'Suicide squad' actress Vioa Davis: People always feel I'm badass

Viola Davis

When Viola Davis created history by becoming the first black woman to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress award this year, her speech resonated with many across the globe. She said, "Let me tell you something, the only thing that separates women of colour from everyone else is opportunity."

Viola Davis

It's not surprising then that someone like her, whose meteoric rise and subsequent reign has been a talking point, should portray a woman who runs the entire gamut of never-do-wells, popularly known as the Suicide Squad. In an exclusive chat, she tells hitlist about the role and challenges that came with it.

Excerpts:

Q. You portray the powerful, ruthless character of Amanda Waller. When David (Ayer, writer-director) approached you for the role, were you familiar with the comic book world?
A. I knew nothing about Amanda Waller, but, obviously, I'd heard of David Ayer. And he was able to tell me a little about it. I remember him saying, 'I don't want to do a superhero movie where these characters aren't humanised. I want them to be badass, but I really want to understand where they are all coming from.' Then he started asking me about my life. I appreciated the fact that he wanted to know about me.

Q. During Comic Con, you said you are playing yourself in the movie. How do you draw that parallel with a woman who commands the most dangerous people on the planet?
A. She does own the room. She's the leader, but me, Viola, I do not feel like the leader every day. It's hard for me to walk in and own the room. God has given me a great gift, but it's something that people never see. I don't know how, but people always feel like I'm badass - I am the complete opposite. Maybe, it's my voice, my stature, something in my aura that gives them that impression, but it's just not me.

Q. This movie is stuffed with many characters. What drew you to the role?
A. Well, I've been doing this for 30 years. I remember asking myself once: What makes me lean in? What is the common denominator that the genres share, whether it's movies, TV, Shakespeare, Arthur Miller, etc. For me, the common thread that makes any of them good is that, somewhere in there, it's grounded in truth. The characters feel comfortable saying, 'I'm a person. Even if I'm in this odd and fantastical world, I'm a person coming from some place.' That's the elixir. That's what makes this different.

Q. You mentioned you were not familiar with the comic book. Did you have to school yourself into studying the many facets of Amanda Waller, or did she come to you spontaneously?
A. I did a couple of things. First, I consulted with my comic book fanatic friends, and they were very serious with me, 'You cannot mess this up' (laughs). Waller has changed over the years, and there are a couple of different versions. There's a contemporary one, where she's got that kind of Rihanna hairstyle. Then there's a kind of heavyset one with the big Afro. Of course, I like the one with the 'fro because she was familiar to me. What was much more difficult for me to tap into was the part of her that had shut down, that was literally a sociopath. I read a book called Confessions of a Sociopath (by ME Thomas), which was a way into Waller.

Q. As a cast, you have had a lot of experiences together. Do you, as Viola, have a soft spot for anyone in the Squad?
A. There are so many of them that I loved - The Joker, or, Harley Quinn because it's a close second. Actually, I'd say Deadshot (Will Smith). For me, Deadshot has an element that is different from everyone else, so he is my favourite. Also, I love Will Smith (laughs).