Viola Davis wins best supporting actress Oscar for role as wronged wife 'Fences'
-
Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Viola Davis has won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her work in the film adaptation of the classic August Wilson play 鈥淔ences.鈥澛�
Ms. Davis portrayed Rose Maxson, wife of Troy (Denzel Washington) and mother to Cory (Jovan Adepo). The story takes place in 1950's Pittsburgh.听
The film, which is also nominated for Oscars including best picture, best actor for Mr. Washington, and best adapted screenplay, and was directed by Washington, stars many of the actors who portrayed the same roles in the 2010 Broadway revival, including Washington and Davis.听
Davis has previously been nominated for two Oscars, one for the best actress prize for starring in 2011鈥檚 鈥淭he Help鈥� and one for best supporting actress for her work in the 2008 movie 鈥淒oubt.鈥� She currently stars on the ABC Shonda Rhimes drama 鈥淗ow to Get Away with Murder.鈥澛�
that she wanted to portray Rose鈥檚 journey over the course of the story as Rose鈥檚 situation grows darker.
鈥淚 just really wanted to create a portrait of a woman鈥�.,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou see age has affected her, but you still see the smile; you see a little bit of the lipstick; you see a woman who is not downtrodden. It was very important for me to create an entire and specific portrait of a woman, so by the time everything is taken away, it really is taken away. You really feel the trauma ... and I could have only gotten to that level if I would have had something to lose.鈥澛�
(Spoilers follow for the film 鈥淔ences鈥濃��)
As the plot of 鈥淔ences鈥� unfolds,聽Davis鈥檚 character, Rose, discovers her husband has been unfaithful. 鈥淭here are a lot of women like that who stay,鈥� Davis said of Rose's decisions聽in聽.听
鈥淲e all are doing the best we can,鈥� she added.听鈥淚 would like to say that I'm a walking poster board for feminism and women's liberation, but there are things that I do in my life that deeply, deeply fall short of being a statement for being a strong woman. I am flawed as much as anyone else. Once again: choices. This is not a woman who has $5,000 in the bank.鈥澛�
But her portrayal of those choices聽鈥� and their costs聽鈥� grabbed critics' attention this winter.
"The acting is all superb," . "At the moment Troy鈥檚 selfishness is fully revealed, Viola Davis delivers a monologue of tearful, scalding, nose-running agony that shows you one woman鈥檚 entire reality breaking down. For a few shattering moments, when she talks about her family of half-brothers and half-sisters, it drags the fallout from America鈥檚 racist past right into the glaring light of the present."
