‘Landman’ Star Michelle Randolph Says She Worked With An Acting Coach To Determine Why Ainsley “Says The Things Ainsley Says”

Michelle Randolph is no stranger to the Taylor Sheridan universe. Making her gripping debut as Elizabeth Stafford in the Yellowstone prequel, 1923, Randolph won audiences over as the naive, but devoted wife of Jack Dutton (Darren Mann). So, when Sheridan had trouble casting the role of Ainsley Norris—the headstrong, sweet, and sometimes savvy teenaged daughter of Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton)—in Landman, he knew exactly who to call. Booked and busy with her role on 1923, Randolph doubted that she would have a chance to play both roles.

Randolph admits she was surprised to receive a phone call from Sheridan inviting her to audition for the role of Ainsley. “He asked me to put myself on tape because the character is so different from Elizabeth,” explained Randolph. “I looked at the sides and saw that I had 18 pages to memorize.” Knowing this was time sensitive, Randolph embarked on the “longest 12 hours of [her] life” to prepare and film her self-tape for Sheridan and other creatives. “I just gave it every single piece of energy that I had in me.”

While much as been said about Ainsley’s healthy attitude and her bluntness about her sexuality, Randolph strived to make the character more “this typical teenager who’s a brat.” In addition to a dialect coach, Randolph worked with an acting coach to further examine and explore the inner workings of Ainsley’s psyche. “I [wanted] to find out what kind of a young woman says the things Ainsley says,” explained Randolph. Most of all, Randolph wanted to make Ainsley “lovable.” “I wanted to find the humanity in her,” said Randolph.

Randolph also enjoyed working with her on-screen mom and dad, Thornton and Ali Larter. “Ainsley loves her dad and she loves her mom,” said Randolph. Randolph and Later share many of the series’ funniest scenes together, tearing up Midland as they adjust to their new life. “We wanted to make sure that our characters were as thoughtful as possible,” said Randolph. As for Thornton, Randolph relished the opportunity to work with one of the “the greatest actors of all time.” “He was so encouraging,” remembered Randolph.

Randolph hopped on a Zoom call to speak to Decider about the “challenge” of playing Ainsley, her love of Friday Night Lights, and why Landman is one of the funniest shows on streaming.

DECIDER: Obviously, you already established yourself in the Taylor Sheridan universe with your role as Elizabeth in 1923. Did you pursue Landman or did your pal Taylor pursue you?

MICHELLE RANDOLPH: I heard about the project, but I did not get my hopes up. I was like, “there’s no way I can do this too. I have season 2 of 1923, etc.” I thought that project was going to start up soon. I didn’t foresee the strike or any of that delay. Taylor called me randomly one day and was like, “There’s this project, there’s this character named Ainsley.” I was like, “I’m two steps ahead. I know all about this. Do you want me to audition?”

He asked me to put myself on tape because the character is so different from Elizabeth. I looked at the sides and saw that I had 18 pages to memorize in a short amount of time. It was the longest 12 hours of my life [laughs]. I was like, “my gosh, this is mine to lose.” I just gave it every single piece of energy that I had in me.

What drew you to the role of Ainsley?

I wanted to work with Taylor again. I knew that Billy was working on the show. I’ve admired him as an actor for so long that I wanted to work with him. I also wanted to be challenged, and Ainsley definitely challenged me [laughs]. I knew that I could have a lot of fun with the role.

While Ainsley a bit spoiled and vain, she is also kind and savvy, which is surprising. What conversations did you have with Taylor about your character?

I talked to Taylor about Ainsley before I put myself on tape. I spoke to him again before we started filming. I sat with the character for almost a year before the project got started. So, I did a lot of thinking. I thought about her every single day. I worked with a dialect coach. I also worked with an acting coach to find out what kind of a young woman says the things Ainsley says. I wanted to find the humanity in her. I wanted to make her as likable as possible because it would have been so easy for her to be this typical teenager who is a brat. I wanted her to be lovable. I worked hard at achieving that.

Landman is—strangely—a very funny show, and Ainsley is a big part of that. Her dynamic with her parents is hilarious. Did you ever in your life think that you would be the comic relief in a Taylor Sheridan show?

I would laugh out loud as I was reading some of these scripts, especially once I got to know who was playing the characters. Some of the things Angela says make me cry laughing. Filming was interesting. I would be on set and chatting with the crew, and they would be telling me about the day before, when they were in a field, caked in dirt, filming these really tough sequences. And there I am standing in a kitchen as Ainsley eating popcorn [laughs]. I just had so much fun on set. It is nice to play a character that makes you smile a lot.

While Cooper favors his father, Ainsley obviously favors her mother. What has it been like building that bond with Ali Larter?

It happened so naturally. The way that Ali and I interact as people comes out in Angela and Ainsley a bit. We just have fun together. We relied on each other a lot during filming because we have a lot of scenes together. We wanted to make sure that our characters were as thoughtful as possible.

Did you two have discussions about what life was like for Ainsley and Angela living with Victor?

We both thought about that dynamic because it informs a lot of who they are and why moving to Midland is a big deal. Neither of them hesitates to move. They were clearly unfulfilled where they were.

Unlike her brother, Ainsley is happy that her parents are giving their marriage another shot. What does she make of their love story?

I think she loves her dad, and she loves her mom. They are the two people she loves most in this world. To see them together and happy is her dream come true. So, she’s not thinking about the dynamic of their relationship.

Ainsley feels very disconnected from her brother. What do you think happened there? Do you know?

They are such different people. They don’t understand each other at all. It could be because something deeper happened, but they also could just be siblings that don’t get along. It feels to me—and maybe I’m biased—that Cooper is the one who makes the first dig every time. Ainsley is just responding.

I am obsessed with Ainsley and Angela becoming event coordinators at the elder care facility. What was it like filming those scenes?

Gosh. Incredible [laughs]. I love that Angela and Ainsley have a purpose in town that is deeper than themselves. I also love all the actors that I got to work with. The one series I binge watch is Friday Night Lights. The actress [Louanne Stephens] who plays Matt Saracen’s grandmother in Friday Night Lights is one of the people that I got to work with in the nursing home scenes. I was dying over her the whole time.

That car scene between Tommy and Ainsley is so good. What was it like filming that sequence with Billy Bob?

That was one of my favorite scenes to film because we did it in so many ways. It was so wonderful to see how it was edited together. We just tried everything. There was a moment when we were filming where I stopped and said to myself, “oh my gosh, I’m working with one of the greatest actors of all time.” He was so encouraging. It was surreal.

Ainsley sets her sights on a Texas Tech QB prospect, Ryder Sampson. Has she met her match?

It’s hard to tell after just one evening. It didn’t really end great [laughs] but, I’m excited to see where it goes. She has her eyes on him.

What can you tease about Ainsley’s journey for the rest of the season?

She’s finding her place in Midland. We’ve seen her as Tommy’s and Angela’s daughter, but now we’re seeing her out and about with her peers. She’s coming into her own.