Viola Davis Revels in the ‘Delight’ of Embodying the Ruthless Villain in ‘The Hunger Games.
The recipient of an EGOT award portrays the malevolent Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the Head Gamemaker, in the forthcoming prequel movie.
Viola Davis, renowned for her versatility, has showcased her extraordinary talent across various roles, such as in “Fences,” “The Woman King,” and her portrayal of Michelle Obama. Each character she embodies feels distinct, yet she adds her unique Viola essence to them. In the upcoming film “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” the EGOT-winning actress takes on the role of Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the brilliant mastermind responsible for the brutal spectacle.
In the movie, Gaul assumes the position of Head Gamemaker for the tenth Hunger Games, deriving immense pleasure from crafting ruthless challenges for the tributes, all without remorse. At the film’s premiere, Davis shared with The Hollywood Reporter that she found a similar delight in making her young co-stars profoundly uncomfortable.
“Just seeing how many times you can make someone squirm—like Tom Blyth, oh man it was a joy because he was very receptive to it. I was just so happy about poking him,” Davis said. “Even in the scene when I had to inject him and give him stitches, I think, loved it.”
In her role as Amanda Waller in “The Suicide Squad,” Davis portrays a stern and determined leader. However, Waller doesn’t take pleasure in punishing her team; instead, she possesses the determination to bear the weight of the difficult choices she must make. On the other hand, Gaul, as a character, actively selects who survives and who perishes, often manipulating those in her orbit purely for her own amusement. The star of “How to Get Away with Murder” embraced the opportunity to tap into her villainous side and found immense satisfaction in revealing a facet of her acting repertoire that she typically doesn’t emphasize.
“I think that people see me as nurturing and kind, and I’m all those things—I’m shy, I’m introverted—to just get out of my comfort zone; to just be sort of uncomfortably just fun and evil,” she told People. “The scope of it was a joy for me.”
We’ve caught glimpses of Davis’ capacity for portraying darker characters, but it promises to be truly captivating to witness her fully embrace her role as a villain and thoroughly enjoy it. While this film primarily focuses on Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow, who ultimately evolves into President Snow (played by Donald Sutherland in the original films), it’s almost certain that Davis will shine brightly in every scene and be the standout element of the movie, as she consistently does in every role she takes on.
