Member-only story
The Black Meryl Streep
Stop comparing successful Black people to white people
Go ahead and Google “the Black Meryl Streep” and none other than Black actor Viola Davis appears in the search results.
Academy, Tony, Golden Globe and Primetime Emmy Award–winning Davis is one of the most respected actors and producers in Hollywood.
The Help. Fences. How to Get Away with Murder. The First Lady. Widows.
These are just a few of her masterpiece movies and shows.
Despite her 30-year career spanning film, Broadway, off-Broadway, television and the like. Despite graduating from Juilliard. Despite essentially following the same path as famous actors like Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore.
Davis is relegated to constantly being called “the Black Meryl Streep” when she talks with film producers and television shows about possible roles.
The funny thing is, I’ve never heard Meryl Streep called the white Viola Davis.