Da'Vine Joy Randolph Gets Emotional During Her 2024 Oscars Acceptance Speech

At the 2024 Oscars, Da'Vine Joy Randolph clinched the 'Best Supporting Actress' award for her stellar performance in 'The Holdovers.' The award was presented by five illustrious past winners of the category: Regina King, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rita Moreno, Lupita Nyong'o and Mary Steenburgen.

"God is so good," Randolph, already teary-eyed, began her heartfelt speech. "I never imagined I'd pursue this as a career," she shared. "I started off as a singer. It was my mother who encouraged me to explore the theatre department. I owe her a world of gratitude for that."

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Expressing her gratitude to all who supported and guided her, Randolph said, "I am immensely thankful to all you wonderful people. For the longest time, I felt the need to stand out, but now I realise, I just need to be myself."

The 'Only Murders in the Building' star went on, "Thank you for seeing me." She extended her thanks to "all the women who stood by my side" and mentioned one individual who played a significant role in her career: "Ron Van Lieu, I owe you a debt of gratitude. When I was the only Black girl in that class, you saw me and reassured me that I was enough. You helped me realise that I could forge my own path."

Randolph expressed her hope for more opportunities in the future. "I pray to God that I get to do this more than once. Thank you for seeing me. Have a blessed night. Thank you."

Having secured wins at the Golden Globe, Critics Choice, BAFTA and SAG Awards, Randolph completed a remarkable sweep of the awards season for her portrayal of Mary Lamb in 'The Holdovers.' In the film, she portrays a cook and grieving mother working at the Barton Academy during the holiday season.

Reflecting on the lead-up to Oscars night, Randolph told PEOPLE it was "unknown territory" for her. "Everyone is just saying pace yourself, try to stay as present as possible, stay hydrated and take good care of yourself because it's a marathon," she said.

The star also shared her feelings about the nomination, describing it as overwhelming yet tremendously gratifying. "I think it's just a beautiful reminder. It's bigger than us. What we do actually really matters, it helps people and it makes people happy or feel seen or heard," Randolph concluded. "That's why I do what I do."