Viola Davis hits back at critics of her 'insulting' Michelle Obama portrayal: 'Incredibly hurtful'

Viola Davis has responded to criticism of her portrayal of Michelle Obama in the new Showtime drama The First Lady.

Davis has been accused of exaggeratedly pursing her lips while playing the former First Lady in the show. One viewer called her depiction “unnecessary and borderline insulting”.

The Oscar winner has since said it is “incredibly hurtful when people say negative things about your work”.

Speaking to BBC News, she acknowledged that criticism is an “occupational hazard” for actors, saying: “How do you move on from the hurt, from failure? But you have to. Not everything is going to be an awards-worthy performance.”

Some viewers commenting on Davis’s expression on social media likened it to “duck face” – an over the top pouting pose – and joked that her face must have been “so tired”.

“I love Viola Davis so I’m just going to pretend this entire episode didn’t happen in her career,” wrote one person.

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.”

She talked about the pressure of playing someone as well known and loved as Obama. “Either you’re doing too much or not enough,” she said.

Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial

Sign up

Obama herself is yet to comment on the performance.

In a two-star review of the show, The Guardian’s Adrian Horton wrote: “Davis is undoubtedly a national treasure, and her intent here seems spiritually aligned with both Obama the icon and Obama the real person, but the performance, especially against [OT] Fagbenle’s spottily accented Barack, is unsettling, never transcending the uncanniness of impersonation.”

The Atlantic’s Shirley Li, meanwhile, wrote that Davis’s work in the series “feels like caricature”.

The First Lady will air on Paramount+ when the service debuts in the UK later this summer.

Davis recently opened up about the racial abuse she experienced as a child in an intimate interview with Oprah Winfrey released on Netflix, ahead of the arrival of her new memoir Finding Me.