Catalyze Magazine Spring 2021

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"That role (Annalise Keating) absolutely defined my career only because of the role that, a woman who looked like me who would not necessarily be considered for that role. She was cool... she's a leading lady on network television" -Viola Davis CATALYZE MAGAZINE | 14
E X C E R P T S F R O M I D E A G E N ' S I N T E R V I E W W I T H V I O L A D A V I S , J U L I U S T E N N O N , A N D S T E V E N T I N G U S C O N T I N U E D . . . Steven Tingus: Exactly, as you all know, I've been an advocate or activist. I've had a business perspective, obviously because of my late parents who ever treated me as a pity project, they treated me like my other two siblings. And I think that it's made me stronger to get things done correctly. So with that, I want to ask Viola and yourself, what characters have you played that you feel really sent a message about the issues that we face and what we need to do, to affect and change perceptions of people that are underrepresented. Viola Davis: Well, that would have to be how to get away with murder and Shondaland. That role absolutely defined my career only because of the role that, a woman who looked like me would not necessarily be considered for that role. She was cool. She was described as sexual, as complicated, she's a leading lady on network television. You know, usually women are cute, they're blonde, they're petite. And because those roles are not usually cast with an actress who looks like me, there was a part of me that didn't believe it too. And I think that's sad until I accepted it and I had to believe it. Okay. Because I had to play her and I had to make the audience buy it. Right? So for me, it was a huge growth experience for Viola, the person, the woman, the woman of color, the dark skin woman of color with thick lips and a wide nose. It also helped redefine in my opinion, how you saw a leading lady, but Shondaland in and of itself really cares about the broad spectrum of humanity. We have had disabled actors. We have had the LGBTQ community represented, but that's because we care, we do want the change. But a lot of people don't care. They keep the status quo out of fear, you know, but I got into acting for me, I got into acting because I knew what acting does is it makes people feel less alone. When you look at characters, I don't want characters that don't look like me and don't look like the world that I live in. So I would have to say how to get away with murder. CATALYZE MAGAZINE | 15
Page 1 and 2: CATALYZE. B Y I D E A G E N Spring
Page 11 and 12: K A T E J O H N S O N P R E S I D E
Page 13 and 14: I N T E R V I E W W I T H D R . S I
Page 15 and 16: IDEAGEN MEMBERSHIP EXCLUSIVE OFFERI
Page 17 and 18: Excerpts from Gretchen O'Hara Vice
Page 19 and 20: Excerpts from Toni Townes- Whitley
Page 21 and 22: CATALYZE MAGAZINE | 11 IDEAGEN MEMB
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Page 27 and 28: G E O R G E S I F A K I S , C E O A
Page 30 and 31: I D E A G E N 2 0 2 1 10 P O W E R
Page 34 and 35: Editor's Note Dear Friends and Coll

Catalyze Magazine Spring 2021

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