“It’s a very difficult career to pursue with the awards in mind”, considered the actress in the interview room, backstage at the 96th edition of the Oscars. Randolph achieved recognition at the age of 37. “The beautiful and difficult thing about being an actress is that it requires resilience and self-confidence and believing in ourselves when no one else does,” she said. “When we're constantly being told 'no' and we're saying 'I'm going to keep going.'” Randolph was the favorite to win the statuette for her role as Mary Lamb in Alexander Payne's film, in a category where she edged out industry veterans like Jodie Foster. “Although this can challenge our mental health, it can also strengthen it, because we have to strengthen ourselves in a way that some people never have to do.” The actress, who had one of the longest stints of the night in the interview room, stressed the importance of more black actors being seen and highlighted, and defended greater diversity. “I strive for authenticity, for a quality that allows there to be a new standard where we can tell universal stories in black bodies, and they can be accepted and appreciated by the masses”, he highlighted. “It's not just black television, black films, black people, but a universal performance that can be enjoyed by everyone.” Da'Vine Joy Randolph also mentioned the strength of creatives who come from under-resourced communities. “Because they are disadvantaged communities, The beautiful thing that emerges is imagination and creativity, because they don’t have much else,” he said. “That’s why they have an innate ability to create. It’s a gift,” she continued, noting that this will make the work easier when the necessary resources appear. “Something that I think we, black people, are good at is doing a lot with very little,” she considered. “It's a super power and something we should applaud.” The 96th edition of the Academy Awards took place this morning at the Dolby Theatre, in Hollywood, and named “Oppenheimer” Best Film.
Da'Vine Joy Randolph talks about resilience and confidence on the hard road to the Oscars
