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The worst part about The first lady is how O-T Fagbenle really did his best to portray Obama – he speaks almost exactly like Obama- only for his efforts to be wasted on a shitty script. Viola could have been so good in this if only she wasn’t doing that awful mouth thing, how did any sensible director let her do that, this is the worst performance of her career. Gillian Anderson is the worst part of the show- utterly atrocious and forgettable. In another world this show would have focused on on Betty Ford and in the hands of a better writer and director, Pfeiffer would be winning an Emmy. The fact that even in this horrible first episode she was able to shine through it all is amazing.
Viola and her husband produced the show. They have final say on everything.
Wonder what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall. Eg whether anyone tried to say anything re her performance.
I agree re Fagbenle💖
ReplyCopy URLJust venting this out here after watching the Twitter making mockery of Davis’ career:
Viola Davis is one of our greatest actresses working today. She has opened doors for women of color in so many ways. She has given us masterclass after masterclass after masterclass. Sure, there are bound to be hiccups. Not all performances will be universally loved. That DOES NOT take away from her immense talent and the respect she ought to command.
I haven’t seen anyone “making mockery of Davis’ career”.
Everyone is only talking about her performance in The First Lady.
Viola Davis is a phenomenal actress, her body of work speaks for itself.
Which is what makes this anomaly so fascinating.
ReplyCopy URLI’m truly fascinated with what went wrong with Viola’s performance.
Did she not have enough time to prepare?
Did she spread herself too thin being producer as well?
What really surprises me the most is that everyone saw her pucking her lips and did not tell her it was bad. I do not understand how a group of writers ,directors, executive producers, the entire cast and crew watched her do that and just collectively decided that she was giving a good performance. I mean that should have been the first thing anyone noticed and called out( politely)
ReplyCopy URLWhat really surprises me the most is that everyone saw her pucking her lips and did not tell her it was bad. I do not understand how a group of writers ,directors, executive producers, the entire cast and crew watched her do that and just collectively decided that she was giving a good performance. I mean that should have been the first thing anyone noticed and called out( politely)
I wish we knew what happened there.
It’s really mindboggling.
For all we know someone may have tried to say something and got ripped a new one.
ReplyCopy URLhttps://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-61213761
ReplyCopy URLBut in a trenchant riposte, Davis said: “Critics absolutely serve no purpose. And I’m not saying that to be nasty either.
“They always feel like they’re telling you something that you don’t know. Somehow that you’re living a life that you’re surrounded by people who lie to you and ‘I’m going to be the person that leans in and tells you the truth’. So it gives them an opportunity to be cruel to you.
“But ultimately I feel like it is my job as a leader to make bold choices. Win or fail it is my duty to do that.”
Everyone is aware of this.
I can’t think of a single actor who have ever responded to a negative reception of a performance.
You take the good with the bad.
So she’s fine with critics when they praise her, but not when they don’t?
Goodness.
Also her statement makes it sound like she thinks it is critics who are upset with her performance, when it is a vast majority of people including her fans of which I include myself.
ReplyCopy URLEveryone is aware of this.
I can’t think of a single actor who have ever responded to a negative reception of a performance.
You take the good with the bad.
So she’s fine with critics when they praise her, but not when they don’t?
Goodness.
Also her statement makes it sound like she thinks it is critics who are upset with her performance, when it is a vast majority of people including her fans of which I include myself.
Some might not have seen the article yet, which is why I posted it. This doesn’t clarify whether Davis is referring to professional critics or Twitter users, though I think she’s conflating both into the same bucket.
ReplyCopy URLSome might not have seen the article yet, which is why I posted it. This doesn’t clarify whether Davis is referring to professional critics or Twitter users, though I think she’s conflating both into the same bucket.
yeah she might be.
Her wording is troubling to me re …”feel like they’re telling you something you don’t know”.
If she’s saying she knows it is bad after the fact, does that mean she didn’t know it was bad at the time?
My mind struggles to comprehend how she did this performance and couldn’t see. I’m sure she watched the dailies.
In an alternate universe I know there is a version where she nailed this performance.
Unlike many people who have said she was miscast and naming other actresses who could have been better, I believe she had it in her to nail this performance.
Hence why I wonder things like whether she was pressed for time in perparations, or spread herself too thin with being producer as well.
As to me it seems she threw this performance together slap dash and focused on external things instead of building a rich inner life.
I’m just fascinated by acting in general.
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