Viola Davis Relishes the ‘Joy’ of Being 'The Hunger Games’' Ruthless Villain

We all know Viola Davis can do literally anything. From Fences, to The Woman King, to Michelle Obama, she can make every role feel different while simultaneously adding her special Viola vibe to it. In the upcoming film, “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” the EGOT winner plays Dr. Volumnia Gaul, the mastermind behind the violent spectacle.

In the movie, Gaul is the Head Gamemaker of the tenth Hunger Games. She delights in devising brutal challenges for the tributes and is unapologetic about it. At the film’s premiere on Monday, Davis told The Hollywood Reporter she discovered a similar glee in making her young co-stars deeply uncomfortable.

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“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 gotten glimpses of Davis’ dark side, but it should be fascinating to see her go into full villain mode and revel in it. This film is supposed to be the origin story of Blyth’s Coriolanus Snow, who eventually becomes President Snow, played by Donald Sutherland in the original films. But we all know Davis is going to steal every scene and be the best part of the movie, because that’s what she does with every role.

“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes” hits theaters Nov. 17.

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