Viola Davis Stuns On ‘Vanity Fair’; Shot By A Black Photographer [Photos]

Black excellence comes in many forms but it is a tough task to out glow a queen. One of our brightest stars is once again changing the narrative of how we are perceived.

Viola Davis is gracing the cover of Vanity Fair. The July/August edition features her in all her glory wearing a dark blue number dress with her back exposed. To add to the Black Girl Magic she is wearing her hair out naturally in grand fashion. Additionally and artist Dario Calmese, a first in the publication’s 125-year history.

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Thrilled to share this cover and interview with @VanityFair. Available now! ・・・ Presenting our July/August cover star: @ViolaDavis. Last month, the Oscar winner took to the streets to protest the death of George Floyd—but she’s no stranger to fighting for what’s right. As a Black woman in Hollywood, she’s spent her career doing it: “My entire life has been a protest,” Davis says. “My production company is my protest. Me not wearing a wig at the Oscars in 2012 was my protest. It is a part of my voice, just like introducing myself to you and saying, ‘Hello, my name is Viola Davis.’” Davis was photographed by @dario.studio—the first Black photographer to shoot a Vanity Fair cover. At the link in bio, Davis speaks with V.F. about her extraordinary journey out of poverty and into the stubbornly unequal Hollywood system. Story by @soniasaraiya Photographed by @dario.studio Styled by @elizabethstewart1 Makeup by @autumnmoultriebeauty Hair by @jamikawilson Coatdress @maxmara Earrings @pomellato ?@vanityfair

A post shared by VIOLA DAVIS (@violadavis) on Jul 14, 2020 at 8:51am PDT

This feature not only highlights her beauty and poise but also gave a her forum to detail some of the highs and lows of her life; specifically her younger days growing up in Rhode Island. “When I was younger I did not exert my voice because I did not feel worthy of having a voice. [They] looked at me and said I was pretty. Who’s telling a dark-skinned girl that she’s pretty? Nobody says it. I’m telling you, Sonia, nobody says it. The dark-skinned Black woman’s voice is so steeped in slavery and our history,” she explained.

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“Not a lot of narratives are also invested in our humanity,” says @ViolaDavis, who’s set to star as Michelle Obama and blues legend Ma Rainey in upcoming projects. “They’re invested in the idea of what it means to be Black, but…it’s catering to the white audience. The white audience at the most can sit and get an academic lesson into how we are. Then they leave the movie theater and they talk about what it meant. They’re not moved by who we were.” At the link in bio, the Academy Award winner speaks to @soniasaraiya about championing Black stories, her journey to Hollywood, and what she hopes her company, JuVee Productions, will provide to young non-white actors. Story by @soniasaraiya Photographed by @dario.studio Styled by @elizabethstewart1 Gown: @alexandermcqueen Earrings: @jenniferfisherjewelry Cuff: @celine Makeup: @lorealparis

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also revealed that she now regrets her role in The Help. “There’s no one who’s not entertained by The Help. But there’s a part of me that feels like I betrayed myself, and my people, because I was in a movie that wasn’t ready to [tell the whole truth]”.

You can read the rest of the feature here.

Photo: Nicky Nelson/WENN.com