A new photo has surfaced of Viola Davis showing not just her dazzling smile but also her figure.
The Academy Award winner was seen posing with her hand on her hip while wearing a black sequined gown in a new picture floating on X. The photo shows a happy Davis looking extra moisturized and rocking her signature short curly bob.
The caption of the flick, which was reposted by Film Updates on X read, “Viola Davis stuns in new photo.”
Fans interacted with the photo pointing out how Davis’ appearance has seemingly changed.
“Separate and apart from the obvious weight loss in this pic – Viola has always been an attractive woman with the most amazing skin.”
Several fans who presumed the “Fences” star had lost some weight chimed in. “That ozempic went CRAZY,” while another said, “Ahhh, who is that? Seriously, who dat?”
A third sang her praises, writing, “Viola Davis looks absolutely amazing in this photo! 😍 Her talent and beauty shine through every time. Keep inspiring us, Viola!”
Smiling in pictures is something Davis vowed to do after someone gave her what she considered to be sound beauty advice.
Speaking to Harper Bazaar UK’s “Life Lessons” series on YouTube, she said, “The best beauty advice anyone ever gave me is ‘Viola, whenever someone has a camera and they want to take a picture of you just look at the camera and smile.’ I thought that was really powerful, and I remember someone saying that to me, and it made me feel like, wow ‘I have something in me that I can use in a picture.’ It just changes my whole look, and after that, I just kept smiling every time a camera was placed in my face.”
Davis has struggled in the past with the way people have spoken about her appearance.
In a 2022 New York Times interview, she opened up about her renowned role on ABC’s “How To Get Away With Murder,” where she played the fierce defense attorney with a troubled personal life that gets intertwined with the personal lives of some of the students in her law class.
Despite the fact that Davis was highly championed for the role, she recalls initially being doubted by peers that she would be a good fit because of her looks. A friend of hers told her that other Black actors were saying “ she wasn’t pretty enough to pull it off.”
In the “Life Lessons” series, she further touched on the subject of her looks not being well received and explained that being called unattractive can do some deep damage to someone.
“I would say the worst thing anyone has ever said to me is constantly telling me that I’m not pretty,” she said before assuring viewers that she has not been kept down by the remarks.
“Even though I’m good,” she continued, “I really am. I’m good. I feel very confident in myself. But when you say that, I don’t think that people understand how hurtful it is and how not important it is.”
She added, ” When you say that to someone, the unspoken word is that you are not worthy because people put a value on prettiness and beauty. So if you don’t have it, it’s like ‘I have no value …. no one wants to love me. No one will accept me. I have no power.’ When you say that to other women, they don’t feel there’s anything in their life that has any value. You’ve stripped them from everything.”
