5 Lessons Aspiring Actors Can Learn from Viola Davis

Acting with Viola Davis

Viola Davis is an incredibly talented and accomplished actress who has received numerous awards for her work on stage, television, and film. She is also a passionate advocate for education and the arts, using her platform to promote access to quality schooling and opportunities in the performing arts.

Aspiring actors can learn a lot from Viola’s approach to acting and her dedication to honing her craft. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at some of the key lessons that actors can learn from Viola Davis.

1. Embrace vulnerability

One of the things that sets Viola apart as an actor is her willingness to be vulnerable on screen or stage. She has spoken openly about how difficult it was for her to allow herself to be vulnerable early in her career but credits this ability with helping her create more authentic performances.

In interviews, Viola talks about how important it is for actors to tap into their emotions and use them in their work. This means being willing to expose your own vulnerabilities and flaws on camera or stage.

2. Do your research

Another thing that sets Viola apart is the amount of research she puts into each role she takes on. Before filming or rehearsing a new project, she immerses herself in all aspects of the character’s life – reading books, watching documentaries or films relevant to the subject matter, meeting people who have experienced similar situations as her character.

This depth of understanding helps bring authenticity and nuance into every performance while also providing insights into what drives characters’ decisions in particular scenes.

3. Collaborate with others

Viola emphasizes collaboration when working on projects; she believes that everyone involved should have equal input in creating each scene’s emotional arc so they can achieve more significant results than any one person could alone.

She values feedback from other members of cast/crew because it allows them all better understand storylines which ultimately leads towards crafting better performances.

4. Use your voice for good

Viola has always been passionate about using her platform to advocate for education and the arts, believing that everyone deserves access to these opportunities regardless of their background or financial resources. She founded a non-profit organization called “The Dream Foundation” with her husband, Julius Tennon, which aims at improving educational outcomes in underserved communities.

In 2018 she was awarded the Artist Advocate Award by Americans For The Arts in recognition of her advocacy work on behalf of the arts and artists’ rights.

5. Never stop learning

Finally, Viola notes how important it is for actors to continue learning and growing throughout their careers. This means taking classes, attending workshops and seminars, studying scripts even when not booked on projects; anything that can help develop skills required as an actor.

She has also worked hard to improve herself as an actress over time by seeking out new challenges that push her outside of comfort zone while still staying true to her values as an artist.

Conclusion

Viola Davis is one of the most talented actresses working today who has dedicated much of career advocating for equal access to quality education and opportunities within performing arts fields worldwide. Aspiring actors can learn many valuable lessons from this incredible artist – such as being vulnerable on camera/stage during performances; immersing oneself deeply into character research before filming/rehearsing new projects; collaborating closely with team members; using voice towards positive change initiatives (i.e., founding non-profit organizations); never ceasing self-improvement efforts through continued learning experiences – all things that will help them become better actors!