Just because Paulina Chávez is in the dark about season 3 of Landman doesn’t mean she can’t speculate wildly with Us about possible story lines.
“We don’t know anything,” Chávez, 23, who plays Ariana, exclusively told Us Weekly while celebrating the National Pork Board’s new Explora Todo El Gusto Del Pork campaign. “Obviously, I do assume that we’re gonna really get into more of the nitty-gritty of these character dynamics.”
Chávez has hopes for where her character will fit in now that Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) is striking out on his own, adding, “Obviously, we have never seen how Ariana fits into the Norris family, and she’s never really interacted with [Ali Larter‘s] Angela. So I’m excited to see that.”
As Chávez is “eagerly waiting” for scripts for the hit Paramount+ series, she indulged Us by weighing in on all the possibilities when it comes to Ariana. Fresh off an engagement to Cooper (Jacob Lofland), Chávez could see them hitting another major milestone.
“A small wedding [must be] coming. But I also feel like this is a great opportunity for Ariana to maybe do something that her family has never done before, which is maybe go to college or maybe take some night classes,” the actress noted. “Especially if she is going to take more time with the baby and figure out the relationship with Cooper further.”
Chávez continued: “But she is also helping him with his goals and in the family business. I think that Ariana is going to want to do something for herself and to really help. Honestly, I see her being mentored by Rebecca, and maybe she’s following in the footsteps of making sure that they are protected legally.”
Chávez noted that Ariana would want a “small” wedding — but her future mother-in-law would not.
“Cooper and Ariana, they can hold off on it a little bit, but we’ll see. Maybe we will be in preparation for the wedding, but you won’t see it until it happens,” she noted. “Mexican weddings tend to be over the top. Angela is like a Latina mom by heart because she’s just so loud and free and open. She would want to go very extravagant with the wedding. … Maybe they’ll just go to the courthouse.”
The idea of bringing their families together sounded appealing to Chávez, who added, “I would love for Cooper to also see the dynamic between Ariana’s parents and her. I also would love to see both families meeting and see how that’s going to unravel.”
Despite planning a future together, there is one relationship milestone Chávez isn’t in a rush to explore. Chávez, whose character already shares a baby with her late ex-husband, expressed hope that Ariana and Cooper wouldn’t rush into expanding their family.
“Sometimes when you move super fast, sometimes there’s no need to [move as fast in other areas of the relationship]. There’s so much for them to still fortify and still work on their relationship and on themselves too,” she explained. “Either way, it’ll be a ride.”
Chávez also weighed in on Us‘ theory that creator Taylor Sheridan could bridge the worlds between some of his currently airing shows. From Yellowstone spinoffs Dutton Ranch and Marshals to The Madison, there are plenty of options when it comes to shows that could intersect with Landman.
“Definitely Dutton Ranch. That would be super, super cool to see — as a person who watched Yellowstone,” Chávez told Us. “That would be very interesting.”
Before Chávez returns to film the third season of Landman, she is serving 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.”
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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.” She adds, “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+.
