fine, whatever.’ The first thing we shot was that bedroom scene. I’m coming in naked. Kayla is so abundantly beautiful, and in my mind, I’m going, ‘Why would she want to be with me?’ And then I’m like, even in my head, genuinely at the time, ‘The audience is going to be like, “Oh, come on.”‘ The character is happy-go-lucky, and he just gets lucky. She’s out of his league. That’s how I see it. If it develops from there, he’s hit the jackpot. I don’t think it actually was nerve-wracking because I kind of gave up. I was just like, ‘Whatever, man. I got lucky. She is probably never going to want to see me again. So I’ll just say goodbye,’ and the fates intervened.”

Fans will definitely get to know Burnet more this season, and while he can’t spoil specifics, he’s excited to show different sides of the character.

“As you can see already, there’s obviously a very strong chemistry that Rebecca and Charlie have,” he says. “I think that develops both of their characters. She becomes a bit more three-dimensional, which then allows you to learn more about him. That’s really to drive her character and her story. I’m here to serve that story. Also, he has a natural set of skills that are needed that can bring him into the M-Tex world, which would involve the other characters, and who knows where beyond that. So it’s naturally gonna transition from just their bubble into the greater scheme of things.”

As his role grows, Burnet has one key support figure in his life: His good friend and “Landman” superfan Arnold Schwarzenegger, who he grew close with while shooting “FUBAR.”

“Along the way in this job, you get to meet some cool people,” Burnet says. “If you’re lucky enough, you stay in touch. Arnold is such a special, special person. He’s saved me in situations — I’m not going to say that lightly, and I won’t get into what, but when I needed somebody, he was there. He checks in on me all the time. He believes in me more than nearly anyone I’ve ever come across. He makes me believe in myself. He’ll call to check in with me: ‘What’s going on? How are you doing mental health-wise?’ And his favorite show is ‘Landman,’ and he calls and sends me messages and loves it. I consider that relationship one of the great things that’s ever happened for me.”