Viola Davis on ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom’ and Black Artists Being the ‘Leftovers’ In Hollywood
April 16, 2021  •  Claudia  •  No Comment  •  Articles, Interviews

As accomplished as Academy Award winner Viola Davis is in the industry, she still feels the unfair comparisons and judgments for the roles she chooses. “It’s so hard to get films made that don’t fit a certain box of how they see us,” Davis tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “Inclusivity cannot be a hashtag. You’ve got to write roles for people of color that are culturally specific – that is just as thought out as our white counterparts’ roles, to get to the point of excellence, so that we can be considered for awards. But a lot of time with inclusivity, it’s a second thought. We’re the leftovers.”

Davis broke a record this year when she was nominated by the Academy Awards for best actress in a leading role, becoming the most nominated Black woman in Oscar history (with four nominations in total). She is also just one of two Black women to ever win an Oscar and then return for another nomination – along with her former co-star Octavia Spencer (“The Help”). But this is not something to be celebrated in her eyes. “The only reason I’m breaking records is that no one has been recognized,” she says. “That ‘honor’ is a sort of limited honor. The problem is with the moviemaking business itself, not the awards. You cannot nominate anyone for awards if there are no films being made.”



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