Da'Vine Joy Randolph was "beyond humbled" as she won the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role prize at the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards on Saturday (24.02.24).
The 37-year-old actress admitted she just felt "honoured" to have been shortlisted for the prize for her work on 'The Holdovers' alongside fellow nominees Emily Blunt ('Oppenheimer'), Danielle Brooks ('The Color Purple'), Penelope Cruz ('Ferrari'), and Jodie Foster ('Nyad') and hailed them an "inspiration".
Speaking on stage at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium, she said: "Emily, Danielle, Jodie and Penelope. The fearlessness of your work and grace that you all carry yourselves with is such an inspiration to me. I am beyond humbled, and I am so incredibly grateful to be considered amongst you."
She then paid tribute to those who had worked on 'The Holdovers', including director Alexander Payne, who she thanked for his "trust and collaboration".
She added: "You are truly every actor's dream.
"To Paul Giamatti and Dominic Sessa, thank you for your generosity and honesty. Grief is a slippery emotion to capture and I thank you for creating an environment where I felt safe enough to explore the depths of [my character] Mary. How lucky are we that we get to do what we do? Truly, in what other profession are people able to live so many lives and touch so many hearts of those who they have never gotten to meet?
"I wake up every day overwhelmed of gratitude, to be a working actor. To be awarded this by my fellow artists is the greatest honor of my career."
Da'Vine ended her speech with an inspirational message for aspiring actors.
She said: "I also want to take a moment to say that every role that I have ever played, has been crafted thanks to those who are nearest and dearest to me. Some of the most brilliant actors I know whose talents have yet to be properly acknowledged by the world.
"For every actor out there still waiting in the wings for their chance, let me tell you, your life can change in a day," she said. "It is not a question of if, but when. Keep going. Thank you."
