Viola Davis: from poverty to Hollywood, discover her journey in her memoir ‘Finding Me’.

We all know Viola Davis, especially for her role as Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder, but also in many films such as The Help, Ma Rainey’s Blues or Suicide Squad and soon The Woman King. In short, with a filmography such as hers, it is very difficult to miss the talent of Viola Davis. However, to get there, it was not as simple as one might think, and this is what Viola Davis tells us in her memoir published last April.

A difficult life in poverty

In Hollywood, there are generally two types of people: those who were born in a rich family and/or with parents or relatives already in the industry and those who have struggled to climb the ladder. Viola Davis is one of the latter, and let me tell you, her life has not been all roses. 

In her book, Viola Davis will tell us about her extremely hard childhood. Not only did she live in poverty with really difficult living conditions, winters in a dilapidated apartment with no heat, hunger in her belly and many others, but she also suffered from racism. From the beginning of her book, Viola tells us about the harassment and racism she suffered at school because of her skin color. A little girl who found herself afraid to go to school until she decided to stand up to them and show them that she wouldn’t let them do it anymore under the guidance of her mother.

Viola’s family was not wealthy. And her story will most certainly remind us (for many of us anyway) that we were lucky to grow up with a roof over our heads without having to skip meals for several days or even having to fight with rats for a bed and a pillow. However, despite the poverty, she will persevere throughout her teenage and young adult life and then as an adult to do what she loves: acting.

In her memoir Viola Davis will also address topics such as domestic violence that her mother suffered with an abusive and alcoholic father, but also the subject of rape or even her health problems that led her to adopt a daughter later. 

A complicated journey, but she finally found herself

Despite all these difficulties, Viola Davis is today a Hollywood icon, one of the greatest black actresses of our generation. She tells how she was accepted at the prestigious Juilliard School, then her debut but also when she will play alongside the great Meryl Streep

In her memoir, Viola Davis tells her story. The story of a black girl who comes from nothing in a predominantly white society and who will succeed in finding her way. But also the story of a woman who stopped running from her past and finally found herself.

To sum up, Viola Davis’ memoir is a must-read book that you can find here, whether you’re a fan or not. It is a poignant and moving story that will leave you with a lot of admiration for the actress. We recommend the audio book narrated by Viola herself in order to immerse yourself even more in her story, it is available on Scribd where you can get one month free for any registration: more info here. Beware that some of the topics discussed may be difficult for sensitive people.