Da’Vine Joy Randolph

Actor

WHAT’S ONE BOOK, WORK OF ART, ALBUM, OR FILM THAT GOT YOU THROUGH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE?

The Intouchables, directed by Olivier Nakache and Éric Toledano. I had watched it before and returned to it in the pandemic. Because of work and where I was located, I did most of the pandemic by myself, and watching that movie gave me great comfort and reinforced my belief that there was still good in the world in the midst of a very hard time.

NAME AN INFLUENCE OF YOURS THAT MIGHT SURPRISE PEOPLE.

I predominantly watch foreign films and old movies. I find that with foreign films, there are no pretenses. For me, they represent the purest form of my craft. I love older movies, especially from the ’50s or earlier, for their skill level. Every department across the board is working at the top of their game: costumes, lighting, everyone. The authenticity in foreign films and high quality of old films is what I strive for in my own work.

““When I was little, I was constantly making everyone laugh. I would go on errands with my mom so I could pretend to be a character and speak in accents. I’ve always had a strong sense of play. I was a lot.””

WHO DO YOU CALL THE MOST?

My mom. Even though she’s not in the industry, she’s a great person to spitball with because she gives me advice based on common sense. In fact, I get the best advice from her because she has an outside perspective.

WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, WHAT WERE YOU KNOWN FOR?

I was constantly doing skits, fashion shows, and making everyone laugh. I would speak in different dialects and pretend I was from somewhere else. I would go on errands with my mom so I could pretend to be a character and speak in accents. I’ve always had a strong sense of play. I was a lot.