Viola Davis
The “Won’t Back Down” Interview
with Kam Williams
Voila! It’s Viola!
Viola Davis
was born on August 11, 1965 on her grandmother’s farm in St.
Matthews, South Carolina, but
raised by her parents in Central Falls,
Rhode Island. After earning a degree in theater from Rhode Island College
in 1988, she went on to do post-graduate work at the prestigious Juilliard School prior to embarking on a
critically-acclaimed professional career.
Ms. Davis made a memorable mark on
Broadway, winning Tonys for stellar performances as Tonya in King Hedley II and
as Rose in the revival of Fences. She’s also been nominated twice for an
Academy Award, for her powerful portrayal of stoic Aibileen in The Help and for
her equally-sterling interpretation of Mrs. Miller in Doubt.
Viola’s other noteworthy screen
credits include impressive outings in Traffic, Nights in Rodanthe, Extremely
Loud & Incredibly Close, Eat Pray Love, Madea Goes to Jail, Antwone Fisher,
World Trade Center, Trust, Knight & Day, Get Rich or Die Tryin’ and State of Play. And
her upcoming films include Enders Game with Harrison Ford, Beautiful Creatures
with Emma Thompson and The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby with Jessica
Chastain.
Here, she talks about her new film,
Won’t Back Down, a female empowerment saga,
where she plays Nona Alberts, a jaded teacher who joins forces with a
frustrated single-mom (Maggie Gyllenhaal) to turn around an underperforming
public school.
Kam
Williams: Hi Viola, thanks for the interview.
Viola Davis: Thank you, Kam.
KW:
Music teacher Steve Kramer asks: What interested you in Won’t Back Down?
VD:
My interests in the film were two-fold: the backdrop of education and also the
human story within it about a woman who, when she was in her twenties, had all
these high ideals and hopes of taking the world by storm as a great teacher and
also as a great mother. But all of that was just blown to bits, and we find her
at a low point where she’s totally disillusioned. For me, the movie is about
her story of coming back to life again. And that journey is a very human one.
It intrigued me, and I saw it as a very interesting challenge as an actor.
KW:
What was it like working with such a top-flight cast: You
had an Academy-Award-winner Holly Hunter, as well fellow Oscar-nominees Maggie
Gyllenhaal and Rosie Perez?
VD:
You forgot another Oscar-nominee, Marianne
Jean-Baptiste. It was fabulous! To me, it’s always a luxury to be able to
work with the best of the best because they make it easier for you to do what
you do. It’s harder to work with people who are not as dedicated to their
craft. It also leaves you a better actor when you finish the project, since you
always feel like you’ve learned something. And it’s refreshing to spend time
with actors who are so vocal, so articulate. “You get more material to steal
from.” That’s what I always say. [LOL]
KW:
Editor/Legist Patricia Turnier would like to know whether
you had any problems with any of your lines in the script, and how you handle
such a controversy.
VD:
Yes, I did have a problem with a few things, which is good for an actor. The
average person might not see it that way. The sentiment that I had a little
trouble with was the idea that, “You change the school, you change the
community.” I couldn’t wrap my mind around that. I just feel that those two
trains need to be leaving the station at the same time. I think that that’s a
heck of a responsibility to expect schools and teachers to change these
challenged communities. Many of them are experiencing growth deficits or are
going bankrupt, and are infected with gang violence with as many as 85% of the people
living below the poverty line. I knew this was going to be a hotbed issue, but
I didn’t realize how volatile it was going to become once the movie was released.
Nevertheless, I welcome this spirited discourse. That’s always been a spearhead
to change.
KW:
Is the big brouhaha due to allegations that the picture is anti-union?
VD:
Yes, that is what the controversy’s about. I don’t think the film’s anti-union.
I feel it’s pro-education. The teacher, in the end, becomes the hero. The
teacher! Oscar Isaac’s character [Michael Perry] says in the film that the one
of the things he remembers about the high school teacher who inspired him to
become a teacher was how the union had stepped in and saved the man’s job when
the system was failing him. So, I don’t feel it’s anti-union. I consider it
pro-activist.
KW:
Larry Greenberg was wondering what would you say is the
movie’s message?
VD:
The movie really emphasizes that we’re all in the position to be the change
that we want to see in this country. And I think there’s no better time to
bring that message home. What’s interesting is that that theme is a common
thread in the film, even in terms of the two main characters’ taking control of
their own personal lives. At the end of the day, nobody can tell you how to
tackle failure or how to handle change. The world is very good at encouraging
you to go along with the status quo and at basking in your successes. But when
you hit a wall in your personal life, and you screw up, people don’t give you a
chance to navigate your way through it and tap into what’s extraordinary about
you. I think this movie tackles that subject in a beautiful way, and I think
it’s the best message you could give to a child. And, hey, you can even bring
your kids to the film because it’s rated PG. [Laughs]
KW:
Harriet Pakula-Teweles says: Won't
Back Down is not only the title of your new film, but that same sort of spirit was
also part of your character’s persona in The Help. How much of that strength we
see up on the screen is you and how much of it is great acting?
VD: [Chuckles] Well,
I’d like to say that it’s all great acting. That’s what I’d prefer to say, but
I suppose I do have that same quality in real life. I guess they say,
“Necessity is the mother of invention” because you have two stark choices when
you find yourself in a really desperate situation. You can either fold and cave-in
to it or you can become really passionate about getting out of it. When you’re
really passionate, you’re going to grab hold of every rope you see, and wrap
them around your arms and legs to claw your way out. And that’s the way I’ve
felt in my life.
KW:
Harriet has another question: Is there a
classic film you'd like to star in the remake of?
VD:
You know what? Playing Norma Rae would be great, too, although I don’t whether
that would work. I’d also like to play Harriet Tubman.
KW:
Patricia is also wondering whether there’s any truth to the rumor that you’ll
be playing Barbara Jordan in an upcoming biopic about the late congresswoman.
VD:
Yes, my husband [Julius Tennon] and I started a production company out of
necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color, and we are currently
developing that script with some great producers.
KW: Kate Newell says: I loved your performance. Did you have a teacher who especially inspired you?
VD:
I had several teachers who inspired me, in both the public school system and
the Upward Bound program. I needed several, because I lived in such abject
poverty and dysfunction. And they’re still in my life today, because I consider
them to be friends, actually.
KW:
Thanks again for the time, Viola, and best of luck with Won’t
Back Down.
VD:
Thank you, Kam
