As Landman continues its explosive first season, we were able to sit down with stars Kayla Wallace (When Calls the Heart; My Grown-Up Christmas List) and Paulina Chávez (The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia; Fate: The Winx Saga) to talk about their pivotal roles on the latest Taylor Sheridan series.
We get into the unique journies their character's are on this season, working with Billy Bob Thornton as their leading man, the show's authentic Texas setting, being directed by Taylor Sheridan, and a whole lot more.
As per the synopsis, Landman is "Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics."
Billy Bob Thornton headlines the series, with a supporting cast consisting of Ali Larter, Jacob Lofland, Michelle Randolph, Paulina Chavez, Kayla Wallace, Mark Collie, James Jordan, Demi Moore, and Jon Hamm.
Watch our full video interview with actresses Kayla Wallace (“Rebecca Savage”) and Paulina Chávez (“Ariana”) below and/or keep scrolling to read the transcription. Plus, please remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more exclusive content!
ROHAN: Kayla, your character really has something to prove this season. What can you say about her path as she interacts with Tommy and other characters throughout these episodes?
KAYLA: Rebecca has a bit up against her. She's in a man's world as a woman, and she is entering sort of this unchartered territory for her, where it's the wild west, and things are not like she's used to, and she has to learn to work with that world to get her job done, because that's her main focus.
ROHAN: Paulina, without getting into spoilers, your character has a different journey this season. What was your approach to tackling the challenge Ariana is presented with this year?
PAULINA: Oh my goodness. Definitely listening to the podcast, Boomtown, gave me an insight of the families that are directly impacted, and it's such a dangerous job that I never realized before this project, and so, getting to learn a little bit more about that was very interesting, and also connecting it to real life experiences with my family - we’re Latinos and community is everything for us, and leaning on each other is very important.
ROHAN: This show feels very authentically Texas. How did sort of enhance your performance since your thrust into this very authentic setting?
PAULINA: I mean, I'm from San Antonio, and so it was very close to home. And, I mean, what makes it Texas is the weather. *laughs* The weather was always - we would get stuck on set with lightning.
KAYLA: There would be lightning strikes!
PAULINA: Yeah, lightning delays, so we got to get really close, but the community in Texas is beautiful. Everybody's very welcoming and just nice.
KAYLA: I had never been to Texas before any of this whole experience, so my first time there was for my audition, a and Rebecca is a little bit of a fish out of water. She's not from Texas. She didn't grow up there. She does work in Texas now, but this particular area in this particular field is new for her. So, I got to, kind of, have a new experience for myself as well.
ROHAN: What was your experience working with the legend that is Billy Bob Thornton?
PAULINA: My goodness, Billy Bob is the sweetest human ever, and you can feel that on set, that energy on set is so important. And I think he really led the way, and it felt like family, being on set.
KAYLA: He's incredibly grounded and kind, and he has this way of making everybody feel seen. And, yeah, he's just a wonderful person, and just so honored that I got to share quite a few scenes with him. He's incredibly talented, and I just feel so honored.
ROHAN: You both also get to work with Taylor Sheridan on this series and I know he has a very unique way of working with actors, having an acting background himself, so what were your experiences working alongside him on his latest series?
PAULINA: Yeah, he is amazingly collaborative, and he trusts us with these amazing characters. And, I mean, it's just beautiful how passionate he is to bring these stories to light, and he has a vision, and he wants to execute it, and everybody around him wants the same thing, and so, it's just a beautiful set of teamwork. It really is fun getting to see it come together.
KAYLA: Yeah, it's unheard of that a director and a creator will spend one on one time with each member of the cast, you know, making sure that we know the back story, and we're creating an arc that's meaningful, and he's incredibly passionate about each and every storyline, and I think that always comes through in his work.
Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, LANDMAN is a modern-day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs.
The new original drama series will star Oscar winner Billy Bob Thornton. In addition to Thornton, the series stars Ali Larter (The Last Victim), Michelle Randolph (1923), Jacob Lofland (Joker 2), Kayla Wallace (When Calls the Heart), James Jordan (Yellowstone), Mark Collie (Nashville), Paulina Chávez (The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia), and Demi Moore (Feud: Capote Vs. The Swans). Jon Hamm (Mad Men) will star in a recurring guest role with Andy Garcia (Expendables franchise) and Michael Peña (End of Watch) also serving as guest stars.
Landman is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes every Sunday!