Viola Davis considers ‘The Help’ to be a "missed opportunity".
The Oscar-winning actress starred alongside the likes of Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard and Jessica Chastain in the 2011 movie, which tells the story of a young white woman and her relationship with two black maids.
Viola, 53 – who played the part of Aibileen Clark, one of the maids – explained: "Listen, ‘The Help’ changed my life in a lot of different ways.
"First of all, the friendships that I got – that experience is something I know I’ll never have again. And Tate [Taylor, the director] is a great collaborator.
"I don’t want them to feel that I am blasting them in any way. It has nothing to do with the players."
Instead, Viola feels uncomfortable that the story is largely told from the viewpoint of a white woman.
She told the Guardian newspaper: "It has something to do with the culture – that I don’t feel that people want to see, want to hear that voice in that time period.
"Because what it will become is an indictment, and it shouldn’t be. I look back at that movie as a missed opportunity."
The film is set during the Civil Rights movement and Viola feels it was "just too filtered down".
The acclaimed actress wishes ‘The Help’ – which is based on a 2009 novel of the same name by Kathryn Stockett – would have presented a more well-rounded version of history.
She said: "I understand that time period. It’s a 100-year time period that was rife with lots of violence and anger, and people with lost dreams and hopes. I wanted the frustration and that anger to be more palpable."
Viola Davis says The Help is a ‘missed opportunity’
