Da’Vine Joy Randolph might be new to some moviegoers. However, she’s been hustling in Hollywood for years, with multiple lauded roles on her resume. Randolph’s calling card as a multifaceted actress allows her to deliver amazing movie performances. She appeared in acclaimed fare like Mother of George, blockbusters like Trolls World Tour and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and cult films like Office Christmas Party.
Since making her Hollywood breakthrough, The Kajillionaire star has enthralled audiences with her versatility, culminating in her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the Christmas comedy/drama The Holdovers. Her Holdovers role hasn’t been the only outstanding Oscar-worthy performance the newly minted Oscar winner has delivered. So, here are just a few Da’Vine Joy Randolph performances worthy of an Academy Award.
Dolemite Is My Name (2019)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph finally caught Hollywood’s attention in the acclaimed comedy biopic, Dolemite is My Name. She garnered praise for playing Rudy Ray Moore's (Eddie Murphy) co-star and singer, actress Lady Reed.
The thespian drew inspiration from her real-life counterpart Nancy “Lady” Reed, while taking liberties with her portrayal. Capturing Reed’s off and onscreen struggles allowed Randolph to showcase the actress’s relationship with Moore and the seminal titular film's production. She took what could’ve been a one-dimensional performance and provided nuance as a tribute to the real-life woman.
Since the behind-the-scenes comedy centered on Moore and his movie, Randolph spent her best moments with Murphy, who taught her about professionalism on set. The chemistry carried over to co-stars like Wesley Snipes, Keegan-Michael Key, Tituss Burgess, and Mike Epps. The cast and film received critical acclaim and recognition, with the The Lost City star being singled out for her performance. She garnered a Best Supporting Actress nomination from the NAACP. Unfortunately, the nominations and acclaim didn’t translate into a well-deserved Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
You can watch the must-watch comedy biopic through a Netflix subscription.
The United States Vs. Billie Holiday (2020)
The actress took on another real-life character in the musical biopic The United States vs. Billie Holiday. Randolph was essential in Billie Holiday’s life (Andra Day) as the late singer’s confidant and hairstylist, Roslyn.
The rising Hollywood star made the character hers by serving as the voice of reason to Holiday in a substantial supporting role. She showed the composite character's layers while having her remain a grounding force in Holiday’s turbulent life, and expanded a typical one-dimensional role by bearing witness to the effects of Holiday’s manipulative relationships, addiction, and fame. This dynamic leads to some impressive scenes between Randolph and Day.
Along with her impeccable chemistry with Day, Randolph shared some great scenes with co-stars like Miss Lawrence, Tyler James Williams, and Trevante Rhodes. While the biopic received mixed reviews, it became a streaming hit, with the cast receiving praise. Day scored a Best Actress Oscar nomination as Holiday, but Randolph failed to secure a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.
Watch Randolph’s performance by streaming the musical biopic with a Hulu subscription.
Rustin (2023)
She kept her biopic streak going by appearing in the acclaimed Netflix hit, Rustin. Randolph tapped into her musical background by channeling gospel music icon and activist Mahalia Jackson.
The Office Christmas Party star allowed her performance to bridge reality and fiction by drawing inspiration from Jackson. Despite appearing in the film’s third act, Randolph played a small but powerful supporting role. She was pivotal in scenes between Bayard Rustin (played by Colman Domingo) and Martin Luther King (played by Aml Ameen).
Only interacting with Domingo and Ameen proved crucial in the film’s March on Washington story. While the biopic received mixed reviews, it became a streaming success, with the cast receiving praise, especially Randolph and Domingo. Domingo garnered his first Best Actor Oscar nomination as Rustin, but Randolph failed to secure an Oscar nod.
Watch Randolph take on Jackson by streaming the civil rights biopic with your Netflix subscription.
On The Come Up (2022)
The star took on the underground battle rap scene in the coming-of-age drama, On the Come Up. Randolph became a hip-hop savant as Pooh, the manager and aunt of the main protagonist, Bri (played by newcomer Jamila C. Gray).
Randolph drew from the movie’s best-selling namesake to breath life into her character. Bringing Pooh to the screen allowed the actress to act as a mother figure supporting her niece’s rap dreams. She became a mentor in building Bri’s confidence and lyricism. Helping Bri bring her dreams to fruition saw the Oscar winner tap into the character’s street edge, seen in the film’s consequential penultimate scene.
Sharing most of her scenes with Gray built a great screen partnership between the actresses. Randolph’s onscreen chemistry flowed into her scenes with Mike Epps and Sanaa Lathan. The streaming hit garnered praise, especially for the cast’s performances. Unfortunately, the acclaim didn’t translate to any nominations for the Dolemite Is My Name star.
You can watch the hip-hop coming-of-age story by streaming it with a Paramount+ subscription.
The Last Shift (2020)
Da’Vine Joy Randolph delved into the comedy genre with 2020’s The Last Shift. The star played manager and confidant Shazz to leading man Richard Jenkins’ Stanley.
The versatile actress worked with workplace tropes while applying a sense of humanity to the mundane subject matter. Randolph skillfully balanced comedy and drama while helping to align the character’s narrative with Stanley’s. She became the sarcastic and relatable fast-food manager.
She was a great scene partner to Jenkins and Shane Paul McGhee as the former finished his last shift. While the film received a mixed reception, she and her cast received recognition. However, Randolph didn’t secure an Oscar nomination for the comedy.
Stream the unlikely buddy comedy on platforms like Hulu or with an Amazon Prime Video subscription.
The above performances display how dynamic and versatile Da’Vine Joy Randolph is in delivering roles worthy of an Academy Award. Since she is early in her career, she has years of more Oscar-worthy performances in her arsenal.
After winning her Academy Award, she has multiple film projects lined up, including comedies Bride Hard and Eternity, thriller Shadow Force, and a mysterious Pharrell Williams-inspired musical. Maybe one of those films will see her step on the Oscar stage again. Unfortunately, the multi-hyphenate has no movies coming to theaters or streaming this year. However, there are multiple other projects on the 2024 movie schedule.
