❌

Normal view

There are new articles available, click to refresh the page.
Today β€” 23 December 2024Entertainment News

Michelle Randolph Defends 'Landman' Character 'Sparking Conversation'

23 December 2024 at 08:20
Michelle Randolph Has Seen the Reactions to Her Landman Character
Michelle Randolph as Ainsley Norris

Michelle Randolph knows Landman viewers are confused by her character Ainsley’s behavior β€” but she has no regrets about how she chose to play her.

β€œIt’s hard to not be aware of it,” Randolph, 27, told The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday, December 22. β€œBut I disassociate and the thing is, I got the script. I read it. I had my moments, my thoughts.”

Randolph, however, doesn’t disagree that Ainsley’s actions can be confusing. β€œSome of the things that Ainsley has to say are shocking and there were moments where I thought, β€˜I don’t know how I’m going to pull this off,'” she admitted. β€œI want to find the most human version of this character that I can, and I work really hard at doing that.”

Despite the online backlash, Randolph notes that she sticks to what’s on the page.

Taylor Sheridan’s β€˜Landman’ Unveils 1st Look and Premiere Date

β€œMy job ended when I finished my last day on set, and then I released it. The show went out,” she continued. β€œI can’t tell people how to interpret my character, but at least it’s sparking conversation. And I’m really proud of the show that we made.”

Michelle Randolph Has Seen the Reactions to Her Landman Character
Michelle Randolph as Ainsley Norris and Ali Larter as Angela Norris

In Landman, which premiered on Paramount+ in November, Billy Bob Thornton plays a corporate fixer for an oil titan (Jon Hamm). The West Texas-set drama has life-and-death stakes but its Thornton’s scenes with Randolph, who plays his 17-year-old daughter, have gone viral for moments such as her talking to her father about her sex rules while walking around his house β€” which he shares with two men of similar age β€” in bikinis and her underwear.

β€œI worked with a dialect coach, a movement coach and an acting coach and I just studied like crazy. I had about a year almost to prep for her,” Randolph told The Hollywood Reporter on Sunday about her approach to Ainsley. β€œIt was incredibly helpful to kind of sit with that character. I worked really hard to find ways to justify her behavior and make a full human out of something that doesn’t always seem like what a 17-year-old would say, but people like that exist.”

Michelle Randolph Has Seen the Reactions to Her Landman Character
Michelle Randolph as Ainsley Norris

First appearing in Taylor Sheridanβ€˜s 1923 series, Randolph said Landman β€œrequired 10 times more prep” for her.

Actors Who Keep Appearing in Taylor Sheridan's Shows: 'Yellowstone' and More

β€œI wanted to be very careful about the way that Ainsley comes across. There’s only so much that I can control, but you also can control a lot as an actor,” she shared. β€œAnd just being around Ali [Larter] and Billy [Bob Thornton] and Jacob [Lofland] and being in Texas really helped create this full person that Ainsley is. She has this free essence about her and she’s wild, and I loved every second of it.”

Randolph urged viewers to give Ainsley the space to evolve, saying, β€œShe’s 17 and she’s growing. I think she gets it more than the audience gets to see. There are moments where your realize that she can be, not manipulative, but she knows how to play her dad, and also her mom. She knows how to get what she wants. She loves her family.”

She concluded: β€œShe is figuring out who she is and meeting different peers and going to school. She’s not just the bratty young daughter; she is a person. We get to see 5 percent of who Ainsley is. Hopefully as the show goes on, we get to see all of who she is.”

New episodes of Landman premiere Sundays on Paramount+

Sheawna Weathersby, Allie Heyward, Elena Yates and Cheyenne To'oto'o told P…

Sheawna Weathersby, Allie Heyward, Elena Yates and Cheyenne To'oto'o told PEOPLE exclusively of their Christmas Day game plan as their partners hit the field

❌
❌