Kayla Wallace Watched Celebrity Trials to Prepare for Landman

Rebecca Falcone is one of the most powerful characters on Landman — and in order to portray the litigator effectively, Kayla Wallace had to do her research.

During an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, Wallace, 31, dished on watching real court trials to get in the right headspace for her role in Taylor Sheridan’s drama series. “I was really interested in the questioning and the manipulation of how litigators get what they need out of the questioning itself,” the actress told Us. “I found that to be so fascinating. It’s a whole art on its own.”

Not only did Wallace sit in on a trial in Fort Worth — where Landman was filmed — but she also looked to highly publicized trials on the internet for inspiration.

“I watched some famous cases [and] celebrity trials,” Wallace told Us, noting that included “both” the 1995 O.J. Simpson trial and the 2022 Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard trial. She also rewatched The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story: “That was super helpful.”

In episode 4, Rebecca proved her prowess as a negotiator by demanding respect during a tense deposition alongside Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton). The dialogue-heavy scene featured Rebecca fiercely telling a sexist attorney, “Do you think they hired me because I’m pretty? I charge $900 an hour … and you’re real close to learning why.”

Wallace admitted that scene was “one of the biggest to tackle,” explaining, “I remember feeling like I’d run a marathon at the end of the day.” Ultimately, she was proud of the result: “It was really wonderful to experience having to build that confidence in her and also in myself.”

For the When Calls The Heart alum, starring as Rebecca — “a powerful, strong, smart woman” — has been a dream. As it turns out, the role was made for her, with Sheridan reworking the character after seeing Wallace’s audition for Ainsley, played by Michelle Randolph.

“I’m so honored that he saw whatever he saw in me and trusted me, almost in a time where I didn’t trust myself at first,” she told Us. She doesn’t take being part of Sheridan’s successful television empire lightly, either: “We all just feel so lucky to have him at the helm of our ship.”

Working opposite Thornton, 69, was also a masterclass in acting. “It’s really inspiring to watch, and it makes filming a scene so exciting because he’s so in the moment,” Wallace explained. “He’s such a pro, and so incredibly talented — I took a lot away from him.”

In the season 1 finale, Rebecca faced a moral dilemma after she was asked to renegotiate a $175 million farmout lease that would involve fracking. Though there’s no word on a season 2 yet, Wallace hopes to continue bringing Rebecca’s story to life — and she already knows where she’d like to find the “incredibly smart and shrewd negotiator.”

“As they called out in episode 9, she’s not an oil and gas person — she’s a litigator with almost zero knowledge in this field, so I’m excited to see her navigate [a field] that she doesn’t know a lot about,” Wallace told Us. “I also want to see who she is at the end of a workday.”

“I’m ready for more,” she added. “I hope that we get the chance.”