Viola Davis is undoubtedly one of the great actresses of her generation, if not of modern cinema entirely. With an Emmy, two Tonys, a Golden Globe, four SAG Awards, and an Oscar under her belt, she’s proven her prowess and talent again and again — and now, she’s taking a step away from the silver screen to partner with Netflix for a different kind of project.
Netflix has announced a new special sit-down episode celebrating the decorated actress: Oprah + Viola: A Netflix Special Event, to air later this month. In celebration of Davis’s new memoir, Finding Me, the new special event sees her sitting down with personality and host Oprah Winfrey to talk about her childhood, her career, and what brings her peace and happiness in life after a troubling young adulthood. The forty-eight minute special is set to cover both the good and the bad of the much celebrated actress’s life, from her childhood growing up in extreme poverty to winning an Oscar, discussing how “giving up hope that the past could be different has brought her peace, forgiveness, and a sense of self”.
The Netflix special and the memoir it is paired with are just a few of the projects Davis has in store for 2022 and beyond. She is also set to star in this year’s The Woman King, about the true story of the Kingdom of Dahomey in Africa directed by The Old Guard’s Gina Prince-Bythewood, as well as The First Lady, an anthology series where she will play former first lady Michelle Obama. These performances follow up a stacked 2021 for her, where she appeared in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, as well as partnering with Netflix for The Unforgivable, starring Sandra Bullock.
Winfrey also has a busy year ahead of her, as she is producing the musical film version of The Color Purple, which is set to hit screens in 2023. Much like 2007’s Hairspray was a film adaptation of a stage musical adapted from a classic film, this version of The Color Purple is the same, adapting the stage version of Alice Walker’s classic novel, starring Fantasia Taylor, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Halle Bailey.
Orpah + Viola is executive produced by Tara Montgomery and Terry Wood through Harpo, with co-executive producer Brian Piotrowicz. The special premieres on the streamer on April 22.