Viola Davis, who is arguably the frontrunner this year to win the "Academy Awards" for "Best Supporting Actress" accolade admits that it is not necessarily a good thing to be the favorite to bag the iconic gold hardware. The actress talks about the additional pressure that she needs to deal with being in the position that she is in right now.
During her recent appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," the 51-year-old thespian talked about her chances of bringing home one of the most the coveted prize for her performance in "Fences". But instead of being thrilled to be in her situation, she says that the expectation to win makes it more difficult for her if she loses.
"You know I've been the odds-on favorite to win before and lost?" Davis told host Jimmy Kimmel. "It's like falling from a 100-story building as opposed to if you know you're losing, it's like falling from a one-story building,"
The "How to Get Away with Murder" lead has received tremendous praise for her work in "Fences" alongside Denzel Washington, who in turn is nominated for Oscar's "Best Actor" prize. Based on Augustus Wilson's Pulitzer Prizewinning play of the same name, the movie features Davis and Washington playing husband and wife, Troy and Lee Maxson, respectively. The story tackles their lives trying to cope with the social beating they receive by being African-American in 1950s Pittsburgh. The period movie all in all racks 4 Oscar nods including "Best Picture" and "Best Adapted Screenplay" on top of its stars' individual citations.
Davis has already nabbed a couple of accolades this award season. The list includes "Best Supporting Actress in a motion picture" for the "Golden Globes" and "Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role" for the "Screen Actors Guild Awards." And given the content of the work she represents and the current political and social climate in the United States, she always used her acceptance speech as a vehicle to promote equality in the society.
"I think sometimes what people miss about black people is that we're complicated, that we are indeed messy, that we do our best with what we've been given. We come into the world exactly like you. It's just that there are circumstances in the culture that are dictated and put on our lives that we have to fight against," she said in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, referring to the struggle that her people face every day.
The 89th Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 26. The show will be broadcasted live on the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. EST/4 p.m. PST.
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