Across Taylor Sheridan’s roster of TV shows, he has built up a small repertoire of actors that he often works with. One of the new additions is Michelle Randolph, who in addition to starring as Elizabeth in 1923 also played Ainsley Norris in Landman. Getting the chance to speak with Randolph about the 1923 season 2 ending, we were interested as a now Sheridan-verse veteran, what she finds so appealing about Sheridan’s work?
“He just has a way of writing human dynamics, and they’re all very character based stories and it’s not entirely plot driven,” Randolph said. “I think that’s what attracts not only actors but audiences, because we can all relate to people.”
While 1923 has come to an end, Randolph is going to continue working with Sheridan on Landman season 2, which recently began production. But before closing the book on her time in the Dutton family saga, we talked about how she viewed Elizabeth’s journey and some of her favorite memories from her time working on the show.
Read the full transcript of our interview with Michelle Randolph (lightly edited for clarity and conciseness) directly below.
What to Watch: When you read the scripts and learned where Elizabeth’s story ends up, what was your view on her arc across the whole series?
Michelle Randolph: Well, I was relieved to know that she survived, number one. Number two, I would say her whole kind of arc in [1923] season 2 is just trying to survive and trying to communicate to everyone, and no one will listen, that like, ‘hey, am I the only one who sees that if we all stay here we are going to ultimately die because everyone around us is?’ And so I think her overall arc is just survival. And by the end I think her number one thing is how do I make sure that my baby is protected and what’s the best thing for my baby, and what is left here?
WTW: This season you got to do a lot of scenes with Helen Mirren. What was your experience like working with her so frequently, and in a lot of heavy, emotional scenes too?
MR: I love working with Helen. She’s incredible, I feel like I just learn so much from her. And in a lot of ways I think Elizabeth and Cara’s character kind of mirrors how I feel about Helen, where I could just listen to her advice forever. Filming emotional scenes, you can’t help but feel a little emotional on set, so she was just so… I don’t know. We had a lot of special connected scenes, and I’m really grateful to Taylor for writing those for us.
WTW: Speaking of Taylor, you’ve now worked on two series with him in Landman and 1923. What is it about his work that really speaks to you as an actress?
MR: I mean he writes such incredible — reading his scripts, they read like novels almost, they’re so entertaining. Working on 1923 is so different than working on Landman. Part of what I love is that they’re entirely different tones. Landman is humorous and it’s a drama but it’s modern day, and 1923 transports you into that time and makes you feel like you’re… like they’re surviving the elements with every character in the story. He just has a way of writing human dynamics and they’re all very character based stories and relationships, it’s not entirely plot driven. I think that’s what attracts not only actors but audiences, because we can all relate to people.
WTW: Do you have a favorite memory from your time making 1923?
MR: There are so many. It’s wild because like when you think about it we shot season 1 three years ago now. And so my favorite thing I took from the show in general are the friendships that I’ve made on it. But my favorite overall memory of all of it is definitely cowboy camp from season 1. I feel like I’ve said the words cowboy camp so many times, but it was such a highlight. It was like a summer camp… the two best weeks of my life. Had an incredible job we were about to start filming, meeting new friends, riding horses all day in beautiful Montana in the summer. It just doesn’t get better than that.
WTW: I’ve talked with a few people from 1923, 1883 and they’ve all said that cowboy camp was something different.
MR: It is! Because there’s also the fact that you’re doing it before the job starts you have this giddiness about starting something new. I wonder if I’ll ever feel that way again.
All episodes of 1923 are available to stream exclusively on Paramount Plus.
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