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
You're only reduced to a cliche if you don't humanize a character.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A character becomes unoriginal or cliché when they lack depth and relatability.
Viola Davis emphasizes the importance of depth in character development, arguing that characters lose their authenticity and become clichés if they are not portrayed with human qualities and emotions. This highlights the need for writers and creators to infuse humanity into their characters, allowing audiences to connect with them on a deeper level.
Themes
CharacterClicheHumanizationDepthAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a writing workshop, to illustrate the importance of character development.
More from Viola Davis
All quotes →What excites me is just taking some time to breathe in life. The mundane is very exciting.
Viola DavisRead
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.
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.
Viola DavisRead
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.
Viola DavisRead
There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear.
Viola DavisRead
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