Viola Davis’ Awards Speech Responds to NYT ‘Classic Beauty’ Diss

By Jamilah King Jan 08, 2015

After Viola Davis, star of ABC’s "How to Get Away With Murder," accepted the People’s Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series last night, she made a speech that took aim at Alessandra Stanley’s screed in the New York Times against so-called "angry black women." Stanley infamously described Davis as "less classically beautiful than Kerry Washington," to which the actress responded last night: "Thank you Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers and Peter Norwalk for thinking of a leading lady who looks like my classic beauty."