While visiting Brazil, Viola Davis once again defends black protagonism

One of the main guests at the first Liberatum Festival in Brazil, in Salvador, Viola Davis once again defended black protagonism. The American actress insisted on the importance of representation of black women on screen and told a little about her experience as an artist.

“I think you end up realizing that everything you’ve been told about being a black actress is a lie. The limitations on stories, on what people want to see, and I call those things internalized oppression,” Viola began.

The actress, who is part of the select group of 18 artists on the EGOT list (acronym for the initial letters of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony, the main awards for television, music, cinema and theater in the United States), continued. “When the world tells you that only a certain part of the population, of history, is important. I’ve always believed that when you do something as an artist, that is honest, people want to see it and that empowered me.”

Viola Davis also said that she only realized her reach to large audiences after the suspense series “How To Get Away With Murder” (2014). “When you’re an actor, you have no idea who’s watching you. But I remember going to Italy and being in a hotel and there were a lot of people outside. I thought, ‘Is Mick Jagger here?’ they were there for me. And then you realize that this is the beginning of the process of redefining yourself and redefining what it means to be an artist.”

Still in Salvador, Davis announced the creation of an audio content studio in Salvador. Alongside her husband Julius Tennon, the actress opened a production company called Axé based in the capital of Bahia. The new company’s first product will be a podcast series focused on Zumbi dos Palmares. No production launch date yet.