Oscars: Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Best Supporting Actress Speech Leaves Audience in Tears
Believe it or not, anyone can win an Oscar. That might sound far-fetched and slightly absurd, but it’s true. Any actor can be good enough in one role, one time to win Hollywood’s biggest accolade. (Looking at you, Adrien Brody!) But what makes a superstar—or rather, an artist—is the ability to be great in enough roles that your Oscar win doesn’t look so much like a surprise, but rather something truly well-earned.
That’s certainly the case for Da’Vine Joy Randolph, whose road to winning the Best Supporting Actress at tonight’s 96th Oscars for her role in The Holdovers was already paved with gold. Over the last few months, Randolph—whose transcendent performance as Mary Lamb, a grieving mother running the cafeteria at a private high school—has picked up a Golden Globe, BAFTA, SAG Award, Independent Spirit Award, Critics Choice Award, and a bevy of other accolades. But though Mary Lamb was her breakout role, it’s hardly Randolph’s first peerless performance. Over the last few years, Randolph has been racking up credits in film and television, always finding the heart and deep humanity in each role she takes on.
So, when last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner Jamie Lee Curtis called Randolph’s name for the first award of the night, it was hardly a surprise, but it was a celebration. Randolph’s tearful Oscar acceptance speech reflected that drive she’s had as she’s climbed her way up Hollywood’s ladders, and cemented her place as an industry asset whose hard work will draw acclaim for years to come.