Viola Davis recalls racial abuse from a director who addressed her as his maid

Viola Davis recalled a shocking incident in which a director she had known for a decade addressed her as his maid.

The First Lady actor discussed racism in Hollywood and how it limits opportunities for Black actors in an interview with Variety at the Cannes Film Festival.

“I had a director who did that to me,” the actor told the outlet. ‘Louise!’ he exclaimed. I’d known him for ten years and he kept calling me Louise, which I later discovered was because his maid’s name is Louise.”

“I was probably around 30 at the time, so it was a long time ago.” But you have to understand that microaggressions happen all the time,” the 56-year-old actor added.

Davis also discussed how she was turned down for roles in her career because Hollywood executives did not think she was “pretty enough,” which she says bothers her “nerves.”

“It breaks my heart and makes me angry,” said the actor. “A lot of it is racial in nature.” It truly is.”

“Let’s be honest,” she continued. It would be slightly different if I had the same features but were five shades lighter. And if I had blond hair, blue eyes, or a wide nose, it would be even more different than it is now.”

“We could talk about colorism and race.” It (expletive) me off and broke my heart — on a number of projects that I will not name,” Davis added.