Paramount+
It’s a moment so surreal; it could be a scene straight out of a movie: Paulina Chavez, a 20-year-old actor from San Antonio, found herself at one of her favorite restaurants when she got a life-changing phone call. On the other end of the line was Taylor Sheridan, the creative force behind the “Yellowstone” franchise and the Paramount+ hit series “Landman,” which includes some big names like Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore, to name a few.
Sheridan’s voice is steady. “I’m going to trust you with this role,” he says. The role is Ariana, a young widow navigating life in Midland, Texas after a tragic pump jack explosion kills her husband. For Chavez, this opportunity feels like a dream just barely within her grasp. But dreams have a way of manifesting themselves for those who work tirelessly for them. And Chavez, with her boundless determination, has been chasing hers since she was a little girl.
Growing up in San Antonio, Chavez caught the acting bug at the tender age of 7. It started innocuously enough: drama classes at her elementary school, where her mother worked. Yet, the passion ignited there proved to be unrelenting. “From there, that’s when I fell in love with [acting] and wanted to learn more about it and train,” the young actor recalls.
With limited acting resources in San Antonio, Chavez and her mother embarked on countless weekend trips to Dallas. They found a studio where Chavez honed her craft and connected with industry professionals. “My mom would drive me everywhere,” she says, reflecting on those formative years. “That studio brought in agents from L.A. for showcases, and that’s how I got in front of some people and signed with my now manager.”
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Paramount+
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Paramount+
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Max Bronner
Chavez’s early career saw her navigating the world of independent films and small roles, including a stint as a young Kim Kardashian in the streaming series “Scandal Made Me Famous”. But her breakthrough came in 2020 with Netflix’s “The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia”. Playing the titular character, Chavez captured audiences with her charm and comedic timing. Despite the show’s cancellation after one season, Chavez’s star continued to rise. Roles in Netflix’s “Fate: The Winx Saga” and the Disney+ reboot “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip” followed, earning her recognition and Imagen Award nominations along the way.
Fast forward to 2023, and Chavez’s career-defining moment arrives. Sheridan’s call initially left Chavez stunned. “Normally, when you’re auditioning, you get a sense of whether a role is yours. With this one, I was shocked every step of the way,” she shares. Chavez verified that Ariana’s story — a young widow juggling grief and motherhood — felt like a role meant for someone older, but Sheridan saw something extraordinary in Chavez.
Preparing for Ariana wasn’t just about memorizing lines. Chavez delved into the world of Midland’s oil fields, listening to the “Boomtown” podcast to understand the realities of life in West Texas. “One episode talks about a young couple, and it hit me emotionally,” she says. “It helped me put myself in Ariana’s shoes.” The weight of the role was immense, requiring Chavez to channel raw emotion while balancing Ariana’s resilience.
Working alongside industry heavyweights like Thornton and Moore, Chavez found herself inspired and supported. “Billy Bob Thornton is a sweetheart,” she gushes. “He says hi to everyone and brings such a light-hearted energy on set.” Despite the heavy themes of the series, the cast found moments of levity, creating a familial atmosphere that Chavez treasures.
For Chavez, representation is more than a buzzword. “Telling our stories authentically is so important,” she says in terms of Latinos and Latinas in cinema. “But it’s also crucial not to put us in boxes. At the end of the day, the stories we tell are human stories.” As a Latina actor, Chavez takes pride in the growing diversity in Hollywood and hopes to continue breaking barriers for future generations.
As “Landman” captivates audiences, Chavez is already looking ahead. With the Disney+ “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip” set to release in 2025 and other scripts in the works, she’s poised to keep climbing. But for now, she’s savoring the journey — the late-night shoots, the family watch parties, and the realization of a dream, years in the making.
When asked if any of her now A-list co-stars, specifically Thorton, gave her any words of advice on set, Chavez replied, “Yes he did, but that’s for me to know and you to find out.”
