“Obviously, ["Fences"] is a character-driven piece in every sense of the word, and Denzel [Washington] knows the actor. He gave us two weeks of rehearsal. He is a truth teller, and he is a truth seer. So he knows when something is not going in the right direction, and he will call you on it. But, he knows the word to use to unlock whatever is blocking you. So I think he's fabulous and he's a teacher.” ThinkingKnowsTwoCharacterUseActorsTeacherPiecesWeekDrivenBlockFenceFabulousRehearsalTwo WeeksRight DirectionSeersDenzel Author:Viola Davis
“When Denzel [Washington] first called me on the phone after we'd just done a reading of the film ["Fences"]. He said, "Oh Viola it was so good, wasn't it?! I'm gonna tell Russell [Hornsby] to lose a little bit of weight and..." I was just sitting there thinking, why is he calling me? And I told him, "Denzel don't you tell me to lose weight!" He said, "I'm not telling you to lose weight! I can't believe you would say that."” ThinkingFirstsBelieveLittlesSaidI CanDoneFilmReadingBitsLosesCallingLittle BitSittingWeightPhonesFenceLose WeightViolaDenzel Author:Viola Davis
“It was hard, that confrontation scene [in "Fences"], that was a hard one. I felt like it was relentless, I never felt like I could just drop the ball when the coverage was on him or anything else.” HardFeltSceneBallsFenceRelentlessConfrontationCoverage Author:Viola Davis
“For me, that was a hard scene [in "Fences"] to do twenty-something times, which (laughing), I counted. That was difficult, but once I did it, I felt like I could do anything.” HardFeltDifficultLaughingSceneTwentiesFenceTwenty Somethings Author:Viola Davis
“I would like to say something deeper, but for me, I saw a production of "Fences" in Rhode Island and a fabulous actress played Rose, but when she first came on the stage she was mad. You could just see it. She was all, "Troy stop!" So by the time you get to the revelation scene, I didn't think she loved him, so there was no loss. I think that the real tragedy and the real drama or the thing that makes you lean in is to see the love, to see the commitment. To see the fact that Rose is invested in this marriage no matter what.” ThinkingFirstsRealMatterFactsLossSawsStageDramaSceneCommitmentTragedyNo Matter WhatMadRoseProductionsDeeperActressesIslandsRevelationsFenceFabulousRhode Island Author:Viola Davis
“I think at the end of the day she [Rose from "Fences"] is a strong woman in the truest sense of the word. I think all of that is in the narrative; it's already there. The hope is there; the playfulness is there; it's there. I wish I could take credit for it, but it's there.” ThinkingEndsStrongWishRoseCreditNarrativeThe End Of The DayStrong WomenFenceTruestPlayfulness Author:Viola Davis
“People often forget our emotional contribution to relationships and to marriage and that might be a completely sexist comment but, what I tried not to do [in "Fences"] is, I tried to just put that monologue as part of my stream of consciousness.” PeopleMightForgetConsciousnessEmotionalStreamsContributionCommentFenceSexistMonologuesStream Of Consciousness Author:Viola Davis
“But along with all of that it was, "Oh, isn't he a great storyteller? Oh, it's that why I married him? Isn't he handsome? Oh, what am I going to make for dinner today?" I put all of that as a part of [Roses's from "Fences"] inner everyday monologue so, by the time he tells he that news and all of that I feel that it's there already.” FeelsTodayMarriedNewsRoseEverydayDinnerStorytellerFenceHandsomeMonologues Author:Viola Davis
“I really want my acting to be definitive a lot of times, but I must feel like in any given moment there is a lot of things going on with Rose. I kept telling Denzel [Washington] throughout filming [Fences] that the house is her joy and her tomb.” WantFeelsMomentsJoyHouseGivenActingRoseFenceTombsDenzel Author:Viola Davis
“I really wanted to show [in "fences"] a marriage that is working. Not perfect, but working.” ShowsWantedPerfectFenceNot Perfect Author:Viola Davis
“I felt that there could be some anger. There could be some frustration that he has the tendency to take over the room, but I wanted all of those things to show in the grays of her hair and the fact that her hips are much wider than they probably were when she met him. I wanted it to show in the fact that her hair is not done up all the time. I wanted it to be a part of that every day that wasn't in your face. Because then for me, that's overacting. To me, that's not "being." I wanted Rose [in "Fences"] to be many things.” DoneFactsShowsWantedFacesFeltRoomsHairMetsRoseTendenciesHipsFrustrationYour FaceFence Author:Viola Davis
“I think that's why August [Wilson] named her Rose [in "Fences"]; I really do. She's a rose in her sweetness and her kindness and in everything else, even her anger towards the end.” ThinkingEndsKindnessRoseSweetnessFenceAugustWilson Author:Viola Davis
