In her junior year at Temple University, Da’Vine Joy Randolph was essentially forced out of the school’s opera program. Unsure of what to do, she decided to join the school’s musical theater track—and immediately, Randolph turned heads. Her ability to bring something wholly her own to a wide variety of characters eventually impressed the Yale School of Drama, from which she eventually graduated. There, Randolph honed the warmth and presence that shines through in her role as Mary Lamb, the cafeteria manager and head cook in The Holdovers, for which she has been nominated for an Academy Award. On this week’s episode of Table for Two, the Philadelphia-born actress sits down with host Bruce Bozzi to discuss the development of her interest in the dramatic arts, the philosophies that guide her acting style, and the singular experience of working alongside Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti. Listen and subscribe to Table for Two with Bruce Bozzi on the iHeartRadio App or wherever you listen to podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.