Taylor Sheridan‘s hit series Landman has become known for its iconic dinner scenes — and Paulina Chávez is breaking down the fun behind-the-scenes secrets that come with sitting at the table.
“It is super cool. And I’m so grateful that the food is actually really good,” Chávez, 23, who plays Ariana, exclusively told Us Weekly while celebrating The National Pork Board’s new Explora Todo El Gusto Del Pork campaign. “It was real food and it was delicious. It was really spicy too.”
Chávez joked there was one major downside, adding, “It does get to a point where you’re like, ‘Dang, maybe I shouldn’t have eaten so much in the first takes. Now I have to eat that much and continue to eat that much for hours.’ You skip lunch those days for sure.”
Landman, which premiered in 2024, is focused on the West Texas oil industry with crisis executive Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) at the center of the show as the corporate fixer works for an oil titan. His life outside of work includes wife Angela (Ali Larter), daughter Ainsley (Michelle Randolph), son Cooper (Jacob Lofland), dad T.L. (Sam Elliott) and coworkers-turned-roommates Dale (James Jordan) and Nathan (Colm Feore).
After Cooper found love, the Norris family dinners expanded with Tommy getting to join his son and Ariana at their dinner table instead.
“I didn’t even know about this certain soup that she was making [in the scene] but I know that it’s very popular in Central Mexico,” Chávez recalled to Us. “But also Billy Bob is vegan so it was all vegetarian — but it was actually really spicy.”
The actress loved how the moment where Tommy and Ariana break bread “really showcases the importance of food.”
“[The Hispanic community] always make sure that the people that are at home with us are taken care of and we make sure that they eat,” Chávez explained. “That’s how we say, ‘I love you.’ It’s, ‘Do you want to eat? You should eat something. I have food. I’m gonna make you a plate.'”
Looking ahead at season 3, Chávez didn’t know what was in store in terms of more Norris family gatherings. But after Ariana got engaged to Cooper, it would only make sense for her to experience the legendary family dinners — at least once.
“I can’t wait to be a part of one of those family dinners. I hope that Ariana gets to cohost [with Angela] and makes it super spicy,” she quipped. “It would send Dale to the bathroom immediately. It would be that kind of a deal.”
As for what meal Chávez would like to see Angela make for her future daughter-in-law? Chávez pitched either Mediterranean or “maybe even Italian” after Angela introduced Us to Norris family dinners in season 1 with a three-meat bolognese — including wild boar.
Chávez’s celebration of food and her Hispanic culture extends beyond Landman. Off screen, Chávez will serve as the face of Explora Todo El Gusto Del Pork, which is a new lifestyle food brand from the National Pork Board.
“This comes at a time where it’s such a fun way to show people our culture and in the way we love through food. Pork is something that is a big staple in our dishes that we make and I feel like this is just going to pay homage to all the Latinas that have come before us and our grandmas,” she shared with Us. “I’m excited to share some of my grandma’s recipes and show the younger generation how to keep that culture going.”
She continued: “I feel like we didn’t really have much. And my sister — thankfully — sat down with my grandma and she wrote a cookbook with some of our favorite recipes. My top favorite is pozole. It’s a stew and it’s just so yummy and it’s just comfort food. Every year we also make tamales rojos but on the side of that we also make chilucas.”
For Chávez, the best meals come from her mother, whose cooking is “superior,” adding, “I just love being home. I do like cooking when I have to. If not, I love to eat my mom’s cooking.”
Landman is currently streaming on Paramount+.
