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It’s the morning after the Oscars, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who was out celebrating her big win for best supporting actress until 5:45 a.m., looks like she’d fall asleep for the rest of the day if she closed her eyes. . for a moment. And yet, despite her exhaustion, she is still radiant, brimming with enthusiasm for the ways her life has changed since landing her role as Mary Lamb, a grieving cafeteria manager, in “The Holdovers.” Alexander Payne.
As he sits at the dining room table in a modern Beverly Hills apartment to soothe his hoarse voice with cough drops, Randolph sleepily declares, “Now I have the keys to the castle!”
It’s a change for the Philadelphia-born actress, who says, “I was taught to do a lot with very little. “It’s exciting to have access to resources and opportunities, especially for a woman of color.”
Randolph burst onto the scene with her breakout Broadway role as psychic Oda Mae Brown in 2012’s “Ghost: The Musical,” earning a Tony Award nomination and critical acclaim. That role paved the way for films like “Dolemite Is My Name” and “The Lost City,” in which he deftly stole scenes from veterans Eddie Murphy and Sandra Bullock, as well as the Hulu comedy series “Only Murders in the Building.” ,” which found her sharing the screen with her acting idol, Meryl Streep.
Randolph has a way of magnetizing audiences: it’s impossible to look away. That’s certainly the case with “The Holdovers,” which gave the 37-year-old actress the most challenging and rewarding role of her career. The role required her to summon deep reserves of grief as she played a mother dealing with the loss of her only son, who died in the Vietnam War.
Matt Sayles for Variety
For Payne, there is a critical scene in “The Holdovers” that fully demonstrates Randolph’s depth as an actress. When Mary, visiting her pregnant sister, considers giving away her son’s baby clothes, Payne remembers being amazed by “the look on her face.” Randolph wanted to show her character refusing to break down even as she reflects on that early, hopeful time in her life. “She conveys a deep, sad melancholy,” Payne says.
But as we sit together the day after Randolph’s sublime performance was recognized by her peers, the actress looks ahead to the other big roles she hopes to play.
How do you feel this morning?
I feel grateful. I feel seen. I feel loved. I feel respected. I feel that the time and work I have put in is important. I feel excited for the future. Growing up as someone who didn’t have much, imagine when you have a lot: it’s exciting. Having access and being a woman of color is a very important thing.
You wore your grandmother’s glasses in “The Holdovers.” Because?
In every role I play, I always leave subliminal love letters to women of color in the details. You can go back and look at my resume: In every role, there’s a connection to someone I know personally, someone in history, a fellow actress. And I love it, because he who knows, knows. Ultimately, what I’m doing is simply implanting moments of connection and honesty. And so her glasses were an artifact for me, so that if I ever got sidetracked or derailed or lost connection, the thought of my grandmother and who she was and what she had suffered, those glasses would immediately come back to me.
What was your grandmother like?
She was the matriarch of our family. She was the backbone. She came from the South and endured a lot. And when I think of someone who can defend others and emerge victorious despite her own pain, she is the first person I think of. I knew she was going to be a guiding light as I told this story. And that is a very unique trait: that we, as minorities, can, in the midst of pain and loss and disparity, not only be present for other people, but also give and be kind and loving. That really says something about everyone’s character. We have been kicked in the butt so much and so hard that it moves me to see how much empathy and love we can still possess.
What would your grandmother think of your Oscar win?
She would be delighted. Nobody in my family acts or sings, nothing. In my family there is no sense of entertainment. Sometimes I feel like a weirdo, because I don’t even know where this is coming from. But they have always supported me. They have always seen the greatness within me and have always nurtured it.
Can you tell me about growing up in Philadelphia?
It was the best. It was exactly what he needed. There is something very unique about the cities and communities of the Northeast, even in a movie like “The Holdovers.” It’s a very different culture, behavior, attitude, gestures… I love that. They don’t have that anywhere else except in the Northeast pocket. So whether it’s Boston, New York, or Philadelphia, I’m very grateful to have been born, raised, and raised in a city like that. I just love people. They celebrate life and defend the homeless, and that makes me very proud.
There were anti-war protests outside the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held, so the show ended up starting late. I heard you were stuck in traffic and your category was in first place. What was going through your mind?
I mean, listen, that’s serious business. But it was what she needed to say: “Life is real.” While we were in that traffic jam, we saw homeless people looking for shelter. It was very interesting that I was in a very privileged situation and yet the world still turns. It was chaotic, but it was good chaos. In fact, it calmed me down.
Matt Sayles for Variety
To announce the winner of the Best Supporting Actress award, the Academy introduced all of these legendary past winners: Jamie Lee Curtis, Rita Moreno, Mary Steenburgen, Regina King and Lupita Nyong’o. How was that?
It knocked me out. I was in the front row, in the center. You know how you can sit too close at the movies? Everything is even grander. I was a mess.
You and Lupita went to Yale drama school together and you started crying when she talked about you. What were you feeling?
It was like a very surreal coming full circle moment, because I met her when I was becoming an actor. The excitement came because at that moment I had already won for myself. I didn’t care whose name they called. He had already won because he was there.
Over time, more than 3,300 Oscar statuettes have been awarded. But you’re only the 19th black woman to win one.
In any capacity?
Yes. Ten of them belonged to your category. That’s 0.005% of all Oscars. Can you talk about the legacy of black women in this industry and how it relates to your grandmother or any of the women you’ve honored in your performances?
Maria is my grandmother. Mary is all woman. To be a woman of color, to be a woman with financial constraints, there is a hustle, a drive, a diligence unlike any other. And that’s why I remained very firm in showing the world what it’s like to be in our skin.
And yet at the same time I wanted it to be something universal, because I didn’t want it to be something that only black women or minorities could understand. She wanted everyone to understand it. In fact, I want that for all my work. I don’t want to only make black films.
I will always pay tribute, honor, elevate and be a part of the black narrative, but I need to infiltrate and enter the spaces where we are not. I want to be in a Wes Anderson movie just because. I want to be in a David O. Russell movie just because. Coen Brothers. I had never seen us there. Because that’s when I think we can really succeed in educating and creating real change. If we are left alone, nothing will change.
You’ve been a red carpet star this Oscar season. What is your approach to fashion?
I just like to have fun. And I just want people to know, “Don’t limit yourself. Find what you like. Play. Don’t get stuck on one thing.” Do you know why I love clothes so much? Because it is connected to personality and sense of self. You don’t have to be as obsessive about this as I am, but I think it’s also a good self-love practice, like, “What colors do I feel good in? And, oh, these are my favorite jeans.” It is having a feeling of pride in oneself. And I think that’s healthy and good for anyone.
You sat next to J. Lo at Paris Fashion Week. What were you talking about?
Life, love, prosperity, success. She was starting to talk about her new project that just came out. She seems really cool. I have to check.
When he accepted other awards this season, he brought note cards. You didn’t do it at the Oscars. Because?
For the last two weeks, people have been telling me, “There are no cards for the Oscars.” They want to see my face. With those other speeches, half of those notes are from notebooks from different hotels or from a napkin.
When he gave his speech, he talked about violating the Academy’s requests by thanking his publicist, Marla Farrell. Why did you do that?
Why wouldn’t you? Because? Because? That lady has been by my side since the beginning of my career. She has appeared before me countless times beyond even what a publicist does, and I wouldn’t be here without her. She is more than talented and has a heart of gold. So yeah, I don’t care. She deserved it.
You also thanked your Yale acting professor, Ron Van Lieu. What did he do?
We used to do scenes and text analysis, and we did things like “A Doll’s House.” Everyone could play Nora, but I would be the only one in the class to play, what’s her name? Miss Schmidt or whatever? And I say: “Why? Who chooses this? Who decides what stories I can tell? One time I got fed up and he said, “Well, who do you want to be?” And I realized that I don’t want to be anyone; I just want to be myself. And he said, “Great. Do you know who else they are? Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, De Niro. There was no them before them. So you will have to have patience and resilience, because you are essentially forging your own path. There is no model for you.” So he just understood me.
Not only did you appear in “The Holdovers” last year, but you also played Mahalia Jackson in “Rustin.” What was it like for her to play these roles?
It was a year full of beautiful characters. And I feel very proud to have played multi-dimensional, textured, complicated, multi-dimensional characters: women who have desires, needs, longings and impulses. Yes, I am immensely proud of what this year has become.
Can you tell me the difference between Da’Vine Joy Randolph on Saturday versus the one who won the Oscar on Sunday?
There are none. Now there is a trophy in my house, but I am no different. You can’t come from Philadelphia and change; They won’t leave you. This will be who I am. The roles will get better, the money will get better, the lines will get better. I hope to leave a legacy and make a mark with this career. I hope my work matters and is something that people of all shapes, sizes, colors, creeds and genders can connect with. But me and my soul will not change.
Makeup: Sheika Daley/Dayone Studio/Lancome; Hair: Tai Simon/The Only Agency/Joico; Location: Mandarin Oriental Residences, Beverly Hills; Style: Wayman + Micah/The Only Agency; Dress: Custom Louis Vuitton; earrings: Moussaieff; Watch: Omega; Shoes: Alexander Birman