Viola Davis Wants to “Kick People’s A**” For a Weird Reason That Has To Do With Grown Men in Tears

Viola Davis' villain roles make her want to kick somebody's a**.

viola davis wants to “kick people’s a**” for a weird reason that has to do with grown men in tears

SUMMARY

  • Viola Davis confessed in a recent interview her love for playing villain roles.
  • The actress talked about her experience working on The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
  • Davis revealed what made her join the franchise after reading the books.
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Viola Davis has starred in several critically acclaimed movies, but her favorite of all roles is playing the villain. The part gives her some sort of power that immediately transforms her into a ruthless antagonist that no one wants to mess with.

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viola davis in the ballad of songbirds and snakes
Viola Davis in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The actress’ latest project, The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, saw her turn into Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the gamemaker for the 10th annual Hunger Games. According to Davis, she had fun playing the ominous and terrifying character.

RELATED: The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes Review: Compelling First Act Gives Way to Rushed Finale

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Viola Davis Loves Playing The Villain

During Viola Davis’ appearance in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, she discussed playing the villain part in the prequel film of The Hunger Games saga. She stated:

I feel like every character I do now is an homage to my childhood, which means that I don’t want anyone messing with me. I wanna kick people’s a**.”

Jimmy Fallon asked her to explain the statement about kicking people’s a**, which Davis admitted makes her feel that they loved her even more because of it. She further added:

I love playing the villain because everybody sees me. Everybody wants to hug me. Everybody wants to kiss me. There are grown men who want to kiss me in the parking lot of Target. You know, they want to hold me.”

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Viola Davis in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

The actress continued her story, sharing how these grown men would approach her teary-eyed while asking for a hug:

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Literally, they come up to me, and I’m thinking, ‘Okay, they’re going to ask me for an autograph or whatever.’ Sometimes, they have tears in their eyes, and they’re like, ‘Can I hug you?’ You know, almost like they have to reconcile a bad childhood or something.”

Davis professed her love for playing the evil and wicked character, which makes the viewers notice and appreciate her even more.

RELATED: “I betrayed myself, and my people”: Viola Davis Regrets Acting In $216M Movie With Emma Stone That Landed Her 2nd Oscar Nomination

Viola Davis Talks About Filming For Hunger Games Prequel

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Viola Davis talked about her experience filming for The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes. Of course, she loved the power that her villainous character exudes. She revealed:

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Just seeing how many times you can make someone squirm — like Tom Blyth, oh man, it was a joy because he was very receptive to it, so I was just so happy about poking him. Even in the scene when I had to inject him and give him stitches, I think, loved it.”

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Viola Davis in The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes

When asked what made her join the franchise, Davis noted that she loved The Hunger Games books. She also wanted to see if she could fit in inside its realm:

I wanna see if I can be in this world. That’s the thing with actors, when you feel like can you do it, can you actually do it? That’s the thing that excites you because it scares you.”

Her transformation as Dr. Volumnia Gaul is indeed a lot of work. The actress remarked that once her makeup is all done, she immediately becomes her character. Davis also noted that looking the part means the work is half done:

When you step out of the trailer, and you have the makeup and the hair and the beautiful costumes… you feel like you’re that person. That you’ve transformed.”

The wardrobe and the makeup are definitely essentials in making actors feel fully immersed in the roles they are playing. Davis absolutely nailed her part in the film, leaving another impression of a great villain.

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RELATED: “It wasn’t long enough”: Oprah Winfrey Was Rejected for $50M Meryl Streep Movie for a ‘Hypocritical’ Reason That Worked in Favor of Viola Davis

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Written by Ariane Cruz

Articles Published: 1944

Ariane Cruz, Senior Content Writer. She has been contributing articles for FandomWire since 2021, mostly covering stories about geek pop culture. With a degree in Communication Arts, she has an in-depth knowledge of print and broadcast journalism. Her other works can also be seen on Screen Rant and CBR.