Viola Davis Wishes She Had Never Been In 'The Help'

[JHan]

“I have passed on a lot of roles. There have been one or two that I regretted for maybe a minute, and then I let it go ... Almost a better question is, have I ever done roles that I’ve regretted?” the “Widows” actress told The New York Times in an interview published Tuesday.

Davis, who earned an Oscar nomination for best actress for the role, said that looking back, she wishes she had passed on the opportunity.

“I have [regretted roles], and ‘The Help’ is on that list. But not in terms of the experience and the people involved because they were all great,” she said. “The friendships that I formed 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 [director] Tate Taylor.”

“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,” Davis continued. “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.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/viola-davis-regrets-being-in-the-help_us_5b99196ce4b0162f4732d131?ncid=engmodushpmg00000003

[Squinch]

1. I agree with her. That whole story was a head shake for me. Everyone was raving about

it, and I read the book and couldn't believe it.

Not only did it feel very racist to me, it was also infantile. People seemed to love the whole poop pie thing. I thought it was awful, it was disrespectful to the character who was supposed to have done it, and it was childish and disgusting.

Sometimes I feel like an alien. Listening to the reaction to that book was one of those times.

[JHan]

3. I couldn't get into it either & for a minute I was mind boggled by the reactions to the film..

For me, it came across as a Morality play where the real experiences of Minny and Aibileen were secondary, and almost erased.

[Kind of Blue]

2. Wow, I'm in awe of her for admitting that.

It's never too late to be a good example for future storytellers and actors. Acknowledging that with her stature in the industry, Ms. Davis really gives good instruction on how our experience should center us. But I do understand how few roles black actresses receive and thought it was so for her needing to survive in her beloved craft. But some roles just aren't worth it in any field.

[JHan]

4. yes this +++++