Award Shows September 21, 2015
Viola Davis Gets Emotional About Her History-Making Emmy Win
After making history at the 67th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards as the first African-American woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role in "How to Get Away with Murder," Viola Davis cherished the moment backstage with "Extra's" Charissa Thompson.
Davis revealed that she did prep for her acceptance speech. "I get so many young girls who look up to me, and I feel such a sense of responsibility to encourage them, especially the girls."
Of the moment in her acceptance speech where she said "you cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there," she explained, "When you constantly speak it, I think at some points it gets in there… It's got to be repeated so people can wake up, because I think sometimes with the status quo, you could be going along thinking everything is just fine, thinking that the playing field is equal, until someone slaps you awake like the emperor's new clothes and says, 'No, you're naked.'"
The 50-year-old actress also opened up on why the Emmy was especially personal for her. Getting emotional discussing her sister and their late father, she said, "My dad died at the age of 70, and I remember my sister saying she felt so bad because she said, 'Dad had never done anything in his life, he never had any dreams,' and I said, 'You know what, Delores? We are his dreams…' It's the greatest testament to his life that we continue to forge forward in our lives and just grab the bull by the horns with whatever you are going to do, award or not."
