Viola Davis remembers a director calling her by his maid’s name after knowing her for a decade

Viola Davis talks about not getting roles in Hollywood because of her skin color

By Web Desk
May 20, 2022
Viola Davis remembers a director calling her by his maid’s name after knowing her for a decade

Viola Davis shared a shocking incident when a director she knew for a decade called her by his maid’s name.

In an interview with Variety at the Cannes Film Festival, The First Lady actor talked about racism that still prevails in Hollywood and how it limits opportunities for Black actors.

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The actor told the outlet, “I had a director who did that to me. He said, "Louise!" I knew him for 10 years and he called me Louise and I find out that it’s because his maid’s name is Louise.”

“I was maybe around 30 at the time, so it was a while ago. But what you have to realize is that those micro-aggressions happen all the time,” the 56-year-old actor added.

Davis further shared how she was rejected for roles in her career because Hollywood decision makers did not think she was “pretty enough” which she says gets on her “nerves.”

“It breaks my heart and it makes me angry,” the actor said. “A lot of it is based in race. It really is.”

She continued: “Let’s be honest. If I had my same features and I were five shades lighter, it would just be a little bit different. And if I had blond hair, blue eyes and even a wide nose, it would be even a little bit different than what it is now.”

“We could talk about colorism, we could talk about race. It (expletive) me off, and it has broken my heart — on a number of projects, which I won’t name,” Davis added.

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