Viola Davis Addresses Criticism Around Her Portrayal Of Michelle Obama

“I feel like it is my job as a leader to make bold choices. Win or fail it is my duty to do that…”

An exceptional actress knows people are running their mouths about her, well, mouth—and she’s issuing a response.

Viewers are two episodes into Showtime’s buzzy White House drama series The First Lady, where the inimitable Viola Davis stars as Michelle Obama, but some folks aren’t too impressed by the actress’s portrayal of our Forever FLOTUS.

On Twitter, the criticism was loud and rampant following the last two episodes.

One user wrote:

“I love Viola Davis, but what’s with that lip thing that she does in the show?? Michelle Obama didn’t do that…”

While another person chimed in:

“She’s a great actress but this was a role she just was not right for. But that’s only one out of an absolutely great successful career.”

This week, while promoting her new memoir “Finding Me,” the How to Get Away With Murder alum addressed the discourse, telling BBC News that the critiques were “incredibly hurtful.”

Davis, 56, continued:

“How do you move on from the hurt, from failure?..you have to. Not everything is going to be an awards-worthy performance. Critics absolutely serve no purpose. And I’m not saying that to be nasty, either.”

The Oscar and Emmy award winner went on to air out her grievances with the peanut gallery.

“They always feel like they’re telling you something that you don’t know Somehow that you’re living a life that you’re surrounded by people who lie to you and ‘I’m going to be the person that leans in and tells you the truth,’ so it gives them an opportunity to be cruel to you,” she said of her dislike towards critics. “But ultimately I feel like it is my job as a leader to make bold choices. Win or fail it is my duty to do that.”

Davis shared that she and Mrs. Obama didn’t have a chance to connect prior to her taking on the role, but regardless, the star argued that portraying any national figure can come with great challenges.