Viola Davis has opened up on the challenges she faced when she began pursuing a career in acting, recounting how she was often considered to be “too big and too black” to be cast in roles. While she’s arguably one of the busiest actresses in Hollywood today, the 57-year-old tells The Guardian that her rise to fame was far from easy, which was heavily blamed on her darker skin tone and bigger figure.
Davis’ road to stardom became all the more challenging as she continued to deal with trauma rooted around her childhood, which saw her being sexually assaulted by “dirty old men” in the Rhode Island neighborhood where she grew up. Her family was living in poverty, and while she was determined to follow her dreams in the field of performing arts, she was now faced to deal with people taking issue with not just her skin color but also her size and her voice.
I just saw this movie today at the theater and it was GOOOOOD-A! To those who’ve seen it, please share your thoughts. If you haven’t, keep scrolling potna. 🤣JK. I just don’t want to ruin it for you. 😉 @violadavis @GPBmadeit @ThusoMbedu #TheWomanKing https://t.co/vqwbYdU6eA
— TriniaLee ⚜️👑⚜️ (@TriniaLee) October 9, 2022
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“What is in my power to change is to show people that we are more than the stamp that people have put on dark-skinned women,” she said. “That we are sexual, that we are desirable, that we can be smart, that we are way more expansive and our identity is not determined by your gaze. I can change that. I can change the way Black women are seen, to some extent, within the industry.”
Davis hopes that her latest film, “The Woman King,” which is based on a true story of a group of Black female warriors determined to protect their West African Kingdom, will lead to more films being produced with colored women at the forefront. Davis, who plays Nanisca, the leader of her African tribe, has already been receiving rave reviews from critics, but it’s ultimately up to Hollywood to make the much-needed change of giving more Black women the opportunity to helm pivotal roles in their films.
ICYMI: Actor Viola Davis talks about her historical epic ‘The Woman King,’ which is based on a true story pic.twitter.com/bUTf3JdhJv
— Reuters (@Reuters) October 8, 2022
“If I waited for the sort of roles that come to me, then I would be coasting. You know, I would be relegated to those sorts of stereotypical roles,” Davis continued telling Sky News in a recent interview. “But because I’m in the body of a 57-year-old, dark skinned black woman with big lips and wide nose, I have had to push the button, if I don’t, I will never be the artist that I’ve always dreamed I could be.”