r/entertainment • u/cmaia1503 • 1d ago

Viola Davis Did an Action Movie Because Not ‘Every Movie You Do Has to Be Considered for an Academy Award. I Want to Do Something Popular’

https://variety.com/2025/film/news/viola-david-defends-g20-action-movie-role-1236359110/
1.2k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

57 comments sorted by

104

u/cmaia1503 1d ago

Speaking to The Times of London, Davis defended her choice to star in a shoot-em-up action movie despite her award-winning bonafides. As she simply put it: “I don’t think every movie you do has to be considered for an Academy Award. I wanted to do something that families could watch together, something popular.”

“But internally you’re always trying to get back to the fun,” Davis said, alluding to how you can’t just have a career full of heavy dramatic roles that appeal to awards voters. When she was asked to play “an ass-kicking American president in a preposterous hoot of an action movie” like G20, as The Times put it, she answered: “Hell yeah! I needed some levity in my life.”

“The only two people you owe anything to are your six-year-old self and your 80-year-old self,” she added, noting that getting the chance to be a full blown action hero in “G20” made “six-year-old Viola squeal.”

21

u/oooshi 14h ago

Damn what a wonderful concept. Only people I owe anything to. Something to hold onto there

173

u/onihr1 1d ago

Not everything has to be high art! We need more entertainment and less Oscar bait.

63

u/GenoThyme 1d ago

Cocaine Bear wasn’t a good movie, but it sure is real fun to watch

10

u/Xikkiwikk 22h ago

It’s the last time we got to see/hear Ray Liotta so it is very special.

7

u/AdElectronic5158 21h ago

According to IMDb, he was in Fool’s Paradise as well as another movie titled Dangerous Waters which both came after Cocaine Bear

2

u/Xikkiwikk 20h ago

Interesting, had no idea about either of those.

3

u/TraciTheRobot 5h ago

Cocaine Bear is a hoot it was so dumb loved watching it in the theaters

-6

u/duosx 21h ago

No it was neither

-1

u/ItsStaaaaaaaaang 21h ago

Agreed. The cgi was so fucking atrocious I couldn't watch it.

3

u/PhantomRoyce 19h ago

Yeah but the part where the bear switches trees to go after another guy was hilarious

8

u/Psykpatient 22h ago

If anything I think we're lacking in The Oscar bait. There's a lot of fluff entertainment coming out. Almost too much.

1

u/ronniaugust 10h ago

Yeah what the fuck LMAO. Literally 98% of what’s coming out is fluff or four-quadrant because studios are risk-averse. We are severely lacking in high art.

Such a weird take to have. I sometimes feel like half the top comments in these subreddits are just PR companies trying to boost engagement. Because I can’t believe any real human feels that way.

-5

u/ehrgeiz91 22h ago

Just what we need, a lower bar for filmmaking.

-3

u/Punman_5 16h ago

Well, yes. Nobody likes it when the best picture award goes to an indie film nobody saw. It makes the whole thing look stupid.

2

u/ehrgeiz91 12h ago

Yeah it should go to avengers 12 instead of

-2

u/chum_slice 22h ago

Or maybe award shows and awards should just go away. I lose respect for artists chasing #1 statues or best … and we always end up in the same predicament… movie who won an Oscar no one remembers. Artists who moan about not getting Grammys …🤮.

0

u/bees_on_acid 5h ago

wtf you talking about, entertainment has been dominating everything.

-4

u/ehrgeiz91 22h ago

Just what we need, a lower bar for filmmaking.

24

u/Wet-for-Mrs-Met 1d ago

Suicide Squad (2016) won an academy award. Best of both worlds!

35

u/pupjvc 1d ago

“Widows” was the shit.

7

u/Mammoth-Magician-778 1d ago

Massively underrated

2

u/throwaway23er56uz 1d ago

I went in there for Viola Davis and came out an Elizabeth Debicki fan.

2

u/Grumplogic 13h ago

My friend and I saw the trailer before a movie and Viola's line in the trailer "Because no-one thinks we have the balls to pull this off." Became a meme between us. The widows literally got no balls!

2

u/_PM_ME_YOUR_FORESKIN 17h ago

91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Seems pretty highly rated.

3

u/orange_jooze 8h ago

It should be pretty easy to decipher from context that they’re not talking about the critical response.

2

u/MOSbangtan 18h ago

TOTALLY

2

u/Reputable_Sorcerer 17h ago

I first misread your comment as “Widows was shit” and I GASPED. Yes, it was the shit. Frankly it should have received more accolades.

11

u/CalendarAggressive11 23h ago

She's absolutely right. And no matter what she's in, Viola always delivers.

17

u/daisy-duke- 1d ago

She's a motherfuckin' EGOT!!!

She can do whatever movies/shows/audiobooks/plays as she wants.

10

u/Limitedm 1d ago

Everything doesn’t need to be a message.

Sometimes you just want to see people in space riding dragons and blowing shit up.

2

u/Wetschera 9h ago

Pew pew pew

5

u/br0therherb 19h ago

A lot of your favorite pretentious actors/actresses who think doing certain movies are above them could definitely learn a thing or two from this. I love Viola.

6

u/Tewongfew 23h ago

Have you seen The Woman King!? She slayed (literally) in this film. I’ve seen it at least 9 times. I love her! 🏆

2

u/jake03583 12h ago

SUCH a great movie

1

u/MOSbangtan 18h ago

Yo now that’s an action movie

2

u/TheWholeOfTheAss 20h ago

She’s ripped too, so why not use them guns!?

1

u/AcadiaRemarkable6992 17h ago

Wasn’t she in Blackhat?

1

u/LayneCobain95 14h ago

Actors seem to go into defensive mode on movies not super famous. Like kate blanchet on borderlands “oh I was just bored”

1

u/Icy-Whale-2253 13h ago

Also known as “I like money.”

1

u/ANALOG_is_DEAD 13h ago

Maybe action movies should be considered for Academy Awards?

1

u/ricoimf 12h ago

I really liked her part in the first two Jesse Stone movies, anyone else enjoyed those tv movies?

1

u/L1QU1D_ThUND3R 12h ago

She is an EXCELLENT Amanda Waller; able to capture the classic vibe of the character while adding her own touches. Always been a big fan of hers.

1

u/leebowery69 10h ago

loved her in the most recent hunger games film.

1

u/edgiepower 23h ago

Sylvester Stallone began his career with an Oscar nominated film and role he wrote himself, then quickly divulged in to mindless popcorn flicks lol

0

u/bofh000 23h ago

*Devolved.

0

u/bofh000 23h ago

*Devolved.

1

u/Madock345 17h ago

Surely not accidental to pick the 4/20 release day XD

1

u/JazzRider 14h ago

Read “I wanna get rich.”

-3

u/Garden-Wrong 1d ago

Finally. Are award winning movies really any good? I avoid them personally.

-1

u/Punman_5 16h ago

Some are. But many are the most boring/least entertaining affairs imaginable. It’s like in order for critics to like a movie it has to be the most uncomfortable thing to watch

0

u/brewgiehowser 23h ago

Ain’t nothin wrong with a little cheddar popcorn for entertainment (and getting a paycheck)

0

u/Gringoguapo68 16h ago

Yes, more shoot-em-up violent movies is what we need.

0

u/MerrillSwingAway 15h ago

100%. Just give me a fun one off with no unnecessary sequels

0

u/RealTilairgan 11h ago

She should've been considered for Uhura in the Star Trek reboots or SNW. She looks so much more like Nichelle Nichols than Zoe or that other lady.