Viola Davis’s career was “limited” by the color of her skin in the early days.
The 57-year-old actress started in the industry in the late 1990s and explained that there is a “deficit” of stories about black women and that she often finds herself playing supporting characters because Hollywood has failed to “dig deeper” into their culture.
She said, “There is a deficit of stories that women of color can access in Hollywood. When I started out as an actress, the scope of what I wanted to do was endless. It was definitely a huge blow to see the limitations.” put on me in my career.
“You’re just there to give white lead advice, to be the wise one, to be the caretaker. There’s really a lack of depth in who we are.”
Meanwhile, the Academy Award-winning star received the Icon Award at the 2022 Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards on Thursday (10.11.22) explaining that the honor has been “embedded in [her] spirit and she will use it to help progression in show business.
She told Britain’s Harpers’ Bazaar magazine: “When I’m at home I don’t feel like an icon. I always look at little Viola who wet the bed and just tried to find a meal every day and thought, ‘Well, Am I an icon now? I don’t take the honor and run off the stage with it. It’s embedded in my spirit and I use it as warrior fuel to change the industry so I’m no longer the only one.”
The December/January issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK is on sale from November 11. Visit https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/violadavis for more information.