Viola Davis had no interest in letting age dictate which roles she could tackle. At 61, the Oscar winner said she felt more confident about her value and freedom.
Her latest comments pushed back against Hollywood’s familiar rules about women aging. Davis also reflected on failure, family, motherhood, and the difficult experiences that shaped her.
Viola Davis addresses assumptions about doing action movies and love scenes after turning 61
In her digital cover story for AARP The Magazine, Davis discussed growing confidence. The publication featured her alongside its Movies for Grownups’ 25 Most Fabulous Gen X Actresses list. “I feel like right now at this point in my life I actually have the freedom of being me,” Davis told AARP.
She also rejected the idea that aging should limit her career. “It doesn’t matter if people think that I’m beautiful,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if people feel like Viola, at 61, you can’t do an action movie.”
Davis added that her ability to challenge herself remained hers. “My ability to overcome and to challenge and to believe in my ability is mine,” she explained. Her résumé already backed up that confidence. Davis starred in action projects including G20 and The Woman King. She also joined The Hunger Games franchise in 2023’s The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
She appeared alongside her husband, Julius Tennon, in Air and completed her EGOT with a 2023 Grammy. Davis also discussed how Hollywood treated women after 40 and 50. “You feel like you’ve just sort of disappeared and fallen off a cliff,” she told AARP. Instead, she said, “I feel like my value is going up.”
The actress credited her family and difficult childhood experiences with shaping her resilience. She grew up without cable, a telephone, or many privileges because her family struggled financially. “I think that when I was younger, I was so afraid of failure,” Davis said. She later learned that failure never determined her worth.
Her family celebrated her 61st birthday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Tennon and their 16-year-old daughter, Genesis, arranged decorations, music and cake. Davis called her life “abundant” in an Instagram post. She thanked her family, friends, Casa Nahui, Puerto Vallarta and local artists.
Next January, Davis will return to theaters in Children of Blood and Bone, based on Tomi Adeyemi’s 2018 novel. Paramount currently lists the film for a Jan. 15, 2027, theatrical release.
