Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Early life and education

Da'Vine Joy Randolph was born on May 21, 1986, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her first name is pronounced "Day Vine Joy"; she has no middle name. It took her parents seven years to have children. When Da'Vine was born, they said she was a "divine joy".

Randolph grew up in the Mount Airy neighborhood of Philadelphia. As a youth, she attended Interlochen Arts Camp, studying theatre. She went to Temple University to focus on classical vocal performance and opera, but switched to musical theatre in her junior year. After graduating from Temple in 2008, she attended the Yale School of Drama. She graduated from Yale in 2011 with her master's degree. Randolph became an alumna of the British American Drama Academy (BADA) after spending a summer studying Shakespeare at the University of Oxford.

Career

Randolph auditioned for an understudy role in the Broadway transfer of Ghost: the Musical (which was playing in London's West End), but the producers decided to cast her in the principal role of Oda Mae Brown. Before the casting of the Broadway transfer was announced, Sharon D. Clarke, who played Oda Mae in the London run of Ghost the Musical, suffered a minor knee injury. Randolph was quickly flown to London to cover the role in Clarke's absence. Her debut performance took place on December 16, 2011, and she continued to share the role with understudy Lisa Davina Phillip until early January 2012, when Clarke returned.

After a preview period that began in March 2012, the Broadway production opened Monday April 23, 2012, with Randolph playing opposite Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy in the leading roles. She was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2013 she made her feature film debut in a supporting role, in Mother of George directed by Andrew Dosunmu. The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews. The following year she played a nurse in the comedy-drama The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) starring Robin Williams. Randolph rose to prominence acting in one of the main roles as Charmonique Whitaker in Selfie, which premiered on September 30, 2014. The show starred Karen Gillan and John Cho. It received mixed reviews and was canceled after one season, but the show continued to have a cult fan base. When asked about a Selfie revival in May 2022, Randolph responded that she would return in a movie or limited series if given the opportunity. She mentioned that it meant a lot to her and the cast, and that fans still talk about the series years after it aired. Randolph commented that she loved working on the show and that her character was one of her favorite roles.

From 2015 to 2017, Randolph performed a voice role as Christine in the series The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show. She also had guest roles on The Good Wife (2013), See Dad Run (2014), Life in Pieces (2015), and Veep (2017). She had a recurring role as Tanya in the drama series This Is Us (2016). The same year, she had a part in Office Christmas Party (2016). She starred in one of the main roles as Yvonne Watson, a postal worker, in the sitcom People of Earth for two seasons from 2016 to 2017. She had recurring roles in the series Empire from 2017 to 2018 and in the series On Becoming a God in Central Florida in 2019.

She had her breakout role as Lady Reed in Dolemite Is My Name (2019) starring Eddie Murphy. For her performance she received nominations for the African-American Film Critics Association, Black Reel Awards, and NAACP Image Awards for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she acted in Kajillionaire (2020), and she was a main cast member in High Fidelity (2020). During this time, she took voice roles as Ranger Woolf in Madagascar: A Little Wild from 2020 to 2022, Tamarind Toucan in Tuca & Bertie (2021), Detective Gail Johnson in Ultra City Smiths (2021), Tina in Chicago Party Aunt from 2021 to 2022, and various roles in Birdgirl (2022). She also voiced roles in the animated films Trolls World Tour (2020) and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).

She took roles in the drama film The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) and the comedy The Lost City (2022). In 2021. she took a main role in the sitcom The Last O.G. (2021). Since 2021, she has taken a recurring role as Detective Williams in the series Only Murders in the Building starring Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez. She played a manager to a pop star in the controversial series The Idol (2023).

In 2023, she played gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in the political drama film Rustin. She also starred in Alexander Payne's coming-of-age film The Holdovers as Mary Lamb, a cook and bereaved mother. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival. She earned praise for the role, with Pete Hammond of Deadline Hollywood writing "Randolph is simply wonderful, saying more with a look than any words could ever do. She is enormously touching and earns our tears along the way." Randolph received numerous nominations and awards for the role, including winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, the BAFTA, the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Randolph filmed an action comedy film with Rebel Wilson called Bride Hard, which was released in June 2025. In September 2025, Randolph appeared in the Bi-ray music video "Butterfly (Narrative Version)" directed by Japanese rock star Yoshiki. She then starred as afterlife coordinator Anna in A24's fantasy romantic comedy Eternity alongside Elizabeth Olsen, Miles Teller, and Callum Turner. Her next film, The Gallerist, premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and will be followed by a theatrical release later in the year.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

References

1. (June 5, 2023). "Get Ready with Da'Vine Joy Randolph At Cannes {{!}} The Idol". Max.
2. (April 22, 2022). "The Lost City's' Da'Vine Joy Randolph Trusts Manifestation {{!}} On The Rise".
3. Aduba, Uzo. (April 17, 2024). "Da'Vine Joy Randolph: The 100 Most Influential People of 2024".
4. Wallenstein, Andrew. (May 21, 1986). "Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Actor)".
5. Fiorillo, Victor. (2024-03-06). "Da'Vine Joy Randolph's Wild Ride from Mt. Airy to the Oscars".
6. (2020-02-19). "NUNN ON ONE TELEVISION Actress brings Da'Vine performances to various roles - Windy City Times News".
7. Drew, Trevor. (March 11, 2024). "Interlochen Center for the Arts alumna, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, takes home 2024 Oscar".
8. Simon, Alexandra. (2024-01-08). "Temple grad Da'Vine Joy Randolph wins Golden Globe for role in "The Holdovers" - CBS Philadelphia".
9. Cartagena, Rosa. (2023-12-20). "Oscar front-runner Da'Vine Joy Randolph has never had a bad meal in Philly".
10. "Da'Vine Joy Randolph is the Oscar-worthy heart of 'Holdovers': 'I'm just getting started'".
11. (24 January 2024). "Temple stars shine bright at film and television awards".
12. (2022-03-25). "Da'Vine Joy Randolph on 'The Lost City' and Learning from Sandra Bullock".
13. "Da'Vine Joy Randolph (MIO '09) wins Supporting Actress BAFTA – BADA".
14. PennLive, Monica Von Dobeneck {{!}} Special to. (2012-04-16). "Hershey woman lands a leading role in 'Ghost the Musical' on Broadway".
15. Hammond, Pete. (2024-02-15). "Oscar Nominee Da'Vine Joy Randolph On Sweeping Up Awards Season, How 'Dolemite' Led To 'Holdovers' & Opera Led To Acting – The Actor's Side".
16. Letterboxd. (2024-02-20). "At the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards, The Holdovers star Da'Vine Joy Randolph opens up about returning to London and winning the award for Best Supporting Actress.".
17. (April 9, 2012). "Yale Grad Da'Vine Joy Randolph Gets 'Whoopi' Role In Broadway's Musical 'Ghost'".
18. Williams, Brennan. (April 27, 2012). "'Ghost The Musical:' Da'Vine Joy Randolph Tells How She Landed Starring Role".
19. Israeli, Tal. "WOMEN WE LOVE: Da'Vine Joy Randolph {{!}} Young Hollywood".
20. GoldDerby. (2022-05-27). "'Only Murders in the Building' guest star Da'Vine Joy Randolph on episode from Det. Williams' POV".
21. Indiewire. (2024-01-04). ""The Holdovers" star Da'Vine Joy Randolph talks to us about some of her favorite roles and her goal of being as "authentic as possible" when she faces new roles.".
22. (September 2023). "'The Holdovers' Review: Alexander Payne & Paul Giamatti Make Movie Magic Again In Wry And Funny Comedy About Finding Family – Telluride Film Festival".
23. (23 January 2024). "Da'vine Joy Randolph picks up Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
24. D'Alessandro, Anthony. (2023-08-30). "Rebel Wilson Pic 'Bride Hard', Cleared For Interim Agreement, Adds Anna Camp, Justin Hartley, Anna Chlumsky, Stephen Dorff & More".
25. Donnelly, Matt. (2025-03-06). "Rebel Wilson's 'Bride Hard' Sets Release Date, Reveals First Look".
26. Benjamin, Jeff. "Rebel Wilson Stars In Yoshiki-Directed 'Butterfly' Video For Bi-Ray".
27. "Eternity".
28. Davis, Edward. (2025-12-10). "Sundance First Looks: Natalie Portman In ‘The Gallerist,’ Dave Franco In ‘The Shitheads,’ & David Wain’s ‘Gail Daughtry & The Celebrity Sex Pass’".
29. Schillaci, Sophie. (2013-09-13). "The Morning After ''The Purge'': Comedian Spoofs Universal's Horror Flick (Video)".
30. "''A Long Walk''".
31. "Da'Vine Joy Randolph (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors.
32. "''Mama Got a Cough'' - Zoom Shot Short Film".
33. "''Birdgirl'' Returns for a New Season of Corporate Fails".
34. Piña, Christy. (2022-08-21). "'The Idol' Teaser Reveals Ensemble Cast, New Footage".
35. Kimberly Nordyke. (February 25, 2024). "Spirit Awards: Full List of Winners".