Michelle Randolph is in her second season of playing Ainsley Norris on the Paramount hit, Landman. Randolph's character is the daughter of Tommy Norris, who is played by Billy Bob Thornton. However, adjusting to her new role hasn't been plain sailing. During a recent interview with eTalkCTV, Randolph revealed that she was a bag of nerves before meeting Thornton for the first time.
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"Oh, yeah," Randolph said. "I was so nervous to meet him I met him for the first time with Ali, we had just gotten to Fort Worth, and we were shooting like a week and a half later. and we're like, 'Okay, let's got together,' because we had already become friends. We were like, 'Okay, let's go together, we're going to meet Billy.' And we just both left there being like, 'Oh. Oh, he's so cool.' He's already my dad, I can do this."
Obviously, after filming two seasons' worth of Landman, Randolph is over her nerves when working with or around Thornton. Still, the early days on set were likely filled with awkward silences or nervous giggles.
However, if Landman remains a major success, Randolph will reprise her role. And with that, she will probably end up looking back and wondering why she was so nervous in the first place.
Michelle Randolph Rose to Prominence on 1923
Randolph is no stranger to being part of a Paramount hit. Her first major role came on the Taylor Sheridan hit show 1923, a spinoff of the hugely successful Yellowstone. Randolph's success when playing Elizabeth Strafford likely played a part in Sheridan hand-picking her to team up with Thornton on Landman.
During an interview with ExtraTV, Randolph discussed her role on two prominent shows and the gratitude she has for her budding career.
"I feel like I'm pinching myself every single day," Randolph said. "Booking '1923' was like the greatest experience of my life and working with Helen Mirren was so special."
If Randolph continues to shine on major television shows, it won't be long until an up-and-coming young actor or actress is a bag of nerves about working with her. That's the current trajectory she finds herself on.
