BET Awards 2025: Viola Davis Has Mastered the Art of the Monologue—Here Are 9 That Changed TV and Film
If there were a masterclass on how to deliver a monologue that makes you sit up, hold your breath, and question your entire life—Viola Davis would be teaching it. BET’s recent IMMERSED cover star can do it all.
Davis isn’t just one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation—she’s the first Black actor to achieve the coveted EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). And whether she’s on stage, on screen, or snatching your soul in under five minutes, her voice always finds a way to land where it matters. Her Best Actress nomination at the 2025 BET Awards is yet another reminder that she’s not just participating in culture—she’s defining it.
Here are 9 monologues that prove Viola Davis is in a league of her own.
1. How to Get Away With Murder – “Why Is Your Penis on a Dead Girl’s Phone?”
Annalise Keating. That name alone should be in the TV Hall of Fame. And when Viola Davis took off her wig, wiped off her makeup, and stood in raw, stripped-down realness to confront her husband? That scene was acting. Emmy-winning. Historic. Iconic.
2. Fences – “I Gave You Everything I Had”
In the film adaptation of August Wilson’s classic, Davis played Rose Maxson opposite Denzel Washington. Her tear-streaked, emotionally guttural speech about love, sacrifice, and betrayal was so powerful it earned her an Academy Award. It wasn’t just a monologue—it was a breakdown in real time.
3. The Woman King – “We Fight or We Die”
As General Nanisca, Davis led an all-female warrior army in one of the most physically demanding—and emotionally rich—roles of her career. In one speech before battle, she rallied not just her army but every viewer watching. It was power, pain, and purpose in one breath.
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4. Doubt – The Park Bench Scene
She was on screen for less than ten minutes—and still landed an Oscar nomination. Playing a mother defending her son, Davis brought quiet devastation and unspoken tension to every word. It remains one of the most stunning short performances in cinema.
5. The Help – “Ain’t You Tired, Miss Hilly?”
As Aibileen Clark, Viola delivered this line with a look that could pierce steel. It was the boiling point of years of pain, service, and silence. Even in a role she later expressed mixed feelings about, Davis brought authenticity that couldn't be ignored.
6. HTGAWM – Every Courtroom Closing Argument
Let’s be honest—Annalise in court was its own sport. Her rhythm, her pauses, the way she turned legalese into gospel? Unreal. Whether she was saving a client or herself, these speeches were Shakespearean in their delivery.
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7. Widows – “I Had a Life”
In Widows, Viola gave us a grieving widow who becomes a criminal mastermind. Her scene in front of a mirror, tears streaming, declaring “I had a life” hits you in the gut. It’s grief wrapped in defiance, performed with precision.
8. Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom – “They Don’t Care Nothing About Me”
Playing real-life blues legend Ma Rainey, Davis brought heat, swagger, and heartbreak to every scene. Her monologue about ownership, respect, and survival in a white-controlled music industry felt like a message from 1927 and 2024 at the same time.
9. Any Acceptance Speech, Ever
Whether she’s holding a Tony, an Oscar, or a BET Award, Davis turns her speeches into sermons. She lifts up playwrights, thanks Black women, and reminds the industry that talent and truth will always win.
Viola Davis’s career is a masterclass in turning pain into power, silence into statements, and dialogue into drama. Her Best Actress nomination at the 2025 BET Awards isn’t just well-deserved—it’s a tribute to a performer who has raised the bar for everyone who dares to speak their truth on screen.
Don’t miss Viola Davis—and all the unforgettable performances—at the BET Awards 2025, airing live Monday, June 9 at 8PM ET/PT on BET.
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