Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a new Oscar winner after sweeping every nomination for Best Supporting Actress in The Holdovers!
The stunning star’s winning streak includes big wins from the Critics’ Choice, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, and Independent Spirit Awards. On Sunday, Randolph completed the flawless awards season victory with the Oscar.
Past winners Regina King, Lupita Nyong’o, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rita Moreno, and Mary Steenburgen presented the category. The Black Panther: Wakanda Forever star presented the golden statue to her winning friend. Randolph made several acceptance speeches and once again moved the audience to tears with her testimony.
“God is so good. I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career,” she said after taking the stage already in tears.
“I started off as a singer. And my mother said to me, ‘Go across that street to that theatre department. There’s something for you there.’ And I thank my mother for doing that.”
The 37-year-old also leaned on her grandmother for inspiration in the film, directed by Alexander Payne. Randolph even brought part of her grandmother to the set every day. She wore the matriarch’s glasses to bring to life the character of Mary Lamb, a grieving mother staying at the Barton Academy boarding school over winter break.
“I thank you to all the people who have stepped in my path and been there for me, who have ushered me and guided me. I am so grateful to all you beautiful people out here. For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different, and now I realize I just need to be myself,” she continued. “I thank you for seeing me.”
Randolph thanked “all the women who have been by my side” and shaped her career.
“Ron Van Lieu, I thank you. When I was the only Black girl in that class, when you saw me and you told me I was enough. And when I told you, I don’t see myself, he said, ‘That’s fine. We’re going to forge our own path. You’re going to lay a trail for yourself.’”
The Only Murders In The Building star concluded, “I pray to God that I get to do this more than once. I thank you for seeing me. Have a blessed night. Thank you.”
Watch her full acceptance speech from the 2024 Academy Awards below.
Congratulations to Da’Vine Joy Randolph!