“It was a chance and an opportunity to fix some things I never got right on stage, and that was the last piece with Cory,” Davis explained, referring to a pivotal scene with her son that unfolds during the last act. When she really taps into her voice, she really taps into it. “Sometimes, women are in the background and they stay in the background. And then, when she steps forward and she’s betrayed, then you hear her voice.”Įven for an actress as lauded as Davis, that’s a rarity. “You don’t get that often,” she said. “She’s cooking! She’s sitting! It’s not that she’s not enjoying the banter, but you kind of feel like this is how it’s going to be. “I think the best part of Rose is, when she’s introduced in the play, she’s in the background.
“It could not be any more perfectly written.”įor Davis, it’s Rose’s slow-growing presence that really makes the part pop, in addition to a final act that sees her very much coming out of her shell and speaking her mind. “Besides the fact that it’s a great role?” Davis joked when asked about what drew her to the role of Rose. READ MORE: ‘Fences’: Viola Davis Will Campaign for the Supporting Actress Oscar 'Song of the South': 12 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial MovieĪfter a special event for “ Fences,” held Thursday night at New York City’s Walter Reade Theatre, Davis and Washington, along with co-stars Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adebo and Mykelti Williamson, participated in a post-screening Q&A, during which Davis got honest about Rose and why she wanted to revisit such a beloved role.
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