Da'Vine Joy Randolph on 'The Holdovers' and becoming a matriarch

It's Been a Minute

NPR

News Commentary, Society & Culture, News, Spirituality, Religion & Spirituality

4.6 • 8.8K Ratings

🗓️ 27 February 2024

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Da'Vine Joy Randolph just keeps winning — she's won best supporting actress for her role in The Holdovers at the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, and Critics Choice Awards, and now she's up for an Oscar. And her performance as Mary Lamb, the head cook at a boy's boarding school in 1970's Massachusetts, really is awards worthy. Mary is no-nonsense, but loving, and grieving a son who's been killed in the Vietnam War. It's a moving and subtle portrayal of grief. Da'Vine says part of the success of her performance is owed to the quality of the script and of her collaborators, but she also has an awe-inspiring character creation process. Host Brittany Luse sat down with Da'Vine to chat about how she conveys a character's spirit – and the personal stories she drew from to build this particular performance - while at the same time battling Hollywood stereotypes about curvy Black women.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Support for NPR and the following message come from SAP Concur, a leading brand for integrated travel expense and invoice management solutions.
0:09.0	With SAP Concur solutions, you'll be ready to take on whatever the market throws at you next. Learn more at concur.com.
0:17.0	Hello hello. I'm Brittany Loose and you're listening to It's Been a Minute from NPR,
0:24.8	a show about what's going on in culture and why it doesn't happen by accident. Devine Joy Randolph just keeps winning at the Baftes.
0:37.6	Devine Joy Randolph just keeps winning at the BAFTAS.
0:42.6	And the BAFTA goes to
0:44.4	Daveine Joy Randolph the Hold O'BOLDOLDS.
0:49.2	I would like to thank the Hollywood Farm Press for this award.
0:53.6	The Critics Choice Awards.
0:55.3	And I want to have a moment to thank the incredible women
0:58.5	in my life who have made me the artist I am today.
1:02.4	And now she's up for an Oscar for best supporting
1:05.6	actress. And it's not hype because her latest performance really is that
1:11.3	spectacular. In the holdovers she plays Mary Lamb, the head cook at a boys
1:16.7	boarding school in 1970s Massachusetts. The Oz Good kid? Yeah, he was a real
1:23.2	rich and a popular combination around here.
1:27.0	Mary is no nonsense but loving and grieving a son who's been killed in the
1:32.4	Vietnam War. It's a moving and subtle
1:35.6	portrayal of grief. And for Devine, she says it's her new standard for herself and
1:41.9	all future collaborators.
1:44.0	Everyone, please come at Devine at this level.
1:47.0	I've been waiting for this level of quality.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from NPR, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of NPR and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.