Viola Davis sat down with Oprah Winfrey in an exclusive interview to discuss her life, career, and memoir, Finding Me. With the intention that her transparency will inspire someone else, The First Lady actress opens up about little known experiences she’s dealt with in the past.
Although Davis has achieved the epitome of success in her field — winning an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Oscar, along with earning a star on the Walk of Fame in 2017 — she wasn’t always equipped with the necessary resources to direct her path.
Davis mentions in her memoir that she felt ashamed that she didn’t know the answers to make her life move in the right direction. She would always receive advice from others telling her to try harder or pull herself up by the bootstraps. Davis says the irony was that she didn’t have any boots to begin with.
“People don’t realize that if no one show you, then you have to figure it out on your own,” Davis told Winfrey. “And I didn’t have the tools to figure it out on my own.”
As a child, she had the displeasure of growing up in poverty. She would often go to school without proper hygiene, becoming a target among her peers. At home, she had to fight off hunger and rats, which would eat anything in their path.
Later, Davis became a strong believer in prayer and manifestation. Before meeting her husband Julius, she was very specific about the type of man she wants, asking God for a “big Black man from the south who’s probably been married before, has kids.”
While the journey has been tough, Davis was able to turn it all around by reframing her thoughts and developing an inner confidence.
Davis’ memoir is now part of Winfrey’s book club. Catch the interview on Oprah + Viola: A Netflix Special Event, currently available on the streaming platform.
