Culture May 14, 2019

Why Viola Davis won't use movie and TV stylists who don't 'honor' her hair, heritage

WATCH: Viola Davis says her daughter joined her on the set of 'Widows'

After a recent Teen Vogue article about the lack of black hairstylists in the entertainment industry went viral, Oscar-winner Viola Davis is weighing in on the topic.

In fact, she says she personally refuses to accept any hairstylist that won't "honor" her hair.

(MORE: Viola Davis talks new film, 'Widows' and the epic life lesson given by her 8-year-old daughter: 'She teaches me a lot')

“That has not been my narrative lately of hair because I refuse it. I reject it," she told Ebony, referring to the fact that she specifically only hires people who are well-versed in African American hair and hairstyles.

"I don’t think that people understand our hair...they don’t understand that we’re different, and yet, the same," Davis says. "What I find is, hair is something that a lot of people don’t honor when you do film.”

(MORE: Viola Davis says her daughter joined her on the set of 'Widows')

Davis explains that even if Hollywood doesn't respect black hair, she and her production company, JuVee Production, will continue to hire hairstylists who do.