For the actress Da’Vine Joy Randolph, eclecticism is a must.
“I need diversity in my life, otherwise I would easily get bored,” she said. “Basically, whatever I did last, I want to do the complete opposite.”
Randolph won an Oscar last year for her tender turn in “The Holdovers,” and she received an Emmy nod for infusing “Only Murders in the Building” with scathing snark. Now she’s going delightfully dizzy in the role of Anna, a counselor for the newly deceased in A24’s new rom-com, “Eternity.”
“I’m not that quirky,” she said, describing her angel-adjacent character. “To be more bubbly was a nice change.”
Her penchant for variety extends to her offscreen life as well, and the more uncommon, the better. She’s excited by emu lotion, Japandi décor and unique flours from La Grande Épicerie de Paris.
But Randolph treasures vibes more than material things. In a phone interview, she discussed the concepts and experiences that make her world go ’round. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Culinary Exploration
Tapas, dim sum, little Korean plates — I want to eat a lot of little things from everywhere. I love going to authentic markets, like Asian or Middle Eastern. When traveling, I’ll come back with butter from France, or olive oils and pastas from Italy. I like the United Nations on my plate.
Mood Music
I’m intentional about music; it helps me stay regulated. As my life gets crazier, I’ve started to get into the idea of healing frequencies. If it’s a stressful day, I’ll have healing music playing softly in the background to keep balance, no matter what chaos is coming at me. When I work, I’ll create a playlist to get a vibe going. For “Eternity,” it was high energy, zippy. I leaned into a Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa, teenage-girl playlist.
Globe-trotting
Hawaii is one of my special places. There’s a feeling when I get off the plane — the way the air feels and smells sweet like ambrosia. I love San Francisco, Tokyo, Milan, the south of France. The most recent place we went was Venice.
Hosting
I’m big on creating experiences. I’m really invested in how the people around me feel. I keep a little diary of their likes and make sure they have those things. What I enjoy most is asking guests what they’d like, then I have fun doing the research to learn how to make it. Usually, I’ll get a collection of five top-rated recipes for that thing, then create my recipe.
Hotel Slippers
They feel like home while you’re away from home. They’re usually a terry cloth material, soft, white and disposable. I love them so much that I get extra. I now have a very thorough collection. When guests come over, I let them pick from them and wear them around the house.
Interior Design Finds
I love home décor. I wouldn’t say I like one style versus another. (I’m a Gemini, so it’ll never be just one.) I have these two captain’s seats that are leather in this cognac color and they’re so comfy and lush. I found them at a flea market in Paris. I had an event to go to in Marrakesh last year. The concierge took me to get this gorgeous Moroccan rug that took so much effort to get through T.S.A. and customs. Every time I look at it, I feel lucky to have it, because it was such a journey.
Spa Serenity
“Take care of yourself by any means necessary” was something that my family ingrained in me. Because when you take care of yourself, it radiates. I’m really into spas. I went to Bali after awards season — it was a treat I gave myself. I’d get a massage every day. I got a mud bath. I had all of my wellness dreams come to life.
Attending to the Aesthetic Details
Being around pretty things that make you feel good, it’s a celebration of life. It can be something as simple as going to Trader Joe’s, getting two $5 bouquets and arranging them in a specific way. One of the most fun parts of Instagram is seeing stay-at-home moms that have mastered how they run their homes. Or girls that are organizing freaks; I love how everything has its own unique place where it needs to go.
The Life Aquatic
Being in the ocean feels healing. I used to be nervous about it, but there’s something exciting about swimming in the ocean. I’m scared to go snorkeling, though. I have a phobia of what lies beneath. I don’t want to know what’s down there! Don’t touch me and I won’t touch you. Let’s all swim around in a polite manner.
IRL Face Time
I’ve always been fascinated by why people do the things they do. I like to talk to people outside my comfort zone. I’m into documentarians, costume designers, editors, behavioral psychologists, architects — people of all walks of life. I definitely do not hang out with actors.
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