Viola Davis, an EGOT-winning actor and producer, shares her journey from a challenging childhood in Rhode Island to her groundbreaking work in film and theater. She discusses her transformative roles in projects like The Woman King and the impact of her memoir, Finding Me. Viola reveals insights from her Juilliard experience and the struggles of being a Black actress in Hollywood. With reflections on legacy and authenticity, she emphasizes the importance of representation in storytelling and connects deeply with the audience through her artistic process.
01:09:53
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
question_answer ANECDOTE
Sister's Question Sparked Curiosity
Viola Davis's older sister Diane asked her at age five, "What do you want to be?" which planted the seed of curiosity in her life.
That moment was the call to adventure, inspiring Viola to consider who she wanted to become despite her difficult childhood.
insights INSIGHT
Curiosity Drives Personal Growth
Viola grew up with trauma from poverty and alcoholic parents, feeling wrong and unsafe as a child.
She realized curiosity is crucial to growth, prompting us to understand who we are despite imperfect circumstances.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Dissociation as Childhood Escape
As a child, Viola escaped traumatic home life by dissociating, visualizing floating above herself to find relief.
This magical, empowering act became a secret power she returned to for decades to find freedom.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Seven Guitars is a play by August Wilson, set in 1948, and is part of his Pittsburgh Cycle. The story revolves around the funeral of Floyd 'Schoolboy' Barton, a local blues guitarist on the edge of stardom. The play is structured as a flashback to the events leading up to his death, highlighting themes of African-American male identity, self-understanding, and the struggles faced by the community in postwar urban Pittsburgh. The play features a cast of characters including Floyd, his girlfriend Vera, and their friends, all navigating personal and societal challenges[3][4][5].
Finding Me
Viola Davis
In 'Finding Me,' Viola Davis shares her inspiring and often tumultuous life story, from her childhood in abject poverty in Rhode Island to her rise as a renowned actress. The memoir delves into her experiences with racism, colorism, and childhood trauma, as well as her healing journey, family dynamics, and her path to finding her purpose and voice. Davis's narrative is a testament to the power of radical honesty, self-love, and the courage to overcome adversity.
Before Viola Davis (How to Get Away with Murder) became an EGOT-winning actor, she was an observer. Her work takes the human experience and transmutes it, offering a mirror and a window into ourselves.
Today, we sit to unpack her recent, liberating projects in The Woman King (4:24) and G20 (4:50), the formative years she spent growing up in Rhode Island (13:52), and how she captured those familial memories in her 2022 memoir Finding Me (17:12). Then, we talk about Viola’s start as a performer (23:40), what she learned attending Juilliard (31:57), and the quagmire she faced as a Black actor emerging on Broadway and in Hollywood post-graduation (35:10).
On the back-half, Davis reflects on a scene from August Wilson’s play Seven Guitars (37:50), her singular experience acting alongside Meryl Streep in Doubt (47:25), and the ways her life transformed during Shonda Rhymes’ How to Get Away with Murder and Steve McQueen’s Widows (53:00). To close, Viola shares her views on legacy (1:01:05) and how she finds her way back home, each and every day (1:05:20).
Thoughts or future guest ideas? Email us at mail@talkeasypod.com.
Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso 
