Da'Vine Joy Randolph (; 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 In folklore, a ghost is the soul or Spirit (supernatural entity), spirit of a dead Human, person or non-human animal that is believed by some people to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely, from a ...

'' (2012), for which she received a nomination for the

Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical The Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical is an honor presented at the Tony Awards, a ceremony established in 1947 as the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, to actresses for quality featured roles in a ...

. 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 The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performanc ...

. Randolph's television credits include ''

Selfie A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone. The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...

'' (2014), ''

This Is Us ''This Is Us'' is an American drama television series created by Dan Fogelman that aired on NBC from September 20, 2016, to May 24, 2022. The series follows the lives and families of two parents and their three children in several different ti ...

'' (2016), '' People of Earth'' (2016–17), ''

Empire An empire is a political unit made up of several territories, military outpost (military), outposts, and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a hegemony, dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the ...

'' (2017–18), ''

High Fidelity High fidelity (hi-fi or, rarely, HiFi) is the high-quality reproduction of sound. It is popular with audiophiles and home audio enthusiasts. Ideally, high-fidelity equipment has inaudible noise and distortion, and a flat (neutral, uncolored) ...

'' (2020), and '' The Idol'' (2023). In 2024, Randolph earned a nomination for the

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series. Prior to 1989, the category was not gender-specific, and, thus, was called Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. It is ...

, for her appearances on the

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

mystery series ''

Only Murders in the Building , creator = Steve Martin & John Hoffman , starring = {{Plainlist, * Steve Martin * Martin Short * Selena Gomez * Aaron Dominguez * Amy Ryan * Cara Delevingne * Adina Verson * Michael Cyril Creighton , music ...

'' (2021–present).

Early life and education

Da'Vine Joy Randolph was born on May 21, 1986, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. 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 Temple University (Temple or TU) is a public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related research university in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. It was founded in 1884 by the Baptist ministe ...

to focus on classical vocal performance and

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

, but in her junior year, she switched concentrations to

musical theatre Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...

. After graduating from Temple in 2008, she went to the

Yale School of Drama The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in ...

. 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 The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

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

. 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 Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

. Randolph rose to prominence acting in one of the main roles as Charmonique Whitaker in ''

'', 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 ''The Good Wife'' is an American legal political drama television series that aired on CBS from September 22, 2009, to May 8, 2016. It focuses on Alicia Florrick, the wife of the Cook County State's Attorney, who returns to her career in law ...

'' (2013), '' See Dad Run'' (2014), '' Life in Pieces'' (2015), and ''

Veep ''Veep'' is an American political satire comedy television series that aired on HBO from April 22, 2012, to May 12, 2019. The series was created by Armando Iannucci. The series follows Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), the fictional Vice Pres ...

'' (2017). She had a recurring role as Tanya in the drama series ''

'' (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 ''

'' 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 Edward Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961) is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He had his breakthrough as a standup comic before gaining stardom for his film roles; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest comedians of all time. H ...

. For her performance she received nominations for the African-American Film Critics Association, Black Reel Awards, and

NAACP Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she acted in '' Kajillionaire'' (2020), and she was a main cast member in ''

'' (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 ''

'' starring

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician. Known for Steve Martin filmography, his work in comedy films, television, and #Discography, recording, he has received List of awards a ...

Martin Short Martin Hayter Short (born March 26, 1950) is a Canadian and American comedian, actor, and writer. Short is known as an energetic comedian who gained prominence for his roles in sketch comedy. He has also acted in numerous films and television ...

, and

Selena Gomez Selena Marie Gomez ( ; born July 22, 1992) is an American actress, singer, songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Gomez began her career as a child actress, appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), a ...

. She played a manager to a pop star in the controversial series '' The Idol'' (2023). In 2023, she played gospel singer

Mahalia Jackson Mahalia Jackson ( ; born Mahala Jackson; October 26, 1911 – January 27, 1972) was an American gospel music, gospel singer, widely considered one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century. With a career spanning 40 years, Jackson was ...

in the political drama film '' Rustin''. She also starred in

Alexander Payne Constantine Alexander Payne (born February 10, 1961) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is noted for his satire, satirical depictions of contemporary American society. Payne has received List of awards and nominations rec ...

's coming-of-age film '' The Holdovers'' as Mary Lamb, a cook and bereaved mother. The film premiered at the

Telluride Film Festival The Telluride Film Festival (TFF) is a film festival held annually in Telluride, Colorado, during Labor Day, Labor Day weekend (the first Monday in September). The 51st Telluride Film Festival, 51st edition took place on August 30–September ...

. 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 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress may refer to: *Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe Award th ...

, the

BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...

, the

Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role The Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture is an award presented annually by the Screen Actors Guild. It has been presented since the 1st Screen Actors Guild Awards in 199 ...

, and the

. Among several upcoming projects, Randolph has filmed an action comedy film with

Rebel Wilson Rebel Melanie Elizabeth Wilson (born Melanie Elizabeth Bownds; 2 March 1980) is an Australian actress, comedian and producer. After graduating from the Australian Theatre for Young People in 2003, Wilson began appearing in the SBS comedy ser ...

, called '' Bride Hard'', which is set to be released in June 2025.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Randolph, Da'Vine Joy 21st-century African-American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Pennsylvania American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actress BAFTA Award winners Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni Living people People from Hershey, Pennsylvania Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Temple University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)