Cast of The Holdovers: Full Actors List & Characters

A grumpy teacher and a wayward student forced together over the holidays—the specific pairing that makes The Holdovers work. The Holdovers turned ensemble chemistry into award-season gold—five Academy Award nominations and a Best Supporting Actress win for Da’Vine Joy Randolph on March 10, 2024. The cast is what makes it tick.

Director: Alexander Payne · Lead Actor: Paul Giamatti · Breakout Star: Dominic Sessa · Supporting Actress: Da’Vine Joy Randolph · Release Year: 2023

Who is in the cast of The Holdovers?

The Holdovers brings together a mix of seasoned actors and fresh faces. At the center sits Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham, a classics teacher at Barton Academy boarding school known for his exacting standards and acerbic wit. Giamatti, born June 6, 1967, had been working in film since 1989, with his breakout role in 1997’s Private Parts (Screen Rant). His partnership with director Alexander Payne dates back to Sideways in 2004, making The Holdovers a reunion of sorts.

Dominic Sessa plays Angus Tully in what became his film debut—and an unforgettable one at that. Rotten Tomatoes critics noted his performance as “authentic and vulnerable” and praised how he stood up against his veteran co-star (Rotten Tomatoes). Sessa earned the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Young Performer and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Wikipedia).

Da’Vine Joy Randolph portrays Mary Lamb, the school’s cook who has lost a son in Vietnam. Her work garnered immediate recognition, with wins at both the Capri Hollywood International Film Festival (January 2, 2024) and the African American Film Critics Association (January 15, 2024) (Wikipedia).

Carrie Preston appears as Miss Lydia Crane, while Andrew Garman plays Dr. Hardy Woodrup, rounding out the supporting cast (Fandango).

Paul Giamatti as Paul Hunham

Paul Hunham is the kind of teacher students either love or dread. His character claims to suffer from trimethylaminuria and hyperhidrosis, conditions that inform his reclusive nature and general disdain for holiday festivities (Wikipedia). Giamatti brings the curmudgeonly energy that has become his signature, but with surprising depth—this is a man who, beneath the gruff exterior, genuinely cares about his students’ futures.

Dominic Sessa as Angus Tully

Angus Tully arrives at Barton Academy as a student with a complicated home situation. His mother has gone on a honeymoon with her new husband, leaving Angus stuck at school over Christmas. He’s the kind of character who could easily become a cliché, but Sessa’s performance grounds him in real teenage frustration and eventual growth.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph as Mary Lamb

Mary Lamb’s grief over her son’s death in Vietnam gives the film its emotional anchor. Randolph’s performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress on March 10, 2024—a victory that felt both expected and well-deserved given the depth she brings to the role (Wikipedia).

Supporting cast including Carrie Preston

Carrie Preston, best known for her work in various television series, brings warmth to Miss Lydia Crane. The supporting cast fills out the world of Barton Academy without overshadowing the central trio.

How many Oscars did The Holdovers win?

The Holdovers earned five Academy Award nominations at the 96th ceremony on March 10, 2024, walking away with one win. Da’Vine Joy Randolph took home Best Supporting Actress, cementing her breakout year (Focus Features).

The nomination list included Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), Best Supporting Actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph—winner), Best Original Screenplay (David Hemingson), and Best Film Editing (Kevin Tent) (Wikipedia).

Beyond the Oscars, the film accumulated additional honors: Paul Giamatti won the Golden Globe for Best Actor–Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the Critics’ Choice Movie Award for Best Actor. Dominic Sessa’s win at the Critics’ Choice Awards for Best Young Performer marked an impressive debut (Wikipedia). Alexander Payne received the Advanced Imaging Society Lumiere Award (Harold Lloyd Award) on February 9, 2024, and the film won the AARP Movies for Grownups Award for Best Intergenerational Film on January 17, 2024 (Wikipedia).

Best Supporting Actress win

Randolph’s win was widely anticipated after her earlier victories during awards season. Her acceptance speech highlighted the emotional weight of playing a mother mourning a child lost to war—a theme that resonated given the film’s early-1970s setting.

Nominations overview

The breadth of nominations—from acting categories to technical ones like editing and screenplay—demonstrates how thoroughly the industry embraced this ensemble piece.

Is the movie The Holdovers based on a true story?

The Holdovers is not based on a true story. The film is an original screenplay written by David Hemingson, who spent years developing the project before it landed with Alexander Payne as director (Wikipedia).

The story takes place in late 1970 and early 1971, using the historical backdrop of that era—particularly the Vietnam War’s impact on American families—as emotional texture rather than direct inspiration. The specific details of Hunham, Tully, and Lamb exist entirely in fiction.

Original screenplay details

Hemingson’s screenplay earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, validating years of development work. The script builds its emotional core from character dynamics rather than historical events.

Real-life inspirations

While not based on specific real people, the film’s boarding school setting echoes experiences many viewers recognize from their own education. The dynamics between teachers and students, the isolation of academic institutions during holidays, and the friction between privilege and loss all feel authentic.

Is Holdovers a good movie?

The critical consensus says yes—emphatically. On Rotten Tomatoes, 97% of 360 critics’ reviews are positive with an average rating of 8.5/10 (Wikipedia). The audience response matches the critical enthusiasm.

What makes The Holdovers work is the alchemy between its three central performances. Giamatti brings his signature blend of frustration and heart, Sessa surprises with naturalism beyond his years, and Randolph grounds everything in genuine grief and resilience.

Rotten Tomatoes score

The 97% score places The Holdovers among the highest-rated films of 2023. The critical consensus praises its performances, direction, and the way it balances humor with genuine emotional stakes.

Critic and audience reviews

Critics particularly highlighted the ensemble chemistry. The relationship between Hunham and Tully develops organically, moving from antagonism to grudging respect to something approaching mentorship. Mary Lamb’s presence adds a third dimension, her quiet dignity anchoring scenes that could otherwise drift into sentimentality.

Where did they film The Holdovers?

The Holdovers filmed primarily in Massachusetts, using actual New England locations to recreate the early-1970s prep school atmosphere. The fictional Barton Academy required exterior shots that suggested decades of academic tradition.

The production design carefully crafted a world that felt frozen in time—a school that hadn’t changed much since the 1960s. This visual commitment helps ground the story in its period setting.

Primary filming locations

Massachusetts provided the New England architecture and winter landscapes the story required. Urban Boston locations served for scenes outside the school grounds, while rural Massachusetts stood in for the isolated campus environment.

New England prep school setting

The New England setting isn’t cosmetic—it fundamentally shapes the characters’ world. The cold, the snow, the empty hallways during winter break all reinforce the isolation that drives the plot forward.

The pattern is consistent across award ceremonies: the film succeeded not through spectacle but through restraint. Each recognition—Giamatti’s Golden Globe, Randolph’s Oscar, Sessa’s Critics’ Choice Award—points to the same truth: this cast earned every accolade through sustained commitment to their characters’ realities.

What distinguishes The Holdovers is how it treats its three leads as equally important, never letting one performance overshadow the ensemble. For viewers tired of superhero blockbusters and franchise extensions, this film offers proof that intimate character studies can still find audiences and earn recognition.