Viola Davis Reacts to Michael Jordan's Request for Her to Play His Mom in 'Air' (Exclusive)
etonline.comMichael Jordan's mom in the new film, the basketball legend was adamant that the filmmakers ask Viola Davis.Now, Viola Davis is opening up to ET about Jordan's request, and how that played a factor in the way in which she approached the role.«You know, you're flattered at first and then the next second is pressure,» Davis admitted to ET at the SXSW film festival over the weekend. "[Pressure] to play the woman who basically is the orchestrator of this great athlete's life, you know?«In the film, Davis plays Deloris Jordan — while Davis' real-life husband, Julius Tennon, plays her on-screen husband and Jordan's father, James Jordan.
Davis did quite a bit of research to play Deloris, and that added even more pressure.»Obviously she was so influential and then I’m looking at videos of her and if you've ever seen videos of Deloris Jordan, she's extraordinary, she really is," Davis said. «Because she's one of those, you know, she's one of those people where you're like, „Where did this talent come from?
where did this vision come from?'“Recently, Ben Affleck — who directed, and produced it alongside Matt Damon, both of whom also star in the project -- opened up to about getting Jordan's input on who should play his mom.»I said, 'So, do you have any ideas about who would …?' And immediately I was like, 'Oh, f**k.' Because I’m about to ask him who to cast.
And if I don’t get them, it’s going to look to him like I ignored him," Affleck recalled. «It's actually hard to get actors.
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