Viola Davis Chats with Women & Hollywood

The Oscar-nominated actress chats with Melissa Silverstein of the Women & Hollywood blog about working with Meryl Streep, her upcoming roles and how people are starting to really notice her. Here's an excerpt:

Q: How do you see African American actresses fitting into Hollywood?

A: I don’t see us limited as actors. I see the roles out there as being limited. I’m hopeful that it’s going to change. I think that it’s starting to change. But I don’t see the black Lindsay Lohan. I don’t see the black Meryl Streeps and Diane Keatons. I don’t see the black Nicole Kidmans and Julia Roberts, or the Cameron Diaz, the Jennifer Anistons. I don’t see that.

I see the sexy black woman. I see the strong, grounded judge, lawyer, mama. And so if you are quirky and funny and kind of shy and maybe 43 and you don’t speak Ebonics, where do you go? Who’s writing those roles? They just simply don’t even exist in the stereotype. They just don’t exist.

You read that fellow screenwriters, let's bring the quirky on!