With the trailer for her newest film The Woman King being recently released, there’s no doubt Viola Davis gives her all in the role of Nanisca, a general for The Dahomey Amazons in the Kingdom of Dahomey. Even beyond this upcoming role, Davis demonstrates her unmatched abilities to provide raw emotion to every role she’s ever earned.
From her portrayal of Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder to her emotional portrayal of Rose Maxson in the film Fences alongside Denzel Washington, Viola Davis has seen her fair share of film and television roles that have showcased her acting ability. With her newest film dropping in September this year, some of her best films show her raw and versatile performance, even in movies with limited screen time.
10 Suicide Squad (2016) – 5.9
Not an easy actress to hate, Viola Davis truly shows her acting ability and range with her performance in Suicide Squad. Released in 2016, Suicide Squad follows some of the most dangerous super-villains who are recruited by a secret government agency to save the world. In the film, Viola Davis portrays Amanda Waller, the woman in charge.
Ruthless and manipulative, Amanda Waller isn’t afraid to blackmail and threaten to get the results she wants. Waller isn’t afraid to make it known that she’s in charge, often using deadly means to accomplish her goals. Viola Davis makes it realistic that characters like Deadshot and Harley Quinn would take orders from her while also making it easy to hate her. This proves just how good Viola Davis is at her job.
9 The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them (2014) – 6.3
With the ensemble cast of Viola Davis, Jessica Chastain, James McAvoy , and Bill Hader, The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby: Them tells the story of a couple whose relationship is tested after the loss of their child.
In the film, Viola Davis plays Professor Friedman, a no-nonsense woman that’s unafraid to speak her mind and voice her thoughts. A woman of intelligence, Viola easily portrays the brilliance within her character and demonstrates just how she earned her hit role of Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder.
8 Widows (2018) – 6.8
After the deaths of their husbands, four women are left with the task of pulling off a bank heist in the film, Widows. Viola Davis leads the talented female cast in the film and showcases why she received the role of Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad.
Smart and strategic, Davis plays the character of Veronica Rawlings, a widow that knows how to hold her own and proves to be a force to be reckoned with. She’s a force of nature in the film and represents the vision of a strong female lead film, along with her other co-stars.
7 Get On Up (2014) – 6.9
A film exploring the life and rise of the “Godfather of Soul,” Get On Up is a musical biopic that stars the late Chadwick Boseman as the very talented James Brown in one of the most impressive film roles of his career. The musical biopic involves drama and a whole lot of emotion that plays into the film’s greatness.
Davis plays the role of Susie Brown, the mother of James Brown. A woman that never wanted to be a mother in the first place, Susie Brown is anything but a good mother. However, Viola Davis does an amazing job of showcasing the conflicting feelings of her character, making the audience feel sorry for her. Viola Davis does a good job of bringing the needed emotion to a character, even with little to no character backstory.
6 Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020) – 6.9
Taking place throughout a recording studio session in 1920s Chicago, Ma Rainey and her band deal with tension ranging from racial issues to ambition, leading to many secrets coming to light that change everything. With the film starring the late Chadwick Boseman, Viola Davis, and Taylour Paige, fans are given an abundance of talent throughout the film.
Davis’ portrayal of the talented Ma Rainey went above and beyond, from the gold teeth to the charcoal makeup and wig, making this role her own. Her over-the-top portrayal and sass as the character provided the audience with a realistic understanding of who Ma Rainey was during this period.
5 Fences (2016) – 7.2
A 2016 film starring Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, Fences follows a man stuck in his misery about missing out on his dream of playing professional baseball. As misery loves company, he takes his misery out on his wife and son, who has the potential to play professional football.
Viola Davis plays the role of Rose Maxson, a wife and mother stuck between her husband and her son. She’s the glue that sticks the family together, but this doesn’t mean that things are all roses for her. One of the most emotional scenes comes when Viola Davis expresses her misery of sticking by her husband’s side without any complaints or acknowledgment of her sacrifices. This raw performance not only earned Davis an Oscar but gave audiences one of her most memorable scenes.
4 Antwone Fisher (2002) – 7.3
Viola Davis made her first appearance in a major film in 2002’s Antwone Fisher, directed by one of the most successful actors in the 2000s, Denzel Washington. Davis plays Eva May, the protagonist’s estranged mother, Davis’ appearance was short yet powerful. She played a scarred mother that gave her son up after giving birth to him while in prison.
Due to her character making such a short appearance, this is a film many fans forgot Viola Davis was in. However, her performance was moving without even speaking a word. The audience can see the character’s flaws in the film’s most devastating reunion scene between the mother and son. Viola Davis’ emotionally raw performance is a vital part of the film’s success and earned her an NAACP award.
3 Doubt (2008) – 7.5
A 2008 film mixing faith and destructive gossip, Doubt dives into a nun’s quest to prove that a priest has been acting inappropriately with the Catholic school’s first Black student. Although there’s no proof, the nun looks to prove her suspicious, leading to blackmail and sinful acts.
Playing the role of the Black student’s mother, Viola Davis showcases a mother that wishes to leave her son in the school no matter the abuse to protect him from her abusive husband. With only eight minutes of screen time in the film, this doesn’t stop Davis from showcasing emotion, ranging from desperation, shock, and frustration, which leaves her providing a short yet compelling and tense scene. The film, for many fans, gives way to one of Viola Davis’ best roles in a movie.
2 Prisoners (2013) – 8.1
With an ensemble cast including Viola Davis, Jake Gyllenhaal, Hugh Jackman, and Terrance Howard, Prisoners is a crime thriller that follows a desperate father (Jackman) as he goes on a frantic search for his missing daughter and her friend before it’s too late. Released in 2013, the film explores every parent’s worst nightmare and does an amazing job in doing so.
In the film, Viola Davis takes on the role of Nancy Birch, the mother of Hugh Jackman’s daughter’s best friend, who’s also missing. Davis can capture the true emotions of a mother scared for her child. Her talent of showcasing her feelings without saying much pushes the audience to feel what she’s going through.
1 The Help (2011) – 8.1
A film that truly captured Viola Davis’ acting prowess for many fans, The Help stars an ensemble cast that includes Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, and Jessica Chastain. The film follows a young White girl named Skeeter in 1960s Mississippi as she aspires to become a writer, making her first piece interviewing African-American maids who take care of prominent white families.
In the film, Viola Davis plays Aibileen Clark, a maid for a socialite who neglects her daughter and faces the cruelty of not only her employer daily but also the prejudices of the other women in town. Viola Davis delivers a powerful and emotional performance as she expresses all that she’s had to deal with to make others happy. Many people recognized her gifted and raw talents for her portrayal, and she received a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance By A Female Actor In A Supporting Role.
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