Landman’s Kayla Wallace and Paulina Chávez on Powerful Female Characters and What’s Next in Taylor Sheridan’s New Drama

Warning: Some SPOILERS lie ahead for episodes 1 and 2 of Landman!

Kayla Wallace and Paulina Chávez come together after a tragedy on an oil rig in Landman. Although he has worked over the past decade in a variety of guest and supporting roles in film and TV, Wallace has found his stride in the Hallmark period drama. When it calls the heartstarring in six seasons of the show. Chávez, on the other hand, broke out with the short-lived Netflix comedy Ashley Garcia’s Expanding Universewhile also starring as Flora in Netflix’s live-action Destiny: The Winx Saga in its second season.

In LandmanIn Chavez’s story, Chavez stars as Ariana, one of the women whose husband is killed in the devastating oil rig explosion in episode 1, while Wallace stars as Rebecca Savage, a lawyer brought in to investigate the explosion. Ariana, also a first-time mother, forms a bond with Jacob Lofland’s Cooper, the young worker and sole survivor of the explosion, as he helps her grieve and determine what the future holds for her and her son. Meanwhile, Rebecca remains close to Billy Bob Thornton’s titular character throughout his investigation, with all signs pointing to him being painted as the scapegoat for the explosion.

Alongside Thornton, Chávez, Wallace and Lofland, the group Landman cast includes 1923Michelle Randolph, Final destinationAli Larter, frequent Sheridan collaborator James Jordan, nashvilleMark Collie, The substanceDemi Moore, Top Gun: MaverickJon Hamm and The Umbrella AcademyIt’s Colm Feore. Kicking off the show on an explosive note while also laying the groundwork for some moving character arcs, Taylor Sheridan’s latest looks to continue her winning streak on the small screen.

Before the show’s premiere, Screen speech interviewed Kayla Wallace and Paulina Chávez to discuss Landmanthe different types of power they have and how Sheridan skillfully wrote his female characters, working with Thornton and whether Rebecca will be Tommy’s friend or enemy, as well as working with Lofland and the “beautiful” storyline coming from Ariana and Cooper.

Chávez saw many of his own”Culture” & Family in Ariana

“…it really shows resilience in the face of pain.”

Screen Rant: It’s so exciting to talk to you two for LandmanI’m about five episodes in and I’m already very hooked. Paulina, I would love to talk to you first, because Ariana is one of the most moving characters in how moving her story is. Can you explain to me what was your biggest key to discovering who she is and how to bring her to life?

Paulina Chávez: My God, I believe that listening to the podcast gives a little insight into the families that are directly impacted by the oil industry. It’s a very dangerous industry, I never knew that, but I really connected it with my culture and the community we have. I really saw my mother and grandmother in him, and it really shows resilience in the face of pain.

Rebecca’s power is “Truly a gift“From Sheridan to Wallace

“It was an honor…”

Next, I’ll come back to you, Kayla, because I love how willing you are to fight everyone as they try to really use your gender against you. What was it like finding the power within her to bring this to life on screen?

Kayla Wallace: Right, with those comments about her gender and other little comments that you’re sure to find in a man’s world of oil and law, it just fuels her. This just makes her want to get even harder, and she is so powerful. It was an honor to play these dynamic, complete and strong female characters like Rebecca and Ariana. It’s truly a gift from Taylor Sheridan to have these powerful female characters.

Ariana and Cooper have “Something really special“To enter LandmanThe future

“…we really wanted to do this as authentically as possible…”

Paulina, I’ll get back to you, because I also love seeing Ariana and Jacob Lofland’s Coop really start to get involved. We don’t know what kind of relationship it is yet, but I love watching them try to support each other. What was it like finding that dynamic with him during filming?

Paulina Chávez: What they have is something super special, a special friendship that they are developing in the face of tragedy. That’s what brings them together, ultimately, and also, Ariana is trying to deal with raising this baby, and taking care of the house, and all the things she’s never had to do. It’s a special story with Ariana and Cooper, so we really wanted to do it as authentically as possible and in the right way.

Ariana’s widow’s family isn’t too happy about Cooper’s presence either. What kind of tension can we expect from that side of things as the season progresses?

Paulina Chávez: My God, you’re just going to have to wait and see, aren’t you? [Laughs] Again, I think this storyline is just beautiful and moving, and there’s so much for you to look forward to. I think the public will love it.

There is “Room for more tension“Between Rebecca and Tommy this season

“It was really fun working with him…”

Kayla, I also love watching Rebecca and Tommy poke fun at each other, but also test things out with each other, figuring out whether they’re going to be friends or enemies. What’s it like finding that balance and that relationship with Billy Bob?

Kayla Wallace: There’s definitely a tension at the top, and it was really fun to find that banter with Tommy and Billy Bob. He would throw something at me like a little curveball. He would add something to a scene, add a line or just change something that he knew would interest me a little more. He was really fun to work with and I think it made their dynamic really fresh. I think there’s room for more tension, and I think they’re figuring out what that is.

On Landman

Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern story of seeking your fortune in the world of oil rigs. Based on the remarkable 11-part podcast “Boomtown,” the series is a top-down story of bullies and savage billionaires fueling a boom so massive it’s reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.

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Source: Screen Rant Plus