Paulina Chávez

Paulina Chávez was born in El Paso, Texas, and raised in San Antonio. Her parents are from Mexico, with family roots connected to Ciudad Juárez, Zacatecas, and Durango. Her father was born in El Paso and grew up in Juárez.

She enrolled in drama classes at age seven at the elementary school where her mother worked. She later studied with acting coach Cathryn Sullivan and traveled with her mother from San Antonio to Dallas for acting classes. Chávez performed in local theater productions before moving into television commercials and screen work.

Chávez began appearing in short films, independent films, and regional television projects in 2016. Her early credits included Carmen in Day 5, roles in the short films Zinnia and Vicious Cycle, and a young Kim Kardashian in Scandal Made Me Famous. She also appeared as Isabella in the television production Padre Pio and as Noel in the television film Feliz NaviDAD.

Her breakthrough came in 2020 when she played the title character in Netflix’s The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia. The series gave her a leading role as a Latina teenager working in science and technology, and she reprised Ashley Garcia in Game On: A Comedy Crossover Event and the series’ Christmas special. Chávez received an Imagen Award nomination for Best Young Actor in Television for the role and another nomination for Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love.

In 2022, Chávez joined the second season of Netflix’s Fate: The Winx Saga as Flora, a main role. She received another Imagen Award nomination for the performance. Her subsequent film work included Daniela Torres in The Long Game, a 2023 film based on a 1950s story from Del Rio, Texas, and voice roles as Punguari and Shara in The Casagrandes Movie.

Chávez played Mia Garcia in the Disney+ film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Road Trip. She appeared opposite Eva Longoria and Cheech Marin, and the film’s road-trip story drew on Chávez’s familiarity with long family trips to Mexico and connections to her family’s roots.

Chávez portrays Ariana Medina in the Paramount+ drama Landman, created by Taylor Sheridan’s 101 Studios. Ariana is a resilient young widow navigating life and loss in the West Texas oil boomtowns. Chávez stars alongside Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore.

The role became a prominent part of Chávez’s television career. The series debuted in late 2024, and its second season premiered on November 16, 2025.

Chávez was also a vocalist and former mariachi member. Her musical influences include Juan Gabriel, Shakira, Selena Quintanilla, and Shania Twain. She performed “Feliz Navidad” for Feliz NaviDAD and worked on original music with her Ashley Garcia co-star Jencarlos Canela.

Chávez has spoken about wanting to tell authentic stories and improve the representation of Latinos onscreen. She serves as a board member of Poderistas, a nonprofit focused on Latina culture and community, and founded the “Be Your Own Kind of Genius” scholarship for graduating high school seniors from San Antonio and surrounding areas. Her work with Eva Longoria also gave her an opportunity to learn from an actress, producer, and filmmaker.