Da’Vine Joy Randolph Wins Best Supporting Actress, Her First Oscar

Da’Vine Joy Randolph won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her portrayal in “The Holdovers” of a warm, witty cafeteria matriarch grappling with how to endure the holiday season at a boarding school after the loss of her son.

It was Randolph’s first win at the Academy Awards on her first nomination. She was the favorite coming into the Oscars, having already won this year in the supporting actress category at the Golden Globes, the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTAs and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

”I didn’t think I was supposed to be doing this as a career,” she said in an emotional acceptance speech. “For so long, I’ve always wanted to be different, and now I realize I just need to be myself. And I thank you. I thank you for seeing me.”

Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”), America Ferrera (“Barbie”) and Jodie Foster (“Nyad”) were also nominated in the category.