Viola Davis: "I want women to know that we are the loves of our own lives"

Viola Davis is a true trailblazer - using her platform as a Hollywood icon to push boundaries, inspire change and pave the way for new generations of women.

An EGOT winner, best-selling author and soon to be director, she is empowerment personified - determined to instil self worth and love in all those around her.

It's no surprise therefore that Viola is one of the faces of L'Oréal Paris, encouraging confidence and the beauty in ageing to women everywhere.

This Cannes Film Festival season, L'Oréal Paris has been celebrating women in cinema, from the red carpet to the big screen.

As part of the celebrations, MC's Jenny Proudfoot and Sofia Piza sat down with Viola to talk about the beauty of ageing, changes in Hollywood and the greatest life advice she has received. 

We are here for Cannes' 76th year. What would you like to change about the film industry?

Oh my goodness, opportunity - an opportunity to shine. A lot of people want change, but they don't want to change. There is a sense of status out there that every one wants to be on top. If I had opportunity, Viola Davis would have been Viola Davis when I was 28. But there was just a line here and two lines there - that was all that was out there for a black woman that looks like me. That's one thing that needs to change, and the other thing is that we have to be committed to that change. We have to understand that it's going to cost us something and what it's going to cost is discomfort.

What makes you feel your most empowered?

Showing up and advocating for myself. And I don't mean with spa treatments, healing treatments or losing weight. I mean showing up for myself when people overstep my boundaries, and fighting for myself as much as I fight for other people when I'm hurting or feeling isolated. As women, we have to understand that we are wired for connection and there is a need for allyship. Every single year when we talk about female empowerment, we talk about the need for more of a spotlight to be put on women. And then what happens is there's such a separation between the young and the older, between the white and the black, the women of colour and our Caucasian counterparts. And we don't understand that there is strength in the collective allyship of helping someone who doesn't look like you. And I have to believe that there is synergy in all of us finding a way back to each other. It certainly would help me - I wish I had it earlier. But I would say on a day to day basis for me, I have to show up for myself. And when I show up for myself, I can then connect with others. When I don't, there is a great wall right there that is impenetrable.

L'Oréal's messaging is all about confidence and the beauty in ageing. What does that mean to you?

What that means to me is that it's a privilege to age. And that's why I love that so many of their products say "age perfect", not "anti ageing" - because ageing is perfect and it really does feed our beauty. If you're privileged enough to be in this life for long periods of time, the whole feeling of worth and value is a foundation of life. And it's nothing that you barter with, there is no prerequisite to worth. You know, in the generations before, we hid behind masks, we hid behind A-line skirts, behind perfectly applied makeup, wax floors and dinner on the table every day at five. We hid behind that, and what you saw was a whole generation of women just crumbling internally. And I believe that this generation and the generations that came after the 50s now reject that. They understand their truth and their vulnerability. They understand owning their story, owning their power, and understanding mental health. And I think that has made us even more beautiful - I think that's what connects us to the world. 

What would you say are your L'Oréal Paris Cannes essentials?

I'm going to say the Revitalift serum - probably because I used it this morning. I like the acid peel pads. And I love their new matte lipsticks. British Airways lost my baggage on my way to Cannes - but I'm cool because L'Oréal were so nice. They gave me a huge bag of products, and after I put on that lipstick and the serum, I felt cute.

As a record breaker and history maker, what advice would you give to anyone coming up in your footsteps?

My advice is always the same - you have to honour yourself. There's a quote that I actually put on my Instagram page which says: "How silly of me that I forgot that I'm the love of my life". And I want women to know that. I want women to know that we're the loves of our own lives. I want them to know that when it comes down to disappointing other people, and disappointing yourself, you've got to choose other people every time. That's your path in life - to disappoint as many people as you can to avoid disappointing yourself. And in that way, you keep your flame alive. Your flame is your joy, your story, your purpose, your gift. And when you do that, you will leave something on this earth that means something to someone else. But more importantly, you're leaving something behind that meant a whole lot to you. It's not about making history. I know some people set out to make these records - like how much gum can I chew in one day - but I think the purpose is leading an authentic life. That's the only way that we can get back to loving each other because that's what it's all about, love. You can only be as connected to other people as you are to yourself, and it is the birthplace of everything - your self love, your creativity, your connection, your confidence, everything.

What is the greatest advice that you've ever received?

Oh, that was from Miss Cicely Tyson. She said, "What is for you is for you, Viola. And what is not is not." She told me that before she passed away, and I love that. It's about staying in your own path. She told me about a job that she turned down, which was a big one. And the day she turned it down, she got The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, which put her on the map. And it not only changed her life, but it changed the lives of so many little girls, me being one of them. So, what is for you is for you, and what is not is not.

What for you is the greatest thing you've done in your career?

Writing a book is the greatest thing I've done in my career. That book was very liberating and healing for me because it challenged everything. First of all, I didn't know that I could do it, so it challenged my courage. And then what I wrote also challenged my courage. And because I had to have a clear message, it made me find another voice and purpose for myself, even with just that first chapter that I wrote. And it's not easy, because you're talking about your family, and you want to honour them. But then you also want to honour yourself, and you want to honour your truth. And the two have to mutually coexist, so that was hard. It helped with my memory too - how I remember things and what I choose to remember. But I have to tell you, the memory thing was the most difficult. I always tell people that my book is still 30% of who I am. And it really is, because there are certain things you don't remember, or that you do remember but you haven't processed yet. And then there are certain things that you simply don't want to share. And so what you get is 30%. But the experience is the greatest thing I've done in my career. It has been unbridled joy for me.

You have achieved EGOT status and are now a best-selling author - is directing your next venture?

Absolutely, but I need some space to learn how to do it - you need to breathe. And I don't have to be perfect - there is no such thing as perfection. But I do have to be a little bit more confident. Someone I knew long ago - a great director called Lloyd Richards said that's where he made the bridge between being an actor and becoming a director - that he wanted to see other actors fly. He was OK with just watching them fly - and that's what I want. I want them to fly. I don't always have to be the one in the story - I could be the orchestrator of it.

What would you say gives you the most bravery and confidence within yourself?

The most bravery I have is when I dare to share what is within me. When I dare to be vulnerable is when I feel the most brave. And when I hide and suppress it, that's when I disappoint myself. Because what I am saying is that I'm not worth it. And my pain and who I am inside is worth it - it's a part of who I am. And I don't want to leave Viola behind. I think that's probably my purpose - not to leave her behind.

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