Viola Davis Quotes

Viola Davis
Viola Davis
American Actress
Born: Aug 11, 1965
Life Me People Think Women You
Related authors: Ali Wong Ariana Grande Bette Davis Carol Burnett Lily Tomlin Mae West Marilyn Monroe Teri Garr
I've always felt like I was an actor for hire. And almost apologetic for being a woman of color, trying to stifle that voice. But I don't feel that way in Shondaland. I feel like I am accepted into a world where I'm a part of the narrative - I'm a part of it. Viola Davis
Woman World Way Voice Color Part Almost Feel Like Accepted Felt Narrative Always Stifle Am Hire Trying Being Where Apologetic Actor
I always feel terrified whenever I put my work out there to be seen, to be scrutinized. I think it's a very vulnerable thing that we are asked to do. Viola Davis
Work Seen Think Out Put Feel Terrified Vulnerable Always Very Whenever Work Out Scrutinized Asked Thing
I didn't aspire to be just a celebrity; I aspired to be an actress... I always wanted to be respected as someone who knew their craft. Viola Davis
Respected Someone Knew Always Celebrity Craft Just Wanted Aspire Aspired Who Actress
You can't be perceived as 'the black actress who doesn't get the same kind of roles as the white actress.' You gotta run the same race. You gotta give the same quality of performances. You gotta have the same standard of excellence, even though people know that you're coming to the race in a deficit. That's just what life is about. Viola Davis
Life You Quality People Black White Deficit Though Kind Run About Perceived Give Excellence Performance Know Gotta Coming Get Roles Same Just Race Standard Who Even Actress
When a character has so many secrets and so much inner life, it's a joy to play those characters because you can use your craft. Viola Davis
Life Character You Joy Secrets Those Characters Because Craft Much Use Your Many Play Inner Inner Life
Egos are an occupational hazard in acting, but I don't have much of one, and my husband doesn't have much of one, so it's good. Viola Davis
Good Husband Hazard Occupational Egos Much Acting
I live a fantastic life. Why should I complain about awards? Viola Davis
Life Live Complain About Fantastic Should Awards Why
I was the kind of poor where I knew right away I had less than everyone around me. Our environment, our physical space reflected our income. Viola Davis
Me Space Everyone Our Kind Physical Had Environment Knew Around Reflected Than Where Poor Less Income Away Right Right Away
It became motivation as opposed to something else - the thing about poverty is that it starts affecting your mind and your spirit because people don't see you. I chose from a very young age that I didn't want that for my life. And it very much has helped me appreciate and value the things that are in my life now because I never had it. Viola Davis
Life Me You Age People Mind Value My Life Poverty Young Starts Else See Spirit About Something Something Else Never Had Became Because Opposed Motivation Affecting Very Young Age Want Much Your Helped Chose Now Thing Things Appreciate
It's a dream to be able to just play a multi-faceted character. Viola Davis
Character Dream Able Just Play
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. Viola Davis
You Three Doctors Able Given Lawyers Scenes Absolutely Names Been Lot Get Roles Going Your Show Who Lives Four
When you grow up in abject poverty, you see people exactly the way they are. Viola Davis
You People Poverty Way Exactly Exactly The Way Abject See Up Grow Grow Up
When you see a parent pass, and you literally are there, and you're sitting at that deathbed, man, and you have to tell them to go, it defines life for what it really is. Viola Davis
Life You Man Defines Tell See Parent Pass Go Deathbed Sitting Literally Them Really
Turning 50 is making me reflect on my life in a way that's more compassionate and forgiving. Viola Davis
Life Me My Life Reflect Way More Making Forgiving Turning Compassionate
You have to have an unlimited imagination, an unlimited restraint on your inhibition when you're working. You have to even dare to fail, even in a scene, whatever it is. Viola Davis
You Whatever Imagination Unlimited Dare Restraint Scene Fail Working Your Inhibition Even
You have to dare to make a choice that may be considered unorthodox in a role, but when you're working as if there are tons of people watching you, that's not necessarily a good thing. Viola Davis
Good You People Considered Dare Unorthodox Good Thing Make Role May Choice Working Thing Necessarily Watching Tons
Self-deprecation is not the answer to humility. Viola Davis
Humility Answer
I know I'm not the best, but I'm proud of myself. Viola Davis
Best Myself Know Proud
You're only reduced to a cliche if you don't humanize a character. Viola Davis
Character You Only Cliche Reduced
I'm the journeyman actor that you saw in one scene here, two scenes there. I've been eking out a living doing theater - Broadway, Off Broadway - film supporting roles, that I'm just excited to be a part of the conversation. Viola Davis
You Conversation Living Saw Broadway Out Scene Scenes Part Excited Supporting Journeyman Doing Been Off Roles Just Theater Film Actor Here Two
I look back on those early days in the theater like the beginning of a love affair, when you're totally in love with the work, and that's all there is. Viola Davis
Work Love You Beginning Back Those Totally Days Like Look Affair Love Affair Theater Early Early Days
I was bullied at school. The black girl in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in 1973. There'd be 8 or 10 boys; I would count them as I was running. Viola Davis
School Black Girl Would Running Count Island Boy Bullied Falls Rhode Rhode Island Central Them
So many women characters are extensions of male fantasy. Viola Davis
Women Characters Male Fantasy Many Extensions
August Wilson is the one writer that writes about men like my father, who had a fifth grade education, who was a janitor at McDonald's. Viola Davis
Education Father Men Wilson About Writer Writes Had Like August Grade McDonald Janitor Fifth Who
'Rebel' is not a word I would describe for myself, but I feel like I was a total rebel being an actor. It made me feel like there was something in me, a passion, a love - and that I didn't just squelch it. Viola Davis
Love Myself Me Passion Word Made Would Total Something Feel Like Just Being Describe Rebel Actor
When you're poor, you are invisible. Every poor person will tell you nobody sees you. So being famous was me just wanting to be seen. Viola Davis
Me You Will Seen Every Tell Sees Invisible Nobody Person Just Being Famous Wanting Being Famous Poor
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