At first blush, Michelle Randolph’s roles in 1923 and Landman — two neo-Western series in the ever-expanding Taylor Sheridan cinematic universe — may seem quite different. 1923’s Elizabeth Strafford is an East Coast-educated young woman who marries into a ranching family and contends with unforgiving weather, violent land conflicts, and rabid animal attacks. Landman’s Ainsley Norris, on the other hand, is the privileged daughter of an oil fixer who, in Season 2, worries about getting into a college where cheerleaders are allowed to date other athletes.
Yet the young women share a certain self-assuredness. “Neither of them gives a sh*t what anyone else thinks,” Randolph tells Bustle over Zoom from Los Angeles. “And that’s a really refreshing mindset to be in while I’m filming. It leaks into parts of myself to be like, ‘You know what? It works for them. Maybe it’ll work for me. I should care less.’”
It certainly can’t hurt, especially as the 28-year-old’s career begins to take off. Landman’s Season 2 premiere set a new viewership record on Paramount+, and a third season is officially on the way; next year, Randolph will make her major film debut in Scream 7. (“There are so many callbacks to the original,” she teases.) And after that? She’s game for anything. “Every script I read couldn’t be more different from one another,” she says. “And I think that’s just what’s fun. There’s not one particular thing that I want to do — I just want to try everything. Everything that’s a challenge.”
Of course, coinciding with this exciting career moment is a new level of visibility. Recently, romance rumors swirled around her and Glen Powell, after they posed for a photo together at an event. (So far, neither has addressed the speculation.)
But whether it’s navigating fandom discourse or tabloid buzz, Randolph has cultivated a routine that keeps her grounded. It includes spending lots of time with family — including her sister, Bachelor alum Cassie Randolph — and her cats: Axl, Rose, and Pink, all rescues turned “foster fails.” And she’ll get lost in a good book, from Don Miguel Ruiz’s self-help bestseller, The Four Agreements, to romantasy novels like Sarah J. Maas’ Throne of Glass series. “I don’t understand the controversy of what one you should start with. I will fight for people to read Assassin’s Blade first.”
Learn more about Randolph in her Bustle Booth questionnaire below.
In The Bustle Booth
What’s your coffee order?
Iced Americano with almond milk and honey.
What are the saved weather locations on your phone?
Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, Fort Worth, Bozeman, and New York City.
What’s your sign?
Virgo.
Favorite overused movie quote?
“I don’t know what to do with my hands.” — Ricky Bobby
What was your favorite cartoon as a kid?
I wasn’t a big cartoon kid. Bob the Builder gave me nightmares. Courage the Cowardly Dog traumatized me.
What’s one movie or TV show you’re currently obsessed with?
I will never get tired of The Office. Ever ever ever.
Who is your celeb idol?
Taylor Swift. I am in the top 2% of listeners. Very proud of this statement.
If you had to be on a reality TV show, what would it be?
The Great British Bake Off.
Go-to karaoke song?
[Train’s] “Drops of Jupiter.”
What’s something that’s inspiring you lately?
Conversations that slow me down.
What is something you would want people to say about you?
That I am genuine and kind.
