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
They say, 'To serve is to love,' and I think to serve is to heal, too. — 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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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 don't think most people understand acting, even the people who call themselves savvy, even actors. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think that what happens so often on screen is high-stake moments tends to look too pretty. And I just don't think… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
I think sometimes what people miss about black people is that we're complicated. — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
Self-deprecation is not an answer to keeping one's balance. I think that it's very damaging. — 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 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
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
It's not anything that is just perpetuated by White America or just perpetuated by Black America. It's just a cultural understanding that… — Viola Davis Copy Share Image
But the biggest beauty advice I've given my daughter is every morning I say, "Genesis, what are the two best parts of… — 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
Most actors don't understand acting. I think it's an art form that craft is out the window. I don't think people get… — 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
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
![“Are there women in your world now that have given you those lessons in confidence? Oh absolutely. Meryl [Streep] does it all the time. I think she does it in a way that she doesn't even understand or think she's doing it.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5a6/viola-davis-1174_confidence_are-there-women-in-your-world-now-that-h_1358980.jpg)
![“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 in everything else, even her anger towards the end.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bcf/viola-davis-1174_august_i-think-that-s-why-august-wilson-named-h_157231.jpg)
![“I think at the end of the day she [Rose from "Fences"] is a strong woman in the truest sense of the word. I think all of that is in the narrative; it's already there. The hope is there; the playfulness is there; it's there. I wish I could take credit for it, but it's there.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1dd/viola-davis-1174_credit_i-think-at-the-end-of-the-day-she-rose-f_288442.jpg)
![“When Denzel [Washington] first called me on the phone after we'd just done a reading of the film ["Fences"]. He said, "Oh Viola it was so good, wasn't it?! I'm gonna tell Russell [Hornsby] to lose a little bit of weight and..." I was just sitting there thinking, why is he calling me? And I told…” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/519/viola-davis-1174_believe_when-denzel-washington-first-called-me-o_1751192.jpg)
![“My husband [Julius Tennon] and I started a production company. We've already optioned a book and some scripts to do exactly that, to create more complicated, multi-faceted roles for African-Americans, especially African-American females. I think it's important.” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dfd/viola-davis-1174_african-american_my-husband-julius-tennon-and-i-started-a_2269898.jpg)
![“Obviously, ["Fences"] is a character-driven piece in every sense of the word, and Denzel [Washington] knows the actor. He gave us two weeks of rehearsal. He is a truth teller, and he is a truth seer. So he knows when something is not going in the right direction, and he will call you on it. But…” quote by Viola Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7da/viola-davis-1174_actors_obviously-fences-is-a-character-driven-p_2744209.jpg)
