Michelle Randolph’s career has skyrocketed in the last few years, landing her two major roles in Taylor Sheridan’s expanding TV universe. After making a strong impression to audiences as Elizabeth Strafford in 1923, the Yellowstone prequel starring Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford, Randolph was cast in Landman as Ainsley, the fiery teenage daughter of Billy Bob Thornton’s oil tycoon, Tommy Norris.
The jump between two such different projects was no small challenge, and while filming Landman gave her an exciting opportunity to play a modern character, it also created an unexpected problem for her when she returned to 1923. While speaking to Backstage Magazine, Randolph reflected on how she handled bouncing between two roles set nearly a century apart.
“The different time periods [help me to] separate the characters. Yes, Elizabeth and Ainsley are both young women, but they handle themselves so differently,” Randolph explained.
Thankfully, she had a brief break between projects, but Landman left more of a mark than she expected, particularly when it came to Ainsley’s accent.
“For a minute there, I felt like every time I tried to read a 1923 script, I had an accent, because I was just so used to reading Landman scripts and speaking in Ainsley’s accent. I called my acting coach and I was like, ‘I think I have to have Ainsley’s accent in 1923, because I don’t know how to get rid of it right now!’”
Michelle Randolph Admits She Didn’t Feel Like She Belonged on ‘1923’
Randolph’s first major role came with 1923, and she was immediately thrown into the deep end alongside Hollywood veterans Mirren and Ford. Instead of easing into her character, her first scenes included a massive shootout and a life-or-death moment for Jacob Dutton (Ford).
“There was no warmup,” she recalled. “When you’re on one of Taylor’s sets, you just have to rise to the occasion. And when you’re acting opposite true legends, you just have to convince yourself you’re meant to be there, because it’s sink or swim.”
Now, after tackling two back-to-back projects in Sheridan’s universe, Randolph is proving she’s more than capable of keeping up. But even after working with some of the best in the industry, she admits she still struggles with impostor syndrome, although she’s learned to be a little kinder to herself.
“I have even [worse] impostor syndrome. But I’ve developed confidence, too, because I’ve worked with some of the most incredible actors and people in the industry, and I’ve been able to seek advice from them.”
1923 and Landman are both streaming now on Paramount+.
