The unrealistic depiction of women in films and series has always been a concerning thing for the actors and audiences at large. Thus, appearing as part of Variety’s Actors on Actors, Viola Davis and Tom Hanks discussed the s*xualization of women in the entertainment industry.
Picking at her ABC series, How to Get Away With Murder character, Annalise Keating, Viola Davis discussed how she seized the opportunity to execute the role of an imperfect woman, yet faced s*xualization. Further, Tom Hanks mentioned his opinion on the uber-perfect depiction of women and stated his disgust for the same in his R-rated moments in Hollywood.
Viola Davis Discussed Her How to Get Away With Murder Character
After seizing the opportunity to appear in the ABC series How to Get Away With Murder as Annalise Keating, Viola Davis purposefully broke down her role. Sitting for a discussion with Tom Hanks, Davis mentioned how she planned to execute her role in the series as an imperfect woman. However, navigating into the issue of s*xualization, the actress enlightened her audience with the difference between s*xualized and s*xy.
“I saw that role as an opportunity for something that was way bigger than doing good work. I saw it as an opportunity for a dark-skinned actress of 50 to be in a role that is s*xualized, not s*xy — there is a difference between s*xualized and s*xy.”
Stating how she had tunnel vision for the opportunity for she considered it “a blank palate, or canvas, to put my mark on” Davis further opened up about performing a s*x scene in Fences. Mentioning being comfortable with exposing her body despite not being “a size 2”, the actress discussed her penchant for breaking the stereotypical depiction of women.
“If I am in a s*x scene, I want to say ‘this is why I am attracted to you, this is why it has gotten to this point, this is what my body looks like,” Viola Davis discussed with Tom Hanks. Further joking about the industry’s growing desire to showcase women as uber-perfect and super s*xy humans, Davis and Hanks shared their opinions.
Tom Hanks Shared His Opinion On Unrealistic Depiction Of Women
Tom Hanks, who has been in the entertainment industry for decades, purposefully admitted that certain roles written for women appear super unrealistic. Discussing the ongoing issue of s*xualizing women in media, Hanks expressed concern and dislike for the same. Highlighting the fact that women are often confined to a particular body type, the actor noted the disgraceful R-rated moments.
“A lot of times, the women are in far too good of shape, and the problem I always have is the women’s lip gloss is always perfectly applied.”
Emphasizing the media’s responsibility to depict a scene with authenticity, Tom Hanks pointed out, “If you’re working hard in the legal office, your clothes should be wrinkled and your hair should be askew.” However, feeling sad for the messed up situation in the industry, the actor further discussed with Viola Davis how women are pressurized to fit into an ideal image.
Often known for appearing in drama movies, Tom Hanks reflected upon the media’s responsibility to promote healthy representation of characters. Criticizing the harmful stereotypes, Tom Hanks and Viola Davis stood against the industry’s toxic patterns.
Source: Variety
