Mustafa Speaks discusses ‘Landman’ and the importance of oil

Mustafa Speaks is one of the stars of Paramount+’s “Landman” series, playing the role of Boss. “Landman” tackles a subject integral to society but one most people don’t understand: oil.

What attracted you to “LANDMAN” and the role of Boss?

First off, it was Taylor Sheridan. I mean, Taylor Sheridan is a juggernaut in this business. His work is paramount. Pun intended. His work is paramount. And knowing that he was creating another project was very intriguing for me. But then once I understood what the whole show was about, I jumped at the opportunity because it was [something] that, as you mentioned, is outside of my standard world and it’s in a world that I had no idea about. So, I just wanted to learn more about what was going on in the world of the oil business. [It’s] something that we interact with every day. But to learn more about that and also the role. I love Boss.

What were some similarities you noticed between yourself and Boss who you played?

Well, just being a Black man in a world that a Black man typically isn’t in, being in the marine environmental science world, that’s not something that Black men are doing. So, I found myself always in a room full of white elitists. And they would be curious, I’m not going to say look down upon me, but very curious about what I had to say and what I had to do. So then when I come in with my expertise, they sit up a little straighter and they have a little bit more respect. So, I can understand what Boss was going through being an operator in that world, a Black operator at that. And something that I had to learn about [is] there are not many Black operators because that’s such a high level in the business and not many [either] stick around to get to that level or [it’s] just politics. So dealing with that dynamic but also understanding what it’s like to lead a team and [have] responsibility for not only one person, but many lives. Lastly, having a past and doing your best to overcome your past to be the better person and version of yourself. All of these are elements of Boss that I could relate to.

What is something you learned about the oil industry?

Everything you got on right now is because of the oil business. Everything [we’re] doing right now, this interview, is because of the oil business. And that’s what I didn’t know. And Billy Bob Thornton delivers a powerful speech, [in] episode one or two, where he talks about everything that the oil touches, even clean energy. You know, clean energy needs oil in order to run. So that was something that I wasn’t aware of, you know, and being again, from where I come from in Jersey City, Booker T. Projects, everything that we do, we don’t think about the oil business at all, except how high the price [of] gas is, you know, but most of the time we’re thinking about our food and our attire, but we don’t think about how oil plays into that. So elevating our perspective and exposure to understanding, even the generational wealth that goes into oil, because it’s a billion-dollar game that we’re not privy to, but we should be and understand it.