The more I'm pushed in a position of leadership and I know I have to be the mouthpiece for so many other people who can't speak for themselves, the more confidence I'm gaining.
Viola DavisRead
I don't see a lot of narratives written where a woman who looks like me gets to be beautiful and sexualized and upwardly mobile, middle-class, funny, quirky. They're very seldom written.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the lack of diverse representations of women in media, particularly women of color, in terms of beauty and complexity.
Viola Davis emphasizes the need for more narratives that portray women who resemble her, showcasing them not just in stereotypical roles but as beautiful, sexual, and multifaceted individuals. She calls attention to the scarcity of such representations in literature and media, suggesting that society often overlooks the richness and diversity of women's experiences, especially those from marginalized backgrounds.
Themes
RepresentationDiversityBeautyWomenMediaIdentity
In practice
Example use cases
In a panel discussion about representation in Hollywood, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of diverse narratives.
More from Viola Davis
All quotes →What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting.
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I don't care if someone is new to acting or experienced in acting: you always learn something from them. It's just like people in life - whether they're young or middle-aged or old, you always learn something from someone.
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And that's what people want to see when they go to the theater. I believe at the end of the day, they want to see themselves - parts of their lives they can recognize. And I feel if I can achieve that, it's pretty spectacular.
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There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear.
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August Wilson is the one writer that writes about men like my father, who had a fifth grade education, who was a janitor at McDonald's.
Viola DavisRead
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