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If Michelle Randolph isn’t a name you already know by now, it’s the name you soon will.
For the past two seasons, the 28-year-old actress has played Ainsley Norris, the daughter of characters Billy Bob Thornton and Allie Larter. landman, Taylor Sheridan drama on Paramount+. Her role as an earnest, free-spirited teen discovering life in Texas quickly caught the attention of fans after the series premiered in November 2024. The January 2017 season 2 finale saw the streaming ratings peak, with 1.77 billion viewing minutes on Paramount+ in the week leading up to its January 18 finale. Randolph also appeared as Elizabeth Strafford in both seasons of Sheridan 1923 Opposite Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford.
Recently, the California native entered a new genre — horror — with another Paramount project, Screaming 7. As tradition dictates in long-running slasher series, the film begins with a murder. Madison Randolph and her horror movie-obsessed boyfriend Scott (Jimmy Tatro) were murdered by Ghostface while staying at Stu Macher’s (Matthew Lillard) house from the original Scream, now turned into a Ghostface-themed Airbnb for introductory Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox) fans stab Film series franchise, inspired by the Woodsboro murders involving Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell). The film, directed by Kevin Williamson, was also a huge success, grossing $149.5 million on a $45 million budget.
Below, Randolph speaks with Hollywood Reporter About filming its brutal opening scene in Screaming 7performs her own stunts, spills the tea on franchise icon Drew Barrymore, and teases what lies ahead Landman Season 3 and whether she would be open to an Ainsley spinoff.
You are currently in production for Clashing through the snow With Christopher Briney. how’s it going?
it’s good. It’s very cold. We’re shooting in upstate New York, and it was during a terrible storm. So I feel like the theme of this movie is the word “snow” and “blizzard.” But it was really fun. I’m excited about this, and Chris is awesome.
Were you Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah? Are you a Summer turned out beautiful a fan?
I didn’t watch Season 3, so I kept saying, “What’s this: Team Conrad, Team Jeremiah?” But I think I’m team Conrad. No, I’m Team Belly!
You open scream 7, Drew Barrymore famously did this in the original script. What does it mean to enter into this legacy?
huge. The franchise is well-loved, and fans are very passionate about and invested in the series. They pick up all the little Easter eggs that they put in all the different movies. It’s really cool that there were so many references to the original film and other films in this opening sequence, which felt very special. And also the fact that I met Drew Barrymore when I was doing journalism Screaming It’s really interesting, because when you have these moments, randomly in your life, wherever you go, I feel like I’m dreaming, and that was one of them.
Since the film came out, have you reached out or felt a passing of the torch moment?
No, I didn’t talk to her [since]. I also couldn’t tell her. I mean I told her because she is (He laughs)When we were filming[[The Drew Barrymore Show] But I didn’t say that when we were speaking into the microphone. But she didn’t know I was the opening scene when I first met her.
Were there any ideas you came up with while crafting your character?
Yes, we were always looking for places to go back to or leave Easter eggs. In a lot of editorials, there’s always a scene in the kitchen holding a knife. Someone is always pulling the knife or holding the knife. When I was in the kitchen, near the pile of knives, even though it was a fake knife, I was like, “I want to play with this knife somehow.” (He laughs.) So this was something I wanted to do.
Your death scene is particularly brutal – what was that day actually like?
It was my last day on set, and we were spending nights. It’s three in the morning, I’m being doused with fake water in a jug of gasoline, and I’m sputtering like I’m on fire because it’s CGI. It was one of those weird moments. Screaming It’s a lot of fun, but the deaths are pretty brutal, especially that one. I had never burned alive before, so I was really relying on our stunt team to help guide me on how to move.
How much of the stunts during this sequence were actually done by you?
I want to do all of them. I was doing pre-production for landman, And so I was actually at a cheerleading camp that I had to go to the next day. I wrapped screaming, And the next day, I was on set at TCU cheerleading Landman. They made a complete pass for my stunt double. But I did it all. I’ve been running up stairs, pulling hair, fighting, struggling, falling chandeliers, all of it. I really like to do my own stunts. I think when you have to perform during stunts, it’s really important to do your own thing because it’s important.
There has been some debate online about how your editorial connects to the larger story. From what I understood about your character, was that directly related to the main plot or was it a stand-alone shocker?
For me, when I got it, I only had my scenes because it was kind of its own separate piece. It was like our short film Inside Screaming 7 world. So I had no idea how it related to the rest of the story.
What do you think of the Ghostfaces revealed in this movie? Did they surprise you?
I just think everything Kevin Williamson does is perfect. he Screaming Franchise, so I loved the movie.
Were you already a horror fan before booking? Screaming 7Or did this role change the way you look at the genre?
I get scared quite easily. I have very vivid nightmares. I used to watch horror when I was younger.
My friends and I would get together on Friday night, watch horror movies exclusively and everyone would take turns choosing. I don’t know why I was tougher when I was younger. We were watching final destination, Insidious, Paranormal activity, The Blair Witch Project. And then when I was in college, because I majored in film and took a horror elective. i don’t know why. I didn’t really think much about it when you were just trying to fill in at school. Well, I had to watch a bunch of horror movies and then write articles about them, which wasn’t fun. (He laughs.) I used to have my friends or my sister watch movies with me during the day and sit next to me while I wrote these articles, because they started to really get to me. The first thing I had to write a paper about was The exorcist. It’s not a movie you want to sit and analyze for hours.
Since all your scenes were with Jimmy Tatro, did you have the opportunity to spend time with Neve Campbell and the rest of the cast, or were the filming days completely separate?
Completely separate. I’m really upset that I couldn’t. That was the hardest thing about doing journalism before it came out, was that I couldn’t say it. (He laughs.) But everyone says, “What do you think everyone?” I’m like “I’ve never met them!” Now, I’ve met a few of the actors.
A lot of fans were upset about your character dying early because they wanted more of her. How did you feel when you saw that reaction?
This is very nice. I don’t read a lot of things on the internet. So thank you for the confidence boost for today. I hope you come back to life. Will there be scream 8? It’s like Jenna Ortega’s character suddenly being alive. I didn’t expect it when I saw it opening[in2022[in2022’sScreaming.]
Well, we’ve seen the return of Stu (Matthew Lillard), so there’s always a way.
There is always a way! Maybe it will be a flashback or I’m a ghost.
You and Isabelle may appear in 1923, Part of Taylor Sheridan’s world, and now you’re both in it Screaming 7. Even though you don’t share the scenesWhat does it look like to have this overlap? Did you know that each other was auditioning?
No, I had no idea. Isabel was in 1883 And I love 1883. I watched it because it was an introduction to 1923 And then her character narrates the entire series, but I haven’t met her. I met her only after filming 1923 and Screaming 7 But it was great. It just shows how small the industry is.
Login landman, Ainsley is out of college now. How do you think this will change things with her and the rest of the characters next season?
Well, we know who Ainsley is when she’s comfortable with her family. So I’m looking forward to seeing her and discovering who she is as she goes to college and is around her peers and outside of her comfort zone. I think we saw patches of that in Season 2 towards the end. The great thing about growing with a character is that, especially in a TV show, you get to meet them at different stages of their lives. I’m learning who Ainsley is as you’re learning who she is. This makes me excited to come back.
When will you be back for the third season of the film, and have you seen any scripts yet?
I didn’t see any texts. I don’t have specific dates – yet.
However, but it seems that it will be soon?
Hopefully. I love Texas summer.
What would you like to see in the future of the show?
I have a lot of ideas. I think we all do, but I really trust Taylor [Sheridan’s] Vision of the story. This will be my fifth season of television with him, and I’ve learned to trust him and not have any expectations of what I think should happen.
There has been chatter online about people wanting Ainsley to get her own project. Is this something you would be open to?
Sure, that sounds fun. I love playing her.
I read that you moved to Huntington Beach as a teenager and got a film degree from Arizona State, so was acting always your dream or did that evolve over time?
No, I’ve never seen it as something I could actually call a job. I grew up in Northern California. When I moved to Huntington Beach, I was surrounded by many different types of people and non-traditional jobs. I worked as a model for a few years to pay for college, and found myself pursuing acting. Once I caught the bug, that’s all I wanted to do, and that’s when I switched my major to film.
before LandmanWas there a role you really wanted but didn’t book – and has that rejection taught you anything you’ve gone forward with since in your career?
I wanted every role I auditioned for. I just wanted to work. (He laughs.) Now looking back, I’m also glad I didn’t get anything I thought I wanted at the time. I just think he finds you when you’re ready. I wouldn’t change anything, but it was very frustrating when you’ve been testing for so many years and you’re approaching something that you have to convince yourself of whatever test you’re supposed to do. Keeping yourself emotionally protected from this disappointment is really hard when you care so much.
Is there a dream role or genre that you would like to tackle next?
I feel very lucky to have been in different genres. Landman Different from 1923, Which is different from scream 7, Which was different from what I’m working on now. So I think anything is a challenge. I would love to do a thriller. This is what I’m looking for now.
What does an ideal day off look like for you?
Hanging out with my cat. sleep. Not getting off my couch. And just hanging out with my friends and family. In this job, you’re always on the move. I feel like I live on planes sometimes. On the days I’m not working, I really appreciate being around the people I love. It can get really lonely.
