--- title: "9 Actress Quotes By Viola Davis" description: "9 Actress quotes by Viola Davis. Plus more from Viola Davis and more Actress sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-t_1525612.png" --- > [You absolutely feel, as a black actress, that you've got to ride the wave because there's just so few roles. I hate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-that-you-ve-got-to-ride-the/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-t_1525612.png) > [Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should be. Even in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actress-to-satisfy-people-s/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png) > [You have to understand being an actress, and being an African American actress of a certain hue, I think that you have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-have-to-understand-being-an-actress-and-being-an-african-american/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-have-to-understand-being-an-actress_1188917.jpg) > [The reason I became an actress is because I wanted my acting to reflect life as it is. I want to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/the-reason-i-became-an-actress-is-because-i-wanted-my-acting-to/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/viola-davis-1174_acting_the-reason-i-became-an-actress-is-becaus_2144393.png) > [That's why I do what I do, and that's why I wanted to be an actress from the time I was six…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-that-s-why-i-wanted-to-be-an-actress/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f8/viola-davis-1174_actor_that-s-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-that-s-why_2472670.png) > [I didn't aspire to be just a celebrity; I aspired to be an actress... I always wanted to be respected as someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-just-a-celebrity-i-aspired-to-be-an-actress-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/viola-davis-1174_actress_i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-just-a-celebrity-i_1260181.png) > [You can't be perceived as 'the black actress who doesn't get the same kind of roles as the white actress.' You gotta…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-can-t-be-perceived-as-the-black-actress-who-doesn-t-get-the-same/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-can-t-be-perceived-as-the-black-actr_2421675.jpg) > [You want to be able to really tackle a character and make it a fully-dimensional human being who is complicated, funny, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-want-to-be-able-to-really-tackle-a-character-and-make-it-a-fully/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-want-to-be-able-to-really-tackle-a-c_746314.png) > [I always say that, like a scientist or anyone, you always want to be the problem-solver. You feel like, if you solve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-always-say-that-like-a-scientist-or-anyone-you-always-want-to-be/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/viola-davis-1174_able_i-always-say-that-like-a-scientist-or-an_2144747.png) ## Other authors on Actress ## More by Viola Davis > [I look back at pictures of myself and I remember thinking, "I was so fat when I was growing up. I was 165 pounds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-look-back-at-pictures-of-myself-and-i-remember-thinking-i-was-so/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am not a glam woman - this definitely is a mask I put on for the public.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-not-a-glam-woman-this-definitely-is-a-mask-i-put-on-for-the/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-was-bullied-at-school-the-black-girl-in-central-falls-rhode-island/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's why there's so much bad acting out there, because you could see actors watching themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-why-there-s-so-much-bad-acting-out-there-because-you-could-see/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I want my work to reflect my level of gifts and talent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-want-my-work-to-reflect-my-level-of-gifts-and-talent/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I don’t want anyone putting any limits on me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-don-t-want-anyone-putting-any-limits-on-me/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ I think that's why August \[Wilson\] named her Rose \[in "Fences"\]; I really do. She's a rose in her sweetness and her kindness and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-think-that-s-why-august-wilson-named-her-rose-in-fences-i-really-do/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I suffered from low self-esteem for much of my life. And now to feel like maybe something that I'm projecting or saying could mean…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-suffered-from-low-self-esteem-for-much-of-my-life-and-now-to-feel/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-tell-my-daughter-every-morning-now-what-are-the-two-most-important/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I started a production company out of necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-started-a-production-company-out-of-necessity-the-need-for-great/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-always-the-biggest-surprise-when-people-meet-me-how-buoyant-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [When you're working as an actor, you don't think that when you get out of school, it's going to be so hard to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/when-you-re-working-as-an-actor-you-don-t-think-that-when-you-get-out-2/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [ It was hard, that confrontation scene \[in "Fences"\], that was a hard one. I felt like it was relentless, I never felt like I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/it-was-hard-that-confrontation-scene-in-fences-that-was-a-hard-one-i/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) > [I am addicted to any facial product that's anti-aging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-am-addicted-to-any-facial-product-that-s-anti-aging/) [Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viola-davis/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actress/viola-davis/#itemlist", "name": "9 Actress Quotes By Viola Davis", "numberOfItems": 9, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You absolutely feel, as a black actress, that you've got to ride the wave because there's just so few roles. I hate to play that card, but it's the truth. There's not a lot of roles.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-that-you-ve-got-to-ride-the/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-t_1525612.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-t_1525612.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b96/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-absolutely-feel-as-a-black-actress-t_1525612.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You absolutely feel, as a black actress, that you've got to ride the wave because there's just so few roles…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should be. Even in your life, you are just who you are.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actress-to-satisfy-people-s/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/852/viola-davis-1174_actress_ultimately-it-s-not-your-job-as-an-actre_1109959.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Ultimately, it's not your job, as an actress, to satisfy people's expectations or image of who you should…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You have to understand being an actress, and being an African American actress of a certain hue, I think that you have to be bold with your choices. Even when you're not bold with your choices, have people see it as bold.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-have-to-understand-being-an-actress-and-being-an-african-american/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-have-to-understand-being-an-actress_1188917.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-have-to-understand-being-an-actress_1188917.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ea2/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-have-to-understand-being-an-actress_1188917.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You have to understand being an actress, and being an African American actress of a certain hue, I think…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The reason I became an actress is because I wanted my acting to reflect life as it is. I want to put truth on the screen. I want real women to see real women on the screen.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/the-reason-i-became-an-actress-is-because-i-wanted-my-acting-to/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/viola-davis-1174_acting_the-reason-i-became-an-actress-is-becaus_2144393.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/viola-davis-1174_acting_the-reason-i-became-an-actress-is-becaus_2144393.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a7d/viola-davis-1174_acting_the-reason-i-became-an-actress-is-becaus_2144393.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The reason I became an actress is because I wanted my acting to reflect life as it is. 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If I can't effectively move people, then I would prefer not to do it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/that-s-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-that-s-why-i-wanted-to-be-an-actress/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f8/viola-davis-1174_actor_that-s-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-that-s-why_2472670.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f8/viola-davis-1174_actor_that-s-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-that-s-why_2472670.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f8/viola-davis-1174_actor_that-s-why-i-do-what-i-do-and-that-s-why_2472670.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“That's why I do what I do, and that's why I wanted to be an actress from the time I was six years old. If I…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 6, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "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.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-just-a-celebrity-i-aspired-to-be-an-actress-i/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/viola-davis-1174_actress_i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-just-a-celebrity-i_1260181.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/viola-davis-1174_actress_i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-just-a-celebrity-i_1260181.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f98/viola-davis-1174_actress_i-didn-t-aspire-to-be-just-a-celebrity-i_1260181.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I didn't aspire to be just a celebrity; I aspired to be an actress... 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That's just what life is about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-can-t-be-perceived-as-the-black-actress-who-doesn-t-get-the-same/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-can-t-be-perceived-as-the-black-actr_2421675.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-can-t-be-perceived-as-the-black-actr_2421675.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/036/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-can-t-be-perceived-as-the-black-actr_2421675.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You can't be perceived as 'the black actress who doesn't get the same kind of roles as the white actress.'…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 8, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "You want to be able to really tackle a character and make it a fully-dimensional human being who is complicated, funny, and all the things that a person could be. If you can achieve that, you feel great. You so rarely get to do that as an actress in general, but as a black actress, it's almost never.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/you-want-to-be-able-to-really-tackle-a-character-and-make-it-a-fully/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-want-to-be-able-to-really-tackle-a-c_746314.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-want-to-be-able-to-really-tackle-a-c_746314.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f6e/viola-davis-1174_actress_you-want-to-be-able-to-really-tackle-a-c_746314.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“You want to be able to really tackle a character and make it a fully-dimensional human being who is…” — Viola Davis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 9, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I always say that, like a scientist or anyone, you always want to be the problem-solver. You feel like, if you solve the greatest mystery or the greatest problem, then that makes you brilliant. It's the same thing with an actress. You want to be able to really tackle a character and make it a fully-dimensional human being who is complicated, funny and all the things that a person could be.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Viola Davis" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viola-davis/i-always-say-that-like-a-scientist-or-anyone-you-always-want-to-be/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/viola-davis-1174_able_i-always-say-that-like-a-scientist-or-an_2144747.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/viola-davis-1174_able_i-always-say-that-like-a-scientist-or-an_2144747.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6e3/viola-davis-1174_able_i-always-say-that-like-a-scientist-or-an_2144747.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I always say that, like a scientist or anyone, you always want to be the problem-solver. 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