Dear Gossips,   

“I just EGOT!”

That’s what Viola Davis said last night at the Grammys when she won in the category of Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording, which means she now has all four major awards: the Emmy, the Grammy, the Oscar, and the Tony. And just two weeks after the Oscar controversy that resulted in her not being nominated for Best Actress. Now she’s taken her place in one of the most exclusive clubs in the industry. 

 

And I can’t imagine how much more meaningful it was for Viola since she did this by reading her own words, telling her own story, a story that honours her own life. Because for far too long, the world tried to make Viola believe that her story wasn’t worth telling. That this story brought her to EGOT, well of course it was a major moment. Not just for Viola but for the Black women who’ve also been overlooked, ignored, disrespected, and undervalued. 

 

Speaking of her value though, it was just announced last week that she’ll headline her own HBO Max series, Waller, based on the character she played in Suicide Squad, Amanda Waller. It’s part of the DC Universe and Sarah wrote last week that a lot of it sounds pretty vague and shapeless and basically just an attempt by DC to emulate the MCU. That said, if there’s going to be a creative standout, it’ll be the project led by Viola Davis. At this point in her career, as an EGOT winner, and as someone who has been so thoughtful about her work, when you’re dealing with Viola Davis, putting together a sh-tty show simply isn’t an option. 

Yours in gossip,

Lainey