Viola Davis: ‘I stand in solidarity with Meryl Streep’s speech on Donald Trump’

The Golden Globes winner said Streep "spoke for every American"
Amy Ashenden17 January 2017
The Weekender

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Actress Viola Davis says she stands in solidarity with Meryl Streep’s Golden Globes acceptance speech in which she called out Donald Trump for mocking a disabled reporter.

Davis said Streep, her co-star in Doubt, spoke ‘for every American’ when she used her time on stage to talk about ‘that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter’.

Davis said: “I stand in solidarity with Meryl Streep. I think that what she said was what was in the hearts and minds of any American.

“We’re just at a very specific time – we want to know that someone is in a position of power that understands our needs.

“I think she spoke for every American and I think she spoke for every artist, and I applaud her. I thought she did fantastic.”

Fresh from winning her first Golden Globe after four previous nods, the How to Get Away with Murder actress said being nominated for her first BAFTA is ‘awesome’.

Fifth time lucky: Davis won Supporting Actress at the Golden Globes
Getty Images

Davis is up against Nicole Kidman (Lion), Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures), Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) and Naomie Harris (Moonlight) for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences, a play translated into film, directed by director-star Denzel Washington.

She plays Rose Maxson, the wife of frustrated former baseball player Troy, adapted from the 1983 play by August Wilson, which she previously performed on stage alongside Washington.

“Here is a translation of a play to screen, characters that you have never seen before and at this point in my life I wanted to just do something different. And I wanted a character that I can go on a complete journey with – that you couldn’t necessarily put your finger on,” she said.

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“I did 23 takes on screen and 114 performances on stage – it’s a mark of great writing when every time you read it just takes you absolutely where you need to go.”

The Oscar-nominated actress, who recently received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, added she is enjoying being in London ahead of the release of Fences.

She said: “I always love coming to London. I went to Juilliard’s [School] so I did classical training, so London holds a special place just in my training.

“I always find Londoners to be very astute, the questions that are asked are very insightful, they have an understanding of the art form, and that’s always refreshing.”

On setting up her own production company to boost visibility of black actors, Davis said: “I want our narratives to start being inclusive. I want to be able to look up at a screen and see if reflect America.

“I did a movie called Disturbia, which I loved, but I remember my husband looking at it and he was even looking in the background and he said: ‘there are no black people in Disturbia?’

“America is changing – the racial make-up is changing and the art has got to reflect that because people will demand it.”

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