She belongs to that category of actresses who command respect. The one nicknamed the black “Meryl Streep” is at the firmament of her art from the top of her triple crown of acting, namely a Tony Award (theater), an Emmy Award (television) and an Oscar (cinema) . Glory, glitter and intimate wounds, Forbes looks back on the journey of a survivor.
Her most emblematic roles brought her into American homes, access to the most prestigious ceremonies, and propelled her internationally, reaching audiences without distinction of age, origin or gender. When she opposite Denzel Washington in the drama Fences , her interpretation of a sacrificed wife having silenced for years her aspirations, her deepest dreams, and who ends up laying bare her frustrations – even if it means upsetting children, husband and spectators – stuns us with its beauty. In this cry of truth, many mothers recognized themselves.
She also puts her emotional play into practice in her role as a servant living in a segregationist America in The Color of Sentiments . This time, she kicks the bubbling cauldron of racism still rooted in the southern states.
Viola Davis is also this calculating lawyer, cold, lawless and devilishly sexy, who takes us into her role as Annalize Keating in the series How to get away with murder from now on worship. Another global success for the one who sends us the message that we don’t always find it where we expect it. Actress, producer, muse, philanthropist, at 56 years old, Viola Davis is a powerful woman. A position she acquired through fighting.
Her story, her childhood, her beginnings still haunt her. The very glamorous icon of the seventh art accepts her scars and the terrible suffering that built her. The general public and the press discovered a few days before the Cannes high mass the poignant story of her life in her autobiographical book, Finding me : a memoir, in which she looks back on the dark episodes of her existence.
Long-term sexual assault kills
Born in South Carolina at a time when discrimination and institutional racism were rife, young Viola grew up in extreme poverty among five brothers and sisters. His home was eaten away by rats, the winter cold but also by his parents’ incessant arguments. The patriarch, alcoholic and violent, traumatized the entire family. “ There will never be enough pages to describe the arguments, the waking up in the night, or when I came home after school and prayed that my father would not kill my mother ,” says this flayed soul. In her work, similar to therapy, she also lifts the veil on the sexual assault perpetrated by her brother which she had until then never revealed to those close to her.
Viola Davis also dwells on the beatings, the mockery, the repeated insults from her white neighbors telling her that she was just a “dirty, ugly black girl who deserved her misfortune”. The reader certainly does not emerge from this introspection unscathed. Among the many reasons that pushed her to give herself up, the bankable superstar confides her need to share with the unlucky that we must always maintain hope.
Don’t let anyone extinguish your dreams. The actress emphasizes this by inviting us to surround ourselves with people who love us deeply: “ It is essential to keep close to you those beings who have unconditional love for you. Their sincere affection will re-energize you, save you. I would also add that it is important to repeat to ourselves that we deserve all the happiness in the world despite the evil that can surround us ,” she assures us in her suite at the Martinez in Cannes .
Promote the roles of accomplished women, far from the usual clichés of self-effacing wives
In her designer white suit, surrounded by bodyguards and her inner circle made up of her agent and her glam team, the highly anticipated Viola Davis doesn’t just want to make the flashes flash, she wants to get many messages across. Resilience, self-esteem, diversity, kindness… The American woman, full of wisdom, intends to transmit what forged her and led her to the top. What would she want to say to this little Viola if she had the power to go back in time to meet her? “ I would hold her in my arms, I would tell her again that she is truly deserving. I would repeat to him this phrase that has become my mantra, “because I’m worth it” ,” replies the L’Oréal Paris ambassador .
Starring in the series First Lady alongside Michelle Pfeiffer , Kiefer Sutherland , the interpreter of Michelle Obama, still has many other hobby horses. She often gets involved in projects that promote women, far from the usual clichés of self-effacing wives or stooges, undrinkable divas or intriguing villains. It is also important to her to highlight women of color in her compositions in order to inspire those like her.
Post- #MeToo Hollywood has certainly evolved on the subject but the road is still very long for actresses whose aging is still difficult to accept, compared to their male counterparts. Distinction also applies to salary. “ Fortunately there are more and more women producers and directors today, which allows us to free ourselves from this macho reading when we write screenplays ,” she rejoices.
The real revolution for Viola Davis would one day be to be entrusted with one of the main roles in a Telma and Louise with a 100% Afro cast. “ When mature African-American women embark on a girl’s trip to a romantic Italian city with laughter, one-night stands and existential crises on the menu, then Hollywood will have truly changed! », she balances between laughter and sarcasm.
