I look back at pictures of myself and I remember thinking, "I was so fat when I was growing up. I was… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think that's why August [Wilson] named her Rose [in "Fences"]; I really do. She's a rose in her sweetness and her… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
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… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think at the end of the day she [Rose from "Fences"] is a strong woman in the truest sense of the… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
Ordinary people who are just kind of just going about their lives are transformed into heroes because they have the courage to… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I've always just simply seen myself as an actor. And I believe that it serves me well to just think in terms… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
No matter what, people don't think of me for glamorous parts. I'll go to an audition or a meeting in a pretty… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
It's harder to play a quiet character because everything happens in their stream of consciousness. They're thinking and feeling the world, but… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think watching my mom gave me great inspiration, I wish that had been reinforced more verbally. It would have kept me… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I came back from vacation and I ate everything. I mean I'm sipping cocktails by the pool, thinking I'm a size 2.… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think that you always want to gravitate towards people who absolutely are great at what they do and go for authenticity. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
You have to understand being an actress, and being an African American actress of a certain hue, I think that you have… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
Are there women in your world now that have given you those lessons in confidence? Oh absolutely. Meryl [Streep] does it all… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think sometimes you have to see a physical manifestation of your dream. Otherwise you have to hope, pray and try to… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
They say, 'To serve is to love,' and I think to serve is to heal, too. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
When Denzel [Washington] first called me on the phone after we'd just done a reading of the film ["Fences"]. He said, "Oh… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I would like to say something deeper, but for me, I saw a production of "Fences" in Rhode Island and a fabulous… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
Even when I go shopping, I don't shop as a woman. The only time I shop is when I need something, and… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think sometimes what people miss about black people is that we're complicated. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
My husband [Julius Tennon] and I started a production company. We've already optioned a book and some scripts to do exactly that,… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I've been to acting school and I think that at the end of the day, when you just focus on the work… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
Obviously, ["Fences"] is a character-driven piece in every sense of the word, and Denzel [Washington] knows the actor. He gave us two… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think that enjoying the fruits of one's labor is very different than arrogance. And when I was younger, I didn't know… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
We have to stop thinking about diversity and start thinking about inclusion. That's what you can take from August Wilson. That there… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I look back at pictures of myself and I remember thinking, "I was so fat when I was growing up. I was 165 pounds… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I am not a glam woman - this definitely is a mask I put on for the public. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
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… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
That's why there's so much bad acting out there, because you could see actors watching themselves. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
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… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
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… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
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… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I tell my daughter every morning, 'Now, what are the two most important parts of you?' And she says, 'My head and my heart.'… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I started a production company out of necessity, the need for great narratives for actors of color. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
That's always the biggest surprise when people meet me: how buoyant I am and how fun and light I am. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image