One of the most decorated actresses in Hollywood history has clapped back at the “hurtful” criticisms of her portrayal of Michelle Obama in the cable drama “The First Lady.”
Specifically, fans derided Viola Davis for the allegedly less than complimentary facial expressions that she displayed while trying to channel her inner Obama for the ballyhooed Showtime series.
Davis, 56, who has won an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony award, admitted during her interview with BBC News to promote her new memoir that it is “incredibly hurtful when people say negative things about your work. How do you move on from the hurt, from failure? But you have to. Not everything is going to be an awards-worthy performance.”
As the only Black actor to ever win the industry’s highest awards across three different performance platforms (movies, TV and Broadway theater), Davis and her most loyal fans believed that she deserved better treatment.
“Critics absolutely serve no purpose,” Davis continued with the BBC. “And I’m not saying that to be nasty, either. They always feel like they’re telling you something that you don’t know. Somehow that you’re living a life where you’re surrounded by people who lie to you and ‘I’m going to be the person that leans in and tells you the truth,’ so it gives them an opportunity to be cruel to you. But ultimately I feel like it is my job as a leader to make bold choices. Win or fail it is my duty to do that.”
It appears Davis is classically and defiantly undeterred from taking the kind of chances with roles that have put the venerated actress in rarified air, despite the scorching critiques of her latest role.
Do you believe that Black Twitter was too harsh in their appraisal of Davis’ look, expressions and portrayal of the iconic Obama?
