Da’Vine Joy Randolph has won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Mary Lamb in The Holdovers.
From Critics Choice to the Golden Globes and now the Oscars, Da’Vine’s extraordinary performance in “The Holdovers” continues to stun viewers and critics alike. The category held equally exceptional actors in film, including Danielle Brooks for The Color Purple, Emily Blunt for Oppenheimer, and Jodie Foster for Nyad.
“The Holdovers” is a 2023 dramedy set in 1970’s New England. Paul Human (played by Paul Giamatti) is a boarding school teacher forced to supervise a handful of students who can’t go home for Christmas, including Angus, a troubled but smart student. Adding to the unexpected company is Mary Lamb, the head cook, who’s recently lost her son in the Vietnam War. This unlikely trio—a jaded teacher, a grieving cook, and a troubled student—forms an unexpected bond as they navigate the isolated holiday experience.
Randolph’s supportive role of Paul Giamatti in the film continues to be applauded at multiple award ceremonies, including BAFTA, Independent Spirit, and Screen Actors Guild awards.
In a tearful, heartfelt speech, Da’Vine Randolph thanked her mother for encouraging her to begin her acting career and her teacher for seeing her even though she was the only black girl in the class.
“…And I thank you. Thank you for seeing me. Ron Van Lieu, I thank you. When I was the only Black girl in that class when you saw me and told me I was enough. When I told you, ‘I don’t see myself,’ and you said, ‘That’s fine, we’re going to forge our path. You’re going to lay a trail for yourself.'”
She concluded her speech by giving a heartfelt shoutout to the women who helped her throughout her career and to her publicist, saying, “I pray to God; I get to do this more than once.”
