The Big Picture

The Holdovers is a period drama set in a New England private school in the ’70s, featuring a small cast of standout performers. Da’Vine Joy Randolph delivers an impressive performance as Mary Lamb, the head cook, capturing the weight of her character’s emotional scenes. Randolph discusses why she took on the role, her process for preparing for scenes, and her experience working on Only Murders in the Building.

In Alexander Payne’s period drama, The Holdovers, the film takes place at a New England private school over winter break in the ’70s. Just like the school’s emptied halls, the movie is carried by few performances, but the starring trio has captured audiences’ hearts. Alongside Paul Giamatti and breakout star Dominic Sessa, actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph delivers as Mary Lamb, the head cook.

The Holdovers tells the story of a curmudgeonly Ancient Civilizations teacher, Paul Hunham (Giamatti), who’s tasked with staying behind with the “holdover” students during the holiday break. He finds himself stuck with Angus, a mischievous 15-year-old, forced to spend time together and look past their differences to find what they may have in common. Randolph’s Mary Lamb remains at the school voluntarily, attempting to cope with the recent loss of her son in the Vietnam War. According to Collider’s Ross Bonaime, Randolph manages “to say so much even while saying so little,” and in an interview with Editor-in-chief, Steve Weintraub, she explains how she captures the weight of her heaviest scenes.

In this one-on-one, Randolph shares why the role of Mary Lamb appealed to her when Payne reached out with the script, what her process is when preparing to step into a role, how she finds the headspace for difficult scenes, and which “co-star” was the most complicated throughout filming. Randolph also talks about other roles she’s most proud of, and why working on Only Murders in the Building has been the best job she’s ever had. You can watch the full interview in the video above or read the transcript below.

The Holdovers A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go. Release Date November 10, 2023 Director Alexander Payne Cast Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Dominic Sessa, Carrie Preston Rating R Runtime 133 minutes Main Genre Comedy Writers David Hemingson
COLLIDER: Before I get into the film, besides The Holdovers, if someone has never seen anything you’ve done before, what is the first thing you’d like them watching and why?

DA’VINE JOY RANDOLPH: I would say High Fidelity and Dolemite [Is My Name]. I think it gives a good roundabout explanation of me as an artist. Those were just really pinnacle moments in my career where I felt like with High Fidelity I was able to really push the bounds and allowed to really just be free, which felt so good. With Dolemite, to work with Eddie [Murphy] and to be able to spar with him in that way, I’m very proud of that. Both of those projects — all of them — but in particular to what you’re asking, I would say those.

Working With the ‘Only Murders in the Building’ Cast
Image via Hulu

Speaking of TV, I will say that I also love you on Only Murders [in the Building].

RANDOLPH: Thank you.

I have to ask you, what is it like being with that group?

RANDOLPH: It is the best job I have ever had. In regards to the economics of going to work for long hours in a cold warehouse in the dark, that is my favorite place to do that at. They are the best. There’s something about them that is so inspiring– No, I know what it is about them that’s inspiring; they are the age they are, they have accomplished the things they have accomplished, Merryl [Streep] included now in the mix, and yet all three of them come to work like giddy little kids as if this was their first gig. That blows my mind. And I just sit at their feet and absorb it all and take it all in. They give amazing advice. They’re so caring and kind. They just are always like, “What can we do next? How do we make this better? How do we make it funnier?” Are you kidding me? All the things they’ve accomplished, and they’re still trying to chase the thing, and it’s so moving. It’s beautiful.

Why Da’Vine Joy Randolph Joined ‘The Holdovers’
Image via Focus Features

Jumping into why I get to talk to you, obviously when Alexander Payne calls and Paul Giamatti, all this stuff, you’re probably going to say yes, but what was it like reading the script for the first time and seeing how awesome this role was?

RANDOLPH: Well, to be completely transparent with you, when Alexander called me, it’s been two years, but I don’t believe I had the script first, and I actually didn’t know who Alexander Payne was when he reached out. But when I did get the script, I don’t think I even knew that Paul was connected. For me, the biggest thing was it was a woman who got to be real and authentic and in her feelings unapologetically. For that, for a woman and a woman of color, we do not see much of that in cinema and television, and to have an opportunity to depict that, I was like, “Absolutely. Sign me up for it.”

The Most Difficult “Co-Star”
Image via Focus Features

Was there a day on the shoot when you saw what was in front of you that you had circled in terms of, “I cannot wait to film that scene,” or, “Oh my god, I am dreading filming that scene?”

RANDOLPH: No, none of it. Honestly, none of it. Well, and too, Alexander prepared us in a way…We didn’t film the whole movie in sequential order, but it kind of felt that way. And so, with that being said, there was just an ease and a flow. We filmed the natural lighting in the real circumstances; there was no fake snow, and there was no fake cold. It was very real. There was no studio. The world was all around us and encompassing us. So, I was up for all of it in that regard. There was nothing really that I was like, “Oh god, I don’t want to do.” [Something] that I really wanted to do? I’m not sure. I really just was really excited about all of it.

I didn’t dread the cigarettes, but the cigarettes became my co-star. It’s a whole thing with cigarettes that I don’t think people understand. It’s different to take a picture of someone smoking across the street, and it’s another thing to film a movie in which you’re smoking. The smoke can go different places, it can get in your eye, you’re starting to cry and you don’t necessarily want to cry at this point. It’s a whole thing. So that was the only thing, but eventually, we became friends. It’s a rhythm knowing when to drag it, “Am I gonna blow it out now? Am I gonna talk? How am I gonna hold it? Now I got this thing in my hand. Am I gonna try and dare and do a scene where it’s dangling out my mouth and have a whole conversation?” It’s like an appendage. It’s a whole thing.

You’re so right, and so many people don’t understand. That is why there’s only so many food and drink scenes in a movie because all of that requires so much more.

RANDOLPH: Oh, yes. That cigarette is complicated, but he was adamant about it. When I did get the job, he sent two large boxes of cartons of cigarettes to me, and he was like, “Get started.” Because I don’t smoke at all. It’s true. He was like, “It’ll tell on you. If you don’t know how to handle it, how to finesse, how to pull it, that kind of thing, everyone will know and see it on screen.” And so I had lots of practice, so much so that sometimes we would redo a take because he’d be like, “Hm, the cigarette of upstaged you. Just try it again,” which was amazing. And I was like, “Okay, let’s get it together.” But no, it was wonderful.

How Da’Vine Joy Randolph Handles Heavy Scenes

I love talking to actors, and I’m always curious about the way actors like to prepare. So, hypothetically, you have a really big scene on a Monday. You know it’s emotional and it’s gonna require a lot out of you. How early on before that Monday are you breaking it down and thinking about it, and how much are you leaving to the moment?

RANDOLPH: So, what I like to do is I like to dive in immediately and do all the backstory and the homework, if you will — the text analysis, the background story, who they are, where they’re going, where they came from — before I even start filming so that when we now come to any scene, I can just play within the given circumstances and more importantly, really connect and listen with my co-star, be open and receptive to what my director is saying and not be bogged down by, “Let me figure out who this person is.” I try not to amp up the “big scenes” because a lot of times the hype kills it, and it doesn’t necessarily go where you want it, or in you amping up, you’ve actually been giving away the performance. It’s almost like a little balloon, and you let air out. You’re leaking out the performance all throughout the day by trying to fabricate and be in this moment. So, I actually do the opposite. I tell jokes, happy cheery, watch cartoons, all this stuff so that then I have space to go there.

The Holdovers is in theaters now in the U.S. You can purchase tickets here.