Da'Vine Joy Randolph broke down in tears as she won her first Oscar on Sunday (10.03.24).
The 37-year-old actress scooped the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role prize for her role in 'The Holdovers' and she reflected on how she has grown to accept herself and "forge [her] own path".
Speaking on stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, she tearfully said: "God is so good. God is so good, you know. I didn't think I was supposed to be doing this as a career.
"I started off as a singer and my mother said to me, 'Go across that street to that theatre department, there's something for you there.' And I thank my mother for doing that, thank you to all the people who have stepped in my path and been there for me, who has ushered and guided me.. I'm so grateful to all you beautiful people."
Da'Vine went on to pay tribute to her teacher in college, Ron van Lieu, who encouraged her to "lay a trail" for herself.
She added: "For so long I've wanted to be different and now I've realised I just needed to be myself. I thank you for seeing me. Ron van Lieu, I thank you. When I was the only black girl in that class and you saw me and told me I was enough and I told you I don't see myself. You said that's fine, you're gonna forge our own path, you're gonna lay a trail for yourself."
And the actress drew laughter as she enthusiastically thanked her publicist.
She said: "I'm so grateful to all the women who have been by my side. Colin Camp, Barbara Broccoli, Tracy Brennan, Sarah Fargo.
"I have to give a special shout out to my publicist, and I know you all said don't say nothing about no publicist, but no one has a publicist like my publicist. You have been by my side for this entire thing and I am forever grateful. I pray to god I get to do this more than once.
"Thank you for seeing me, have a blessed night, thank you so much."
Da'Vine took the award ahead of Emily Blunt (‘Oppenheimer’), Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple’), America Ferrera (‘Barbie’), and Jodie Foster ('Nyad’).
