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Viola Davis for LA Times Magazine
If there’s one thing this editorial taught us…
Viola Davis featured in the LA Times magazine photographed by Ruven Afanador and styled by Hayley Atkin.
It’s that Miss Viola needs to ditch the wigs and flaunt that fabulous natural head of hair. Talk about a dramatic difference; we actually thought the pictures were mislabeled when we first saw them. We really didn’t think that was Viola. We admit that our first thought was that she looks older without the wig, but we think that’s due to the fact that this hairstyle is more common on older women of color than younger ones. But there’s nothing inherently “mature” about the style and it totally alters her features (to the better). We think she’s looked gorgeous plenty of times, but we’ve never seen her look this striking.
And the quotes’ll make you fall in love with her. We didn’t even like The Help, but now we’re hoping she wins the Oscar – especially if she’s not wearing a wig and proudly rocking her natural hair when she does so.
Jason Wu sculpted dress: $3,195. Giuseppe Zanotti black suede cut-out bootie: $850.
On preferring underrated: “Human life is about a culmination of moments, and 99 percent of those are quiet but powerful. I am always interested and intrigued with watching that.”
Thierry Mugler lace with velvet trim suit (c. 1990s): $950 from Decades.
On being an African-American actress in Hollywood: “That really is our plight, especially as women of color. You can have all the training in the world, come from a respectable background and yet never get that big opportunity that breaks you out—never. [...] You can be in the business for 23 years, which I have been, and suddenly something happens that wakes people up. For me, that was being in a movie [Doubt] with Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It makes people realize you’re there. Otherwise you’re that black girl who had a guest or costar role in a TV show here or there.”
Jason Wu sculpted dress: $3,195. Costume National fox fur poncho: $1,696. Tom Ford Daphne sunglasses: $475. Giuseppe Zanotti black suede cut-out bootie: $850.
Marchesa long-sleeve high-neck re-embroidered lace dress with organza flower shoulder detail: $4,950.
On mentoring young people: “Young people need to be mentored to aspire to something fulfilling. I am doing this out of necessity. If I am not the instrument of change, I can meander through this business and be the black woman who always has two or three scenes but with fabulous actors around me.”
[Photo Credit: Ruven Afanador for latimesmagazine.com]
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