Guy Burnet in Charlie and Rebecca’s ‘naked’ bedroom scene

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

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

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

It was a joy to watch the uptight Rebecca let her hair down around the friendly Charlie, and the characters’ chemistry is electric. In an interview with VarietyBurnet is quick to praise his scene partner as essential in bringing the spark to their scenes.

“I think the secret behind it is that there are two people who want to do something more, want to take something to the next level,” he says. “Kayla is the opposite of her character. She is a wonderfully kind, generous and gentle person. When I first went to Texas, I got her information and said, ‘Hey, do you want to meet?’ Some actors just want to show up and do the work. She’s not like that, and we share the same philosophy: ‘Let’s do something fun here. Let’s build something.’ So we met and talked about life and shared stories and got along great. Kayla and I really protect each other, and we bring that chemistry to the characters and let that be natural.

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

“Let’s be honest, I’m not Chris Hemsworth,” Burnet says. “Everyone is a piece of meat these days in these Marvel movies. Do I train? Yeah, I train and I box, but I don’t look much like those guys, so whatever. I have to give up at some point and say, ‘Okay, this is me. I’m fine, whatever.’ The first thing we shot was that bedroom scene. I come in naked. Kayla is so incredibly beautiful, and in my mind I’m thinking, “Why would she want to be with me?” And then, even in my head, at that moment I really think, ‘The audience is going to say, “Oh, come on.”‘ The character is cheerful and he’s just happy. 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 was really nerve-wracking because I kind of gave up. I was like, ‘Whatever, man. I got lucky. She probably never wants to see me again. So I’m just saying goodbye,’ and fate intervened.”

Fans will definitely get to know Burnet better this season, and while he can’t reveal the details, he enjoys showing different sides of the character.

“As you can already see, there is clearly very strong chemistry between Rebecca and Charlie,” he says. “I think this develops both of their characters. She becomes a little more three-dimensional, which then allows you to learn more about him. That’s really to further her character and her story. I’m here to serve that story. Also, he has a natural set of skills that are necessary to bring him into the M-Tex world, involving the other characters, and who knows where else. So it will naturally transition from just their bubble to the bigger scheme of things.”

As his role expands, Burnet gains one major support figure in his life: his good friend and “Landman” superfan Arnold Schwarzenegger, with whom he became close during the filming of “FUBAR.”

“You meet some cool people on this job,” Burnet says. “If you’re lucky, 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 someone, he was there. He checks in on me all the time. He believes in me more than almost anyone I’ve ever met. He makes me believe in myself. He’ll call to check in on me, ‘What’s going on? How are you doing mentally?’ in terms of health?’ And his favorite show is “Landman,” and he calls me and texts me and loves it. I consider that relationship one of the greatest things that ever happened to me.”