A Letter to Viola Davis

What follows is a letter to a celebrity who I adore, Viola Davis. Written in 2021, but not posted, it is something that I have had on my heart for years. It is not a long post, and it is not a deep post. And though I am nervous about every post I publish, this post has me more nervous than most. As I re-read and make small edits, I am going back and forth with increasing nervousness and feeling silly that I am letting myself get worked up. This needs to get out to the “interverse” (internet universe), so I can get it out of my head. (It will remain on my heart.)

:::

March 31, 2021

Dear Ms. Viola Davis,

I hope this letter finds you well. “Well” is an important word this year, during the COVID pandemic. So truly, I hope this finds you well.

I’ve written this letter to you several times throughout the past 10+ years. The motivation to write the letter came with the release of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”. Though, honestly, I won’t watch the movie anytime soon. Seeing Chadwick Boseman so skinny and knowing he was battling Cancer is too personal for me. My Dad died of Cancer back in February of 1994, and he, too, dropped weight and looked like someone other than my Dad. My memory and Chadwick’s battle are too tough for me right now, so I will hold off seeing the movie. Alas, that is not the point of this letter.

I first “met” you in early 2005. I had given birth to my older son, and I was home on maternity leave, being a new Mom, and dealing with postpartum depression. I spent my afternoons with my television support groups: Charmed and Judging Amy. Those shows were running in syndication on the Turner Network (TNT), and I looked forward to every episode Monday through Friday. I could count on those two hours to feel “ok”, while also caring for my baby.

During one Judging Amy episode (Blast from the Past, released May 2000), you played a character named Celeste. You weren’t part of Amy’s (Amy Brenneman) story line, rather you were part of Maxine’s (Tyne Daly) story line. Do you remember?

You were a mother dealing with addiction, and you were trying desperately to regain custody of your children. You were trying, and you were going through the process to make things right. Unfortunately, Maxine did a surprise home visit, and she found drug paraphernalia in your trash can. What happened next blew me away, and I swear I became a major fan, and I noted every TV show, movie, etc. you’ve made since.

Your performance when Maxine confronts you about the tossed drug paraphernalia, and your desperate attempt to convince her that you would do better, your pleas, your sobbing, your gut-wrenching pain … it was incredible to watch. That sounds weird, I know. Saying it’s incredible to watch someone’s pain. That’s not what I meant though. I felt it. I felt every ounce of the pain you were putting out there. Every single ounce.

What is it they say in your industry – breaking the fourth wall? Technically, that’s not what you did, and Judging Amy wasn’t that kind of show. But your performance was so intense, so raw, so vulnerable, and seemingly so very real – I felt like you broke the fourth wall.

I wanted to reach out to you, console you, help you – I wanted you to be happy and get custody of your kids again. But I knew you were acting. I knew you were playing a character, and I knew it was the character I wanted to help. Still, I was in awe at how realistic and powerful your performance was on my 30″ TV, and I was certain you were showing a little of Viola Davis in the created character, Celeste.

I haven’t seen all of your work, but in everything thing that I have seen of yours – I see you sharing the same transparency, vulnerability, and honesty on screen as you do when you are doing interviews. Thank you for sharing your gift with us. You are phenomenal. Full stop.

Respectfully and with warm regards,
Lenore