Interview: Da’Vine Joy Randolph Explains Why ‘The Holdovers’ is All Part of Her Plan

In the span of a few short movies, Da’Vine Joy Randolph has really made an impression. That The Holdovers is her best showcase yet is no surprise, as the film serves all three of its main cast members well, but it does show just how much of a force she is. So, talking to her was something I’ve been keen to do since Dolemite is My Name hit. I’ve already spoken to director Alexander Payne here and cinematographer Eigil Bryld here, as well as Dominic Sessa here, but today continues my series of chats with the cast of The Holdovers, with Randolph next in line.

In my review of The Holdovers out of the Telluride Film Festival (here), I had this to say about Randolph and here co-stars:

Paul Giamatti and Payne go together impeccably. All three performers are excellent, but Giamatti is the flashier figure. He’s exaggerated at times, but incredibly consistent. Some of his lines are absolutely hilarious, and you’re laughing with the character far more than at him. Da’Vine Joy Randolph is expertly deployed, allowing her subplot to never feel hemmed in, while Dominic Sessa is quite naturalistic. When they’re all together, they bring out the best in each other. The film soars when they’re all bonding. The cast also includes Tate Donovan, Carrie Preston, and more, but it’s about these main three.

Below, you can see my conversation with Randolph. It was not surprising, but still very interesting, to hear how this role, as well as her career on the whole, is carefully planned. She has a relationship building with her audience, one that she’s very cognizant of developing and protecting. You can see the next phase of that plan in The Holdovers, which is highly likely to score here an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In fact, she may well be the current Oscar frontrunner. Once you see the flick, if you haven’t already, you’ll understand why…

Here now is my interview with The Holdovers co-star Da’Vine Joy Randolph. Enjoy:

The Holdovers is in theaters now!