Da’Vine Joy Randolph: The Holdovers costume ‘was love letter to black women’
The US actress won the best supporting actress prize for her turn as grieving cook Mary Lamb.
The Holdovers star Da’Vine Joy Randolph has said she incorporated familiar aspects of inspirational women in her costume which “felt like a love letter back to black women”.
The US actress won the best supporting actress prize for her turn as grieving cook Mary Lamb in boarding school drama The Holdovers, in which co-star Paul Giamatti plays grumpy teacher Paul Hunham.
Speaking about wearing her grandmother’s glasses in the role, Randolph said backstage: “I knew that this was going to be a difficult role for me to take on, and that it was going to require a lot of vulnerability from me.
“And I knew that she was just someone in my life that would allow me to get right back to the centre.
“I did a lot of research and did little subliminal messages, if you will, with hair-dos and details and accessories beyond the glasses, giving homage to women – from (US sitcom) The Jeffersons, (US singer and actress) Phyllis Hyman, stuff like that.
“So that I included all of these women who ‘impressionised’ me… and that meant a lot because it felt like a love letter back to black women.”
Randolph saw off competition from Oppenheimer’s Emily Blunt, Danielle Brooks from The Color Purple, Barbie’s America Ferrera and Jodie Foster from Nyad to win the prestigious gong.
During her on-stage winner’s speech, Randolph said she “didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career”, adding she was “grateful to the women who have been at my side”.
The award was presented by previous winners in the category – Jamie Lee Curtis, Rita Moreno, Mary Steenburgen, Regina King and Lupita Nyong’o.
