“I wanted to be like Colleen Dewhurst or Jane Alexander—one of those great ladies of the theater, doing Ibsen and Shakespeare.”

For over 23 years Viola has been on stage doing what she does best; but lately the world has been trying to figure out exactly who she is. After dominating the SAG Awards and the red carpet with The Help cast, Viola sat down with Los Angeles Times Magazine for an interview on how she’s gotten this far and her future as an actress.

Marchesa long-sleeve high-neck re-embroidered lace dress with organza flower shoulder detail: $4,950, Neiman Marcus

She touches on expanding her credits from actress to producer and the adventures of being a black woman in the business. With an Oscar nomination for Best Actress she has a lot of competition, including the daunting Meryl Streep. Altogether Viola says she’s happy and she’s appreciating actors who are underrated and overlooked. Right now she’s on a mission to open up doors for more black actresses.

The story of her going from living in poverty with big dreams to becoming a mentor for aspiring artists is heart-wrenching. Her style in fashion is what everyone is focused on, and this month’s spread has everyone’s approval. Rocking black pieces by Jason Wu, Marchesa and Theirry Mugler, let’s just say she knows how to glam up for the camera. By showing her inner supermodel, we’re not accustomed to seeing this chic side of Viola Davis but we sure love it.