Viola Davis Reveals How A Conversation With Will Smith Led Her To Confront Childhood Trauma
etcanada.comViola Davis has written a new memoir, Finding Me, in which she recounts her difficult childhood and eventual success in Hollywood.
In an excerpt shared by USA Today, the Oscar-winning actress recounts how a conversation with “Suicide Squad” co-star Will Smith gave her a whole new perspective on some trauma she’d been dealing with for decades.
As Davis writes, she and Smith were chatting on the set when Smith asked, “Viola, who are you?” READ MORE: Viola Davis Responds To ‘Incredibly Hurtful’ Criticism Of Michelle Obama Portrayal: ‘Critics Absolutely Serve No Purpose’ Smith then explained how he saw himself. “Look, I’m always going to be that 15-year-old boy whose girlfriend broke up with him,” he explained. “That’s always going to be me.
So, who are you?” That forced Davis to ask herself that question, and the answer proved to be difficult, leading her back to a painful anecdote from her childhood. “Eight or nine white boys in my class made it their daily, end-of-school ritual to chase me like dogs hunting prey,” she shared, revealing that along with racist slurs they would also throw rocks and bricks at her. READ MORE: Oprah Winfrey Picks Viola Davis Memoir For Her Book Club “There I was, a working actress with steady gigs, Broadway credits, multiple industry awards, and a reputation of bringing professionalism and excellence to any project,” she wrote. “Hell, Oprah knew who I was.
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