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feature: viola davis discusses the struggles of being a black actress in hollywood

September 16, 2014

Viola Davis is about to star as the lead in new Shoda Rhimes series ‘How to Get Away with Murder’; however, in a recent interview with The New York Times, the actress discusses the present hardships for black actresses – despite the personal breakthroughs of herself and other high profile black actresses. 

By Alexander Aplerku, AFROPUNK Contributor.

The two-time Oscar nominee and two-time Tony winner discusses both a disproportion of roles for black women and a lack of range in roles, describing the roles available for black women as “downtrodden” and “mammy-ish”. Davis goes on to say, “You’re going to get your three or four scenes, you’re not going to be able to show what you can do. You’re going to get your little bitty paycheck, and then you’re going to be hungry for your next role, which is going to be absolutely the same. That’s the truth.” To read more of Davis’ insightful words, read the full article HERE; and if you haven’t already seen it, watch the trailer for ‘How to Get Away with Murder’ below:

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