“You absolutely feel, as a black actress, that you've got to ride the wave because there's just so few roles. I hate to play that card, but it's the truth. There's not a lot of roles.” FeelsPlayHateBlackRolesI HateWaveActressesCards Author:Viola Davis
“It's not anything that is just perpetuated by White America or just perpetuated by Black America. It's just a cultural understanding that you're just not a part of the equation when it comes to sexuality and I think that people mistake your lack of opportunity with the level of your talent.” PeopleThinkingAmericaOpportunityUnderstandingBlackWhiteLevelsMistakeTalentSexualityEquationsBlack America Author:Viola Davis
“We know the road of lack of recognition, of people telling us that we can't headline a movie because black women don't translate overseas, that every time we try to break the glass ceiling, people say no, people push back. And it's everything that people don't see out there.” PeopleKnowsTryingBlackBreakGlassesRecognitionTranslateBlack WomenCeilingsHeadlinesGlass Ceiling Author:Viola Davis
“The internal sexism within womanhood is very predominant in Hollywood, because we all want to be successful. There's a plug to it: You all have to be skinny! You all have to be pretty! You all have to be likable, because that's the formula that works. On an executive level. On a power level. And it's not always the same working with black people, because of the internalized racism. The colorism.” PeopleWantBlackLevelsSuccessfulRacismHollywoodBeing SuccessfulInternalsExecutivesSexismFormulasBlack PeopleWomanhoodSkinnyPlugs Author:Viola Davis
“I already optioned a book called The Personal History of Rachel DuPree. I also like The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. And I love all of Octavia Butler's books. She's created some very complicated black heroines with a variety of belief systems. There are many great books out there, but those are a few of the ones that stand out.” BookBeliefBlackComplicatedVarietyHillsStanding OutHeroinesBelief SystemsGreat BookButlersPersonal History Author:Viola Davis
“I think sometimes what people miss about black people is that we're complicated.” PeopleThinkingSometimesBlackMissingComplicatedBlack People Author:Viola Davis
“I sort of feel like that's the most revolutionary thing we can do with our narrative for me as Black people is to show that we are just like you.” PeopleFeelsShowsBlackCan DoLike YouNarrativeRevolutionaryBlack People Author:Viola Davis
“We're in crisis mode as black actresses. It's not only in the sheer number of roles that are offered and that are out there, but the quality of the roles. The quality - and therein lies the problem. We're in deprivation mode because me, Alfre and Phylicia, we're in the same category. Whereas if you take a Caucasian actress, you have the one who are the teens, in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s - they're all different. There are roles for each of them. But you only have two or three categories for black actresses.” IfsTwoDifferentProblemLyingThreeBlackNumbersQualityRolesCrisisActressesCategoriesTeensSheerDeprivationCaucasian Author:Viola Davis
“I’m a black woman who is from Central Falls, Rhode Island. I’m dark skinned. I’m quirky. I’m shy. I’m strong. I’m guarded. I’m weak at times. I’m sensual. I’m not overtly sexual. I am so many things in so many ways and I will never see myself on screen. And the reason I will never see myself up on screen is because that does not translate with being black.” WayDoeReasonFallStrongBlackDarkWeakScreensSensualIslandsShyTranslateBlack WomenQuirkyGuardedRhode IslandDark Skinned Author:Viola Davis
