Viola Davis has responded to the harsh criticism she received from people saying her portrayal as Michelle Obama in Showtime’s drama The First Lady was anything but accurate. Several teasers were released before the show’s premiere earlier this month, showing the Oscar winner channeling former President Barack Obama’s wife to the best of her abilities. But judging by the reaction from social media users, it didn’t seem as if Viola was too happy about the feedback, having revealed that she found the negative comments rather hurtful.
Viola, who has been on a promo run to support her new memoir, Finding Me, gave a candid interview to BBC News, where she opened up about the backlash that came with her depiction of the former First Lady. Some people found Viola’s facial expressions, such as her overly pursed lips, incredibly “distracting” and “insulting” to Michelle, while others mocked the actress’s depiction of Michelle’s walk.
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The 56-year-old was stunned by the response, as she told the publication, “[It is] incredibly hurtful when people say negative things about your work. How do you move on from the hurt, from failure? But you have to. Not everything is going to be an awards-worthy performance.” The Fences star continued to declare that critics served no purpose in her life because she decided what roles she wanted to play, but the reaction did surprise her.
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“They always feel like they’re telling you something that you don’t know. Somehow that you’re living a life that you’re surrounded by people who lie to you and ‘I’m going to be the person that leans in and tells you the truth.’ So it gives them an opportunity to be cruel to you,” Viola gushed. “But ultimately, I feel like it is my job as a leader to make bold choices,” Davis added. “Win or fail it is my duty to do that.”
What’s more, taking on the part of a role that’s based on a public figure is always a daunting task because people already know how they walk, talk, and hold their pearls, Viola inserted, saying there were practically only two ways in which the conversation was going to go once the teasers for The First Lady were released. “Either you’re doing too much or not enough.”
The First Lady premiered with its first episode on April 17 and stars the likes of Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, O-T Fagbenie as Barack Obama, and Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt.
Some of her other upcoming movies include Operation Othello, The Woman King, I Almost Forgot About You, and an untitled Harriet Tubman project, where she’ll play the lead alongside Mike Gassaway. The film is expected to enter production by the year’s end while a release date has yet to be announced.
Do you think people were too harsh on Viola’s portrayal of Michelle?