The superb Viola Davis recently conducted an interview with Vogue’s contributing editor, André Leon Talley, which is set to run in an upcoming issue. Part of their interview was recorded for a segment on Entertainment Tonight – featuring the two talking about what else but The Help, as well as how she dealt with bullying and developing her identity on her own terms.

On using real-life experience to draw on for her role in The Help:

“I have stories of being spit on.  You have to realize I was in a predominantly white culture … And third grade was the worst because every day after school I would wait at the door and the bell would ring. And as soon as the bell rang I ran as fast as I could from the front door to my house, which was at least a mile away, because I would have eight to nine boys with sticks, bricks, anything they could find, who were ready to kill me.”

On what her mother told her about bullying:

“She said, ‘Viola, I want you to take my crochet and needle and you put it in your pocket and if they stop you again you tell them you’re gonna [stab] ‘em.’”

On how her life defined her career:

“Having it hard made me build so much character … You have to actually say, ‘Is the world going to define me or am I going to define myself.’”

Shout out to her mama, who clearly doesn’t take any mess. In other Viola news, she slayed a recent shoot for the Los Angeles Times magazine – rocking her natural tresses in addition to lots of high fashion ‘lewks.’

Check out the photos below:

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