Landman Star Michelle Randolph Confronts Billy Bob Thornton Over Angelina Jolie Blood Tale
Actress Michelle Randolph, who stars in the hit Paramount+ series Landman, has disclosed that she directly questioned her on-screen father Billy Bob Thornton about the long-standing rumours concerning his relationship with Angelina Jolie. The 28-year-old performer admitted her curiosity got the better of her during filming.
"I Asked Him About Drinking Angelina's Blood"
During an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show this Wednesday, Randolph confessed: "Most of my scenes are with him, and I'm thinking, 'God, like what, all I know is that he drank Angelina Jolie's blood or something.' Which I since have asked him about. I can't lie."
The actress, who portrays cheerleader daughter Ainsley in the oil industry drama, explained that she initially felt intimidated by Thornton's legendary Hollywood reputation but eventually felt comfortable enough to broach the sensitive subject.
Thornton and Jolie's Unconventional Romance
Billy Bob Thornton and Angelina Jolie's relationship began under dramatic circumstances in 1998 while filming Pushing Tin. At the time, Thornton was engaged to actress Laura Dern, while Jolie was dating her Playing God co-star Timothy Hutton.
Their marriage in 2000 became notorious for its Gothic elements, including Jolie wearing a white T-shirt with "Billy Bob" written in blood during their Las Vegas ceremony. She also tattooed his name on her shoulder and purchased matching grave plots for their first anniversary.
Thornton previously explained to Rolling Stone magazine: "We each had a little locket, literally with a drop of blood in them. That's a romantic little idea, and that's all that was. But by the time it's over, we're vampires. We live in a dungeon, we drink each other's blood, and this kind of stuff."
A Civilised Separation
The marriage between Thornton, a six-time divorced father of four, and Jolie, who produced and starred in Couture, ended after three years. Thornton reflected: "That was one of the greatest times of my life. She and I are still very, very close friends. And that was the one that ended up being a really civilised breakup. We simply split up because our lifestyles were so different."
Thornton's On-Set Demeanor Praised
Randolph went on to describe The Boxmasters frontman as the embodiment of "ease" during production. "That's why he's so good at what he does," the Napa Valley-born actress told Barrymore. "You think someone with his résumé is going to be so intimidating, but instead, he's such a great actor because he pulls honesty out of you, and he settles you in a scene and in life. I tend to talk a lot and move fast, and he just makes me want to just chill."
Bonding With On-Screen Mother Ali Larter
Regarding her on-screen mother Ali Larter, Randolph revealed they developed a strong support system during the challenging first season. "We didn't know what we had gotten ourselves into," the 1923 star explained. "I mean, we were so excited to be there, but going, how do our characters fit into this very dramatic show? And so we just really relied on each other and we just grabbed each other's hands and we were like, 'Okay, I think it's jumping in together.'"
Landman's Continued Success
The Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace adaptation of the Boomtown podcast features an impressive ensemble including Demi Moore, Sam Elliott, and Andy Garcia alongside Randolph and Thornton.
Randolph will compete alongside twelve Landman castmates for the outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series trophy at the newly renamed 32nd Actor Awards, broadcasting on Netflix this March 1st.
Paramount+ renewed the Texan oil drama for a third season on December 5th, following the second season premiere attracting 9.2 million viewers within its first two days of availability. Production for the new season is scheduled to commence this April or May.
