Viola Davis has revealed how her teenage daughter’s emotional response to her latest performance left a lasting impact on her. This candid revelation offers a rare glimpse into the personal life of one of Hollywood’s most respected performers.
The 59-year-old actor made the remarks during an appearance on “Good Morning America” on Monday, April 7, during which she was promoting her upcoming action film, G20, which is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Thursday, April 10. The highly anticipated film has already generated significant buzz among critics who attended early screenings.
Speaking to presenter Michael Strahan, 53, Viola described how her 14-year-old daughter, Genesis, reacted to watching her in the film, telling them: “She kept saying, ‘Oh my goodness. Mom, Mom, you’re golden, mama. You’re golden!’ She cried. She laughed.”
These authentic emotional responses from her daughter provided Davis with validation beyond the typical industry accolades, touching on the more personal aspects of her identity as both an artist and a mother.
Davis ‘loved being the hero’
“I loved being the hero to my teenage daughter,” she said. “Because usually in these teenage years, you just disappear.”
This sentiment resonates with many parents navigating the complex emotional landscape of raising adolescents in today’s world.
“They become zombies, and you become anything other than a hero.”
She added: “Her sitting there watching me like that … it just, yeah. It was everything.”
This emotional acknowledgment highlights how deeply meaningful family validation can be, even for someone with Davis‘s level of professional success and recognition.
Davis has Genesis with her husband Julius Tennon, 70. The couple has maintained a strong partnership in both their personal and professional lives, co-founding JuVee Productions in 2011, the same year they welcomed Genesis into their family.
The couple adopted their daughter in 2011, a year after her birth. Their adoption journey has been an important part of Davis’s personal narrative, which she has occasionally shared to help normalize different paths to parenthood.
Davis, who has earned acclaim across stage and screen, is known for her award-winning performances in Fences, The Woman King and “How to Get Away with Murder.” Her versatility as a performer has allowed her to portray complex, multidimensional characters across various genres and platforms.
She is one of a select group of performers to achieve EGOT status — having won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards. This rare distinction places her among only a handful of individuals who have accomplished this feat in entertainment history, cementing her legacy as one of the industry’s most versatile talents.
Parenthood gave her purpose
Despite the accolades, Davis has said parenthood gave her a deeper sense of purpose. This perspective challenges conventional notions of success, suggesting that even at the height of professional achievement, family connections provide a different kind of fulfillment.
Speaking to People in 2017, she said: “It was great, but it was not fulfilling. I wanted my life to mean and be something deeper. Her candid reflection on the limitations of professional success alone offers insight into her personal values and priorities.
“That’s when the urge came, and the urge was just very, very, very strong,” Davis said. “So, I have a kid now, and she is just the light of our lives.”
Davis‘s description of the powerful desire for parenthood resonates with many who have experienced similar longings, regardless of their professional circumstances.
Davis added while she is not “the brownie-making mother,” she prioritizes emotional support and creativity in parenting. Her approach acknowledges that there are many valid ways to be a good parent beyond traditional stereotypes.
“I encourage her to use any source of expression, whether it’s TikTok, painting, taking pictures,” she told People in 2020. This support for creative expression demonstrates Davis’s commitment to nurturing her daughter’s authentic self-expression.
She added: “I said, ‘Anything about yourself, even the things that you don’t think people will love about you, all of it makes up your beauty.’ I don’t want her to grow up with any shame.” This powerful message of self-acceptance reflects Davis’s own journey toward embracing her authentic self, both personally and professionally.
