# Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Da'Vine Joy Randolph (/deɪˈvaɪn/; born May 21, 1986) is an American actress. She was named one of 100 most influential people in the world by Time in 2024.
Randolph gained recognition for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown in the Broadway production of Ghost (2012), for which she received a nomination for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Randolph went on to appear in the films The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) and Office Christmas Party (2016) before receiving praise for her roles in Dolemite Is My Name (2019) and The United States vs. Billie Holiday (2020). Her performance as a grieving mother in The Holdovers (2023) earned her several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Randolph's television credits include Selfie (2014), This Is Us (2016), People of Earth (2016–17), Empire (2017–18), High Fidelity (2020), and The Idol (2023). In 2024, Randolph earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her appearances on the Hulu mystery series Only Murders in the Building (2021–present).

## Early life and education

Da'Vine Joy Randolph was born on May 21, 1986, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her first name is pronounced as "Day Vine Joy" with two names and has no middle name. It took her parents seven years to have children and they said that 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 in her junior year, she switched concentrations to musical theatre. After graduating from Temple in 2008, she went to the Yale School of Drama. She graduated from Yale in 2011 with her master's degree. She is 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.
Among several upcoming projects, Randolph has filmed an action comedy film with Rebel Wilson, called Bride Hard, which is set to be released in June 2025.

## Filmography
### Film

List of films and roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | Mother of George | Marsea | |
| 2013 | The Purge: The Morning After | De'Shondranique | short |
| 2013 | A Long Walk | Mom | short |
| 2014 | The Angriest Man in Brooklyn | Nurse Rowan | |
| 2016 | The Secrets of Emily Blair | Fran | |
| 2016 | Office Christmas Party | Carla | |
| 2019 | Dolemite Is My Name | Lady Reed | |
| 2020 | Kajillionaire | Jenny | |
| 2020 | The Last Shift | Shazz | |
| 2020 | Trolls World Tour | Bliss Marina / Shelia B | voice |
| 2020 | Mama Got A Cough | Yolanda | video short |
| 2021 | The United States vs. Billie Holiday | Roslyn | |
| 2021 | The Guilty | CHP Dispatcher | voice |
| 2022 | The Lost City | Beth Hatten | |
| 2022 | On the Come Up | Pooh | |
| 2022 | A Little White Lie | Delta Jones | |
| 2022 | Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | Mama Luna | voice |
| 2023 | Rustin | Mahalia Jackson | |
| 2023 | The Holdovers | Mary Lamb | |
| 2025 | Shadow Force † | TBA | Post-production |
| 2025 | Bride Hard † | TBA | Post-production |
| 2025 | Eternity † | Anna | Post-production |
| TBA | The Gallerist † | TBA | Post-production |
| — | Golden | TBA | Unreleased |
Key :
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |

### Television

List of television appearances and roles :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2013 | The Good Wife | Margie | episode: "A More Perfect Union" |
| 2013 | Brenda Forever | Pearl | television film |
| 2014 | See Dad Run | Mrs. Rothschild | episode: "See Dad Become Room Mom" |
| 2014 | Selfie | Charmonique Whitaker | Main cast |
| 2015 | Life in Pieces | Janice | episode: "Babe Secret Phone Germs" |
| 2015–2017 | The Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show | Christine / Abby Fisher | voice, main cast |
| 2016 | This Is Us | Tanya | recurring cast (season 1) |
| 2016–2017 | People of Earth | Yvonne Watson | main cast |
| 2017 | Veep | Roberta Winston | episode: "Qatar" |
| 2017–2018 | Empire | Poundcake | recurring cast (season 4) |
| 2018 | Home: Adventures with Tip & Oh | Crushtina | voice, episode: "Like Mother, Like Pit of Fire" |
| 2019 | On Becoming a God in Central Florida | Rhonda | recurring cast |
| 2020 | High Fidelity | Cherise | main cast |
| 2020–2022 | Madagascar: A Little Wild | Ranger Hoof | voice, recurring cast |
| 2021 | Cinema Toast | Vivian | voice, episode: "Kiss, Marry, Kill" |
| 2021 | Tuca & Bertie | Tamarind Toucan | voice, 2 episodes |
| 2021 | Ultra City Smiths | Detective Gail Johnson | voice, main cast |
| 2021 | The Last O.G. | Veesy | main cast (season 4) |
| 2021–present | Only Murders in the Building | Detective Williams | recurring cast |
| 2021–2022 | Chicago Party Aunt | Tina | voice, main cast |
| 2022 | Birdgirl | Various voices | recurring cast |
| 2023 | The Idol | Destiny | recurring cast |

### Theatre

List of stage performances :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Hair | Tribe | Prince Music Theater May 26, 2007 – June 17, 2007 |
| 2010 | The Servant of Two Masters | Clarice | Yale Repertory Theatre March 12, 2010 – April 3, 2010 |
| 2012 | Ghost: The Musical | Oda Mae Brown | Lunt-Fontanne Theatre April 23, 2012 – August 18, 2012 |
| 2013 | The Cradle Will Rock | Performer | New York City Center July 10, 2013 – July 13, 2013 |

## Awards and nominations

| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee / Work | Result |
| AACTA International Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Academy Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| AAFCA Awards | 2020 | Best Supporting Actress | Dolemite Is My Name | Won |
| Astra Film Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Atlanta Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Austin Film Critics Association | 2020 | Breakthrough Artist Award | Dolemite Is My Name | Nominated |
| Black Film Critics Circle | 2019 | Best Supporting Actress | Dolemite Is My Name | Won |
| Black Reel Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Dolemite Is My Name | Won |
| Black Reel Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Breakthrough Performance | Dolemite Is My Name | Won |
| Black Reel Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Guest Actress, Comedy Series | Only Murders in the Building | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Boston Society of Film Critics | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| British Academy Film Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Celebration of Cinema & Television | 2023 | Supporting Actress Award (Film) | The Holdovers | Won |
| Chicago Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Columbus Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Critics' Choice Awards | 2024 | Best Acting Ensemble | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| DiscussingFilm Critic Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Drama League Awards | 2012 | Distinguished Performance | Ghost: The Musical | Nominated |
| Florida Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Georgia Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Ensemble | The Holdovers | Runner-up |
| Golden Globe Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | The Holdovers | Won |
| Gotham Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Greater Western New York Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Independent Spirit Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Won |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Indiana Film Journalists Association | 2023 | Best Ensemble | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| International Online Cinema Awards | 2022 | Best Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Only Murders in the Building | Nominated |
| Iowa Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Kansas City Film Critics Circle | 2019 | Best Supporting Actress | Dolemite Is My Name | Won |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| London Film Critics' Circle | 2024 | Supporting Actress of the Year | The Holdovers | Won |
| Los Angeles Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Performer | The Holdovers | Won |
| Michigan Movie Critics Guild | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| NAACP Image Awards | 2020 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Dolemite Is My Name | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| National Board of Review | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| New York Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| New York Film Critics Online | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| North Carolina Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| North Texas Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Online Association of Female Film Critics | 2023 | Best Supporting Female | The Holdovers | Won |
| Online Film & Television Association | 2020 | Best Female Breakthrough | Dolemite Is My Name | Nominated |
| Outer Critics Circle Awards | 2012 | Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical | Ghost: The Musical | Nominated |
| Palm Springs International Film Festival | 2024 | Breakthrough Performance Award | The Holdovers | Won |
| Philadelphia Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Phoenix Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series | Only Murders in the Building | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Runner-up |
| San Diego Film Critics Society | 2023 | Best Ensemble | The Holdovers | Won |
| Santa Barbara International Film Festival | 2024 | Virtuoso Award | The Holdovers | Won |
| Satellite Awards | 2024 | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | The Holdovers | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2024 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role | The Holdovers | Won |
| Southern Eastern Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| St. Louis Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Ensemble | The Holdovers | Won |
| Tony Awards | 2012 | Best Featured Actress in a Musical | Ghost: The Musical | Nominated |
| Toronto Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Performance | The Holdovers | Won |
| UK Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Utah Film Critics Association | 2024 | Best Supporting Performance, Female | The Holdovers | Won |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | 2023 | Best Acting Ensemble | The Holdovers | Nominated |
| Women Film Critics Circle | 2023 | Best Supporting Actress | The Holdovers | Won |