Viola Davis: Have you ever felt betrayed for not getting your due recognition and reward just because you were not in the good books of others? It becomes more problematic when someone with equal or less calibre is hailed as the Greatest of all time. Let me tell you that you are not alone to face this unjust practice of this unfair world. Hollywood is full of such stories where talented people were outshined by others. This happens because others subtly carry out self-propelled PR gimmicks and controversies beyond their domain of expertise.
Newcomer challenging the established player
In 1975, Mary Louise Streep popularly known as Meryl Streep made her stage debut. On account of her acting finesse, Meryl soon bagged her film debut in 1977 and appeared in the film ‘Julia’. Within no time, Meryl started climbing the success ladder. In 1978, she received her first Primetime Emmy Award for her leading role in ‘Holocaust’.
With her versatile acting skills and adaptability in picking up accents, Meryl became an established name in the Hollywood industry.
Later, impressed by her acting skills, critics and the global audiences started describing her as “the best actress of her generation“. But by the late 1990s, the success graph of Meryl Streep was on a continuous decline.
By then, a newcomer was knocking the door of the Hollywood industry. She was none other than the American actress and producer, Viola Davis. Davis had begun her career by performing in small stage productions. Before appearing in Hollywood, Davis had won several accolades including an Obie Award in 1999.
But for several reasons that we will discuss later, Davis was initially type-cast for minor roles. From the late 1990s to early 2000s, Viola Davis had to be content playing minor roles in several films and television series. But her acting talent couldn’t be tamed for too long. Without resentment, in 2001, Davis showcased her talent by a spectacular performance in a play. She earned the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress for essaying the role of Tonya in the play King Hedley II at the Broadway.
But her first major film breakthrough was in 2008. That year, Davis received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role in film Doubt.
In the meantime, both the actress Merly Streep and Viola Davis struck up a friendship.
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Healthy rivalry
For around decade-and-a-half, Hollywood has witnessed a friendly rivalry between both of them. Both the actresses have proved the mettle of their versatile acting skills and have given phenomenal performances. Both have been all praises for each other. In terms of awards, both are virtually on an equal footing. But still, Hollywood always meted out injustice towards Viola Davis.
On one hand, in her five decades of cinematic career, Meryl has won a record 21 nominations for the Academy Award, winning it thrice, and a record 32 nominations for the Golden Globe Award, winning it eight times. Additionally, Meryl has twice won the British Academy Film Awards, twice won the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards and three Primetime Emmy Awards.
Contrarily, Viola Davis has earned various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Tony Awards. With this, Viola Davis is the only African-American to achieve the ‘Triple Crown of Acting’.
Along with Renée Zellweger, Viola has the record for the most film wins for an actress at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Davis is the most awarded African-American actress.
On cinematic analysis, it was always clear that Viola Davis was second to none in terms of acting skills. But, on account of racism meted out against Viola Davis, she was many times dubbed as ‘Black Meryl Streep’.
In several interviews, Viola Davis has highlighted parities in income and opportunities on account of racial discrimination prevalent in Hollywood. She categorically argued that she had the same path as many top white actresses had. Yet, in terms of movie fee and getting opportunities she is no way close to them.
On the issue of being referred as Black Meryl Streep and loved by all, Viola Davis once remarked that it’s Ok! If there’s no one like her and if Hollywood thinks that way then they should pay her according to her cinematic worth.
If it was not for racial discrimination in giving opportunities, Viola Davis could have been the leading actress of Hollywood who has with time surpassed her good friend Meryl Streep. All those trivialising Davis’ success and talent by referring to her as Black Meryl Streep should get them tested. Viola Davis is too big an actress to be restrained in someone else’s shadow.
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