Viola Davis wants Hollywood to be more authentic: “Your job is to give people humanity.”

Viola Davis never tries to be anyone other than herself.

In a new interview with Hoda Kotb at SiriusXM’s TODAY Show Radio Town Hall, the “First Lady” star talks about her new memoirs. Find me..

In a conversation, the 56-year-old also talks about why she believes Hollywood is so important to be genuine and how to face the pressure of being another kind of actress. increase.

Read more: Viola Davis reveals how a conversation with Will Smith made her face childhood trauma

“It’s not who I am.” It’s a very powerful statement. It’s not who I am, “she says. “I’m not a girl walking on the heels like a supermodel. I respect those who do. They look absolutely beautiful. I’m a woman who is really worried about even classic beauty Not. It’s not who I am. I’m not even a woman who always publishes beautiful images and is serious about victory and success. It’s not who I am. Okay. I’m studying life. I’m about showing the truth. And what you know is here. Maybe it’s just me. The truth is ugly because people don’t think it’s ugly I don’t think. “

She continues. “There is no such thing as another image of the truth. And we all understand that we want to escape. Listen, I also want to escape. I’m watching a Marvel movie with my daughter. You know I do. I love them. I love “Zootopia”. I love all animated films. “Frozen”, I love them all. But when you get to the brass studs of being an actor, your job is to give people humanity. And when you see it, and when you are in front of it, you can’t deny it. have understood. And when you are walking this life, my God, the greatest gift you can give to someone is to tell them that it is absolutely enough who they are and what they are. And we do too much work to embarrass people that less than perfection should be hidden. “

Davis also shares how she learned to accept her blackness from actress Cicely Tyson while she was pursuing her acting dreams.

“What happened at Miss Tyson is that we no longer imagined ourselves as this kind of rich white woman. We saw ourselves in our dreams.” She says about black women. “It wasn’t our lack of blackness, and as you know, it was the existence of it that we could dream of. And my sisters didn’t even become actors. Did, but it also opened a portal for them, listen, you don’t have it. We didn’t have it as a black fork. We didn’t have it bottom.”

Read more: Oprah Winfrey chooses Viola Davis memoirs for her reading club

Finally, regarding her memoirs, Davis also shared the fear she had about revealing much of herself in the book.

“We live in a world that is not forgiveness or healing. I think so for some. But most of the time it was just a cancellation and a judgment, and it was afraid. Was like the famous phrase, “When you are known, you are misunderstood.” I didn’t want to be misunderstood, “she says. “I wanted the story to be accepted. I want people to hear it, and I don’t want people to judge it. Until I notice,” Viola, the responsibility to tell your story is I have it to you. “

Davis adds: “Like the famous Ann Lamont’s words, the definition of courage is the fear of prayer. It’s not a lack of fear, but it’s definitely its existence. But the willingness to take risks anyway. , Really a definition of courage. “