Viola Davis. “In life you have to disappoint as many people as possible so you don’t disappoint yourself”

Madame Figaro .- You told your daughter that she should be “the love of her life”. What can this love change in his life, in our life?
Viola Davis: It is the cradle of everything. Belong to each other, love each other. Know that you have value. I think it translates into relationships, whether through friendship, intimacy, or work. You know what to ask, you know how to create boundaries, protect your peace, protect your cocoon…instead of shutting yourself out and making other people, their opinions, their money, their jobs more important than you. I think your job in life is to disappoint as many people as possible to avoid letting yourself down.

Were you able to convey this message to your daughter?
Well, let’s say she’s 13 and thinks she’s fabulous. I love it!

A recent L’Oréal Paris campaign on social media discussed the pressure of failure and how women are judged for every mistake. What is your personal perception of failure?
I think failure is the only way to learn. I learned nothing from my successes. When I win an award, I am happy, I celebrate, but I don’t think about it. Meanwhile, when you fail, you fully appreciate the things you won’t do again and what didn’t work out. I always tell my daughter that you never lose. Either you win or you learn. And I think running away from failure is like running away from evolution. I believe that after each of my failures, I came back different, changed. Finally, you reevaluate yourself, refocus. And next time you may make another mistake, but you will make a different mistake, on a different level. It hurts, but you know… As the poet Rumi says, the only cure for pain is pain. And it’s true. You have to be dragged through the mud. So when people are happy and celebrating, I always tell them, “Wait ’til you get to really see what you’re made of.” (Is laughing)

Can this self-confidence falter at times?
Oh, yes. It’s part of life. Your self-confidence will be shaken and doubted. There are times when you have to wake up and face reality. You will lose friends. Getting old is hard when you see that you have less time left than behind you… And then, you have to reevaluate your dreams. There are disappointments, dreams that die, others that are reborn. It’s all part of life. We don’t see that on social media, it’s not always a pretty sight. But that’s part of the journey and you have to consider that it’s all just a source of joy. Because it all leads to this feeling of being alive, of being alive, you know?

I always tell my daughter that you never lose. Either we win or we learn

Viola Davis

You are a role model for many women. Is it hard to bear?
Yes, absolutely. It’s hard because people think you have the answers to everything and have incorporated them into your life like Buddha. You know, once in a while, when I meet people and tell them about myself, they say, “Wow, I didn’t think you had such and such a problem.” As if I had no problem, no sin. I’m still very, very human. And I don’t always have the answers. Sometimes I find the answers on my own. How to deal with burnout, how to deal with anxiety… I’m still figuring it out, you know. But at least I feel like I like people to feel that that’s what draws them to me. There’s a part of me that appreciates it.

Every year the Lights on Women’s Worth Award L’Oréal Paris honors new female director at Cannes Film Festival. What films directed by women have influenced you the most?
I never know how to answer these types of questions because there are so many of them. And I risk spoiling everything… I love Australian director Jane Campion. I think she’s fantastic. He made a movie called An angel at my table, which was fantastic. I find that women directors work with their sensibilities. Of their own accord. They are not afraid to do it. And they know how to lead other women to be beautiful. And I’m not just talking about physical beauty. That is, with transparency. They legitimize their presence in the film by going beyond male desirability, you see. I also love Eugène Palcy, the black French director who directed the film Rue Cases-Nègres. He means a lot to me.

Female directors are not afraid to direct with their heart

Viola Davis

What is your vision of beauty?
Dignity, value, self-love. All the things that can’t be taken away from you. There is nothing you can do to feel worthy and appreciated. You don’t have to go after this. You don’t have to give anything to get it. You don’t have to be young, you don’t have to be old, you don’t have to do anything. You just have value. And I feel this is the best “beauty product” you can find. Before you’re 30, you walk into a room and everyone turns to look at you because your beauty blinds them. And then suddenly these heads don’t turn anymore. It’s like unplugging an electrical appliance. And if you don’t get it from others anymore, you won’t feel it anymore. Meanwhile, knowing your own worth will accompany you to the grave.

Knowing your worth is the best “beauty product” you can find

Viola Davis

As a producer, how do you choose your projects?
I am interested in everything. I’m always looking for stories that reveal something about human existence. The great actress and director Yuta Hagen wrote a very popular book called Respect for acting, where he gives his definition of a very good film or play. He says that the work should be about events in a person’s life. That you should leave the theater or the cinema with the feeling that everything that happened on that stage made you say: “Oh, you too!” These are the projects I’m looking for, the projects that reveal humanity. And I believe that gives art the power to connect with each other. Well I say that… but I also love a good action movie. But above all, I am looking for a human story.