I want my work to reflect my level of gifts and talent Viola Davis More Quotes by Viola Davis More Quotes From Viola Davis I'd like to thank Paul Lee, Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Pete Nowalk for thinking that a sexualized, messy, mysterious woman could be a 49-year-old dark-skinned African-American woman who looks like me. Viola Davis entertainment I have been given a lot of roles that are downtrodden, mammy-ish, a lot of lawyers or doctors who have names but absolutely no lives. You're going to get your three or four scenes, you're not going to be able to show what you can do. You're going to get your little bitty paycheck, and then you're going to be hungry for your next role, which is going to be absolutely the same. That's the truth. Viola Davis entertainment The predator wants your silence. It feeds their power, entitlement, and they want it to feed your shame. Viola Davis your silence power want I always talk to all the crew. I always make it pleasant. I always nurture a relationship that makes people feel like they're important, like they're a part of the collaboration. I feel that way about the young actors on set. I don't talk to them like I'm the mentor; I talk to them like they're my peers. And I learned that from Meryl Streep. Viola Davis feel relationship people way The big 'Aha!' moment is that the trauma never goes away. Viola Davis big never moment trauma What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting. Viola Davis some me time life I don't care if someone is new to acting or experienced in acting: you always learn something from them. It's just like people in life - whether they're young or middle-aged or old, you always learn something from someone. Viola Davis you care life people The only picture I have of my childhood is the picture of me in kindergarten. I have this expression on my face - it's not a smile, it's not a frown. I swear to you, that's the girl who wakes up in the morning and who looks around her house and her life saying, 'I cannot believe how God has blessed me.' Viola Davis smile god morning life There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear. Viola Davis think you women born I would like to say that I'm a walking poster board for feminism and women's liberation, but there are things that I do in my life that deeply, deeply fall short of being a statement for being a strong woman. I am flawed as much as anyone else. Viola Davis i-am my-life women life Your ability to adapt to failure, and navigate your way out of it, absolutely 100 percent makes you who you are. Viola Davis your you failure way Because I grew up in such tight spaces, I don't get manicures, pedicures. I'm not into cars, but I am into a fabulous house. I wanted the spiral staircase, clean sheets on the bed, to be able to take a shower. Viola Davis staircase i-am bed house I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.' Because that's what I've learned in the foxhole: What gets you through life is strength of character and strength of spirit and love. Viola Davis strength morning love life I definitely have a happy marriage and family life. Viola Davis marriage family happy life We have to stop thinking about diversity and start thinking about inclusion. That's what you can take from August Wilson. That there are whole cultures out there living experiences exactly like yours, and their stories can be just as dynamic, sold in the foreign market, put as many butts in the seats as any Caucasian movie out there. Viola Davis start you diversity thinking I suffered from low self-esteem for much of my life. And now to feel like maybe something that I'm projecting or saying could mean something to someone means a lot to me. Viola Davis my-life feel me life We all have different narratives; all of our narratives are at different stages of development. Viola Davis stages our different development I know that love is real when it's not convenient, when it's not selfish, when it's challenged, sometimes even if it's not reciprocated. Viola Davis selfish love-is sometimes love People who are alone all the time never grow. Those hermits just stay the same. It's only through relationships. Relationships change us and make us grow. Viola Davis alone change time people I truly believe that the privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. Viola Davis being you privilege believe
