Viola Davis has been in the entertainment industry for over four decades as an actress and producer, but now the recently inducted EGOT winner is looking to add the role of director to her already impressive resume.
The admission came about during Monday night’s Chaplin Award gala presented by the Film at Lincoln Center in New York on April 25, where the Fences star was being presented with the prestigious accolade in honor of her “whole career” and “someone whose career is still ahead of them as well.”
Davis told The Hollywood Reporter that what she really looked forward to doing is directing, telling the outlet, “I feel like I have a director’s head.” The 57-year-old also noted that she loves “tapping into [other actors’] potential.”
Like many of us who sit in front of television screen binge-watching the latest Netflix drop, the actress said she is “always watching movies saying, ‘If that beautiful actor had just done this, this and that…’”
It’s not clear what type of film she’d like to direct. However, the Hollywood star has been extending her reach as a producer on several of her projects, including The Woman King, How to Get Away with Murder, The First Lady, and many more.
She’s already received support from her industry buddies, including collaborator and actress Jessica Chastain, who said that her The Help co-star has earned the right to “choose what she feels like doing.” The Academy Award winner added, “I just hope for Viola, whatever she feels is her next journey, that she gets to do it.”
Davis is now the third EGOT winner to receive the Chaplin Award, joining Mike Nichols and Audrey Hepburn.
