Everyone has regrets, but Viola Davis’s might surprise you.
One of the Oscar-winning actress’s most famous roles is undoubtedly that of The Help where she played the part of a black maid amidst the Civil Rights Movement in 1963
The story, set in Jackson, Mississippi, is based on the book of the same name, with Viola bringing to life Aibileen Clark, for which she was nominated for Best Actress at the Academy Awards.
But 7 years on, the 53-year-old says she regrets starring in the Tate Taylor-directed film.
“Have I ever done roles that I’ve regretted? I have, and The Help is on that list,” she told the New York Times.
“I just felt that at the end of the day that it wasn’t the voices of the maids that were heard. I know Aibileen. I know Minny. They’re my grandma. They’re my mom. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you really feel about it. I never heard that in the course of the movie.”
But, she stressed, “The friendships that I formed [with the cast] are ones that I’m going to have for the rest of my life. I had a great experience with these other actresses, who are extraordinary human beings. And I could not ask for a better collaborator than Tate Taylor.”
In spite of Viola’s thoughts, we still feel that her performance was kind, smart, and important.
