Da'Vine Joy Randolph | |
|---|---|
 Randolph in 2024 | |
| Born | (1986-05-21)May 21, 1986 (age 39) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Education | Temple University (BFA) Yale University (MFA) |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 2011–present |
Da'Vine Joy Randolph (/deɪˈvaɪn/;[1][2] born May 21, 1986) is an American actress. She was named one of100 most influential people in the world byTime in 2024.[3]
Randolph gained recognition for her portrayal of psychic Oda Mae Brown in the Broadway production ofGhost (2012), for which she received a nomination for theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Randolph went on to appear in the filmsThe Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) andOffice Christmas Party (2016) before receiving praise for her roles inDolemite Is My Name (2019) andThe United States vs. Billie Holiday (2020). Her performance as a grieving mother inThe Holdovers (2023) earned her several awards, including theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Randolph's television credits includeSelfie (2014),This Is Us (2016),People of Earth (2016–17),Empire (2017–18),High Fidelity (2020), andThe Idol (2023). In 2024, Randolph earned a nomination for thePrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, for her appearances on theHulu mystery seriesOnly Murders in the Building (2021–present).
Da'Vine Joy Randolph was born on May 21, 1986, inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania.[4] Her first name is pronounced as "Day Vine Joy" with two names and has no middle name.[5][6] 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.[7] As a youth, she attendedInterlochen Arts Camp, studying theatre.[8] She went toTemple University to focus on classical vocal performance andopera,[9][7] but in her junior year, she switched concentrations tomusical theatre.[10] After graduating from Temple in 2008,[11] she went to theYale School of Drama. She graduated from Yale in 2011 with her master's degree.[12] She is an alumna of theBritish American Drama Academy (BADA)[13] after spending a summer studying Shakespeare at theUniversity of Oxford.[14][15][16]
Randolph auditioned for an understudy role in the Broadway transfer ofGhost: the Musical (which was playing in London'sWest End), but the producers decided to cast her in the principal role of Oda Mae Brown.[17] Before the casting of the Broadway transfer was announced,Sharon D. Clarke, who played Oda Mae in the London run ofGhost the Musical, suffered a minor knee injury. Randolph was quickly flown to London to cover the role in Clarke's absence.[18] 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 oppositeRichard Fleeshman andCaissie Levy in the leading roles. She was nominated for theTony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2013 she made her feature film debut in a supporting role, inMother of George directed byAndrew Dosunmu. The film premiered at the2013 Sundance Film Festival to positive reviews. The following year she played a nurse in the comedy-dramaThe Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014) starringRobin Williams. Randolph rose to prominence acting in one of the main roles as Charmonique Whitaker inSelfie, which premiered on September 30, 2014. The show starredKaren Gillan andJohn Cho. It receivedmixed reviews and wascanceled after one season, but the show continued to have acult fan base.[19] When asked about aSelfie 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.[20] Randolph commented that she loved working on the show and that her character was one of her favorite roles.[21]
From 2015 to 2017, Randolph performed a voice role as Christine in the seriesThe Mr. Peabody & Sherman Show. She also had guest roles onThe Good Wife (2013),See Dad Run (2014),Life in Pieces (2015), andVeep (2017). She had a recurring role as Tanya in the drama seriesThis Is Us (2016). The same year, she had a part inOffice Christmas Party (2016). She starred in one of the main roles as Yvonne Watson, a postal worker, in the sitcomPeople of Earth for two seasons from 2016 to 2017. She had recurring roles in the seriesEmpire from 2017 to 2018 and in the seriesOn Becoming a God in Central Florida in 2019.
She had her breakout role as Lady Reed inDolemite Is My Name (2019) starringEddie Murphy. For her performance she received nominations for theAfrican-American Film Critics Association,Black Reel Awards, andNAACP Image Awards for Best Supporting Actress. The following year, she acted inKajillionaire (2020), and she was a main cast member inHigh Fidelity (2020). During this time, she took voice roles as Ranger Woolf inMadagascar: A Little Wild from 2020 to 2022, Tamarind Toucan inTuca & Bertie (2021), Detective Gail Johnson inUltra City Smiths (2021), Tina inChicago Party Aunt from 2021 to 2022, and various roles inBirdgirl (2022). She also voiced roles in the animated filmsTrolls World Tour (2020) andPuss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022).
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She took roles in the drama filmThe United States vs. Billie Holiday (2021) and the comedyThe Lost City (2022). In 2021. she took a main role in the sitcomThe Last O.G. (2021). Since 2021, she has taken a recurring role as Detective Williams in the seriesOnly Murders in the Building starringSteve Martin,Martin Short, andSelena Gomez. She played a manager to a pop star in the controversial seriesThe Idol (2023).
In 2023, she played gospel singerMahalia Jackson in the political drama filmRustin. She also starred inAlexander Payne's coming-of-age filmThe Holdovers as Mary Lamb, a cook and bereaved mother. The film premiered at theTelluride Film Festival. She earned praise for the role, with Pete Hammond ofDeadline 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."[22] Randolph received numerous nominations and awards for the role, including winning theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, theBAFTA, theScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[23]
Randolph filmed an action comedy film withRebel Wilson calledBride Hard, which was released in June 2025.[24][25] In September 2025, Randolph appeared in theBi-ray music video "Butterfly (Narrative Version)" directed by Japanese rock starYoshiki.[26]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Mother of George | Marsea | |
| The Purge: The Morning After | De'Shondranique | short[27] | |
| A Long Walk | Mom | short[28] | |
| 2014 | The Angriest Man in Brooklyn | Nurse Rowan | |
| 2016 | The Secrets of Emily Blair | Fran | |
| Office Christmas Party | Carla | ||
| 2019 | Dolemite Is My Name | Lady Reed | |
| 2020 | Kajillionaire | Jenny | |
| The Last Shift | Shazz | ||
| Trolls World Tour | Bliss Marina / Shelia B | voice[29] | |
| Mama Got A Cough | Yolanda | video short[30] | |
| 2021 | The United States vs. Billie Holiday | Roslyn | |
| The Guilty | CHP Dispatcher | voice[29] | |
| 2022 | The Lost City | Beth Hatten | |
| On the Come Up | Pooh | ||
| A Little White Lie | Delta Jones | ||
| Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | Mama Luna | voice[29] | |
| 2023 | Rustin | Mahalia Jackson | |
| The Holdovers | Mary Lamb | ||
| 2024 | Golden | — | Unreleased |
| 2025 | Shadow Force | "Auntie" / Marvella | |
| Bride Hard | Lydia | [31] | |
| Eternity | Anna | ||
| 2026 | The Gallerist† | TBA | Post-production |
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | The Good Wife | Margie | Episode: "A More Perfect Union" |
| Brenda Forever | Pearl | Television film | |
| 2014 | See Dad Run | Mrs. Rothschild | Episode: "See Dad Become Room Mom" |
| 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[29] |
| 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"[29] |
| 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" |
| Tuca & Bertie | Tamarind Toucan | Voice, 2 episodes | |
| Ultra City Smiths | Detective Gail Johnson | Voice, main cast | |
| 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[32] |
| 2023 | The Idol | Destiny | Recurring cast[33] |
| 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 |
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