Nineties supermodel Naomi Campbell and several other female celebrities helped make Viola Davis – who’s only a Grammy away from elite EGOT status – go viral on Tuesday.
They shared a clip of the South Carolina-born 54-year-old discussing pay inequity with Tina Brown at the 2018 Women in the World event in Neuehouse Hollywood.
‘I got the Oscar, I got the Emmy, I got the two Tonys, I’ve done Broadway, I’ve done off-Broadway, I’ve done TV, I’ve done film, I’ve done all of it,’ Viola stated.
She’s only a Grammy away from elite EGOT status! Nineties supermodel Naomi Campbell (R) and several other female celebrities helped make Viola Davis (L) go viral on Tuesday
BLM: They shared a clip of the South Carolina-born 54-year-old discussing pay inequity with Tina Brown (L) at the 2018 Women in the World event in Neuehouse Hollywood
‘I have more than a 30-year professional career. I have a career that’s probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver. They all came out of Yale, they came out of Julliard, they came out of NYU.
‘They had the same path as me, and yet I am nowhere near them, not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities, nowhere close to it.’
Davis continued: ‘And yet I have to constantly get on that phone and people say: “You’re a Black Meryl Streep…There is no one like you.” Okay, then if there’s no one like me, you think I’m that, you pay me what I’m worth. You give me what I’m worth.’
The Troop Zero star noted how inclusivity has to start with the studio heads who greenlight movies.
Viola stated: ‘I got the Oscar, I got the Emmy, I got the two Tonys, I’ve done Broadway, I’ve done off-Broadway, I’ve done TV, I’ve done film, I’ve done all of it. I have more than a 30-year professional career’
Davis continued: ‘I have a career that’s probably comparable to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver. They all came out of Yale, they came out of Julliard, they came out of NYU. They had the same path as me, and yet I am nowhere near them, not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities, nowhere close to it’
The Troop Zero star added: ‘And yet I have to constantly get on that phone and people say: “You’re a Black Meryl Streep…There is no one like you.” Okay, then if there’s no one like me, you think I’m that, you pay me what I’m worth. You give me what I’m worth’
‘They won’t consider you for a role they wrote for Sandra Bullock or Reese Witherspoon,’ Viola explained.
‘You’re afraid that the movie is not going to make money internationally…My whole thing is, if you’re dedicated to change, let it cost you something.’
Naomi shared a quote from the clip about the ethnicity wage gap, which she hashtagged ‘#blackexcellence’ and ‘#equalpay.’
Fired America’s Got Talent host Gabrielle Union – who’s suing NBC and Simon Cowell over ‘racist actions’ – wrote: ‘This!!!!!! All day THIS!!!!’
Commiseration: Naomi shared a quote from the clip about the ethnicity wage gap, which she hashtagged ‘#blackexcellence’ and ‘#equalpay’
Fired America’s Got Talent host Gabrielle Union – who’s suing NBC and Simon Cowell over ‘racist actions’ – wrote: ‘This!!!!!! All day THIS!!!!’
The View host Sunny Hostin shared the clip and wrote: ‘Say it @violadavis. Say it!!’
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer wrote: ‘Nope!!! You are THE one and only @violadavis that is all! #knowYourWorth #noIsTheMostPowerfulWord #IUseItOften’
Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote: ‘Dear @violaDavis, this is WHY we stan! #YoureWorthIt!’
‘Standing with these beautiful souls in protest’: Coincidentally, Viola (2-R) joined Octavia (L) and Yvette (R) at a cornerside Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles on June 5
The View host Sunny Hostin shared the clip and wrote: ‘Say it @violadavis. Say it!!’
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer wrote: ‘Nope!!! You are THE one and only @violadavis that is all! #knowYourWorth #noIsTheMostPowerfulWord #IUseItOften.’
Community actress Yvette Nicole Brown wrote: ‘Dear @violaDavis, this is WHY we stan! #YoureWorthIt!’
Coincidentally, Viola joined Octavia and Yvette at a ‘tiny but mighty’ cornerside Black Lives Matter protest in Los Angeles on June 5.
First on call sheet: On May 14, Davis concluded her role producing and starring as defense attorney professor Annalise Keating ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder after six seasons
‘The best is yet to be’: On June 23, The Help alum celebrated her 17th anniversary with husband Julius Tennon, with whom she has an eight-year-old daughter Genesis (pictured August 10)
The viral moment came three days after one of Davis’ ‘You’re Worth It’ commercials for cosmetic company L’Oreal was aired during the first virtual BET Awards.
The Help alum also recently joined Idris Elba, Queen Latifah, Kerry Washington, and 300 others in signing the Hollywood4BlackLives initiative demanding fair treatment.
On May 14, Viola concluded her role producing and starring as defense attorney professor Annalise Keating ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder after six seasons.
Among Davis’ upcoming projects in the can are playing former FLOTUS Michelle Obama in Showtime’s First Ladies and reprising her role as Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad.
On June 23, the Emanuel producer celebrated her 17th anniversary with husband Julius Tennon, with whom she has an eight-year-old daughter Genesis.