Paley Celebrates Pride: How to Get Away with Murder at PaleyLive LA: Full Conversation

[Music] well let me bring out people that you guys already know and love let's start with Rome Flynn up next we have Charlie Weber and of course we have liza while relative newcomer to the show Amira van [Applause] of course have to bring out aja Naomi King [Applause] yes yes Matt McGorry is coming out next [Applause] Konrad Rick amaura and of course Jack Bali I think you guys also know that means that miss Viola Davis is in the house [Applause] and of course we're going to welcome creator and executive producer Peter Nowak hello everyone welcome to paly all right so I want to actually start down at the end with Asia and just have everyone kind of talk about you know how this project came to you and what made you say yes um go way back six seasons ago I know I was living in New York when I saw this script and of course I saw like Sean Atlanta was like not bad to curse kind of making sure your back and and then I read this phenomenal pilot and knew I would give my firstborn child to be about because it was insane and I was like this is gonna go like and this could change my life which it has so yeah I mean yeah I kind of answered that answered it I love that how about yourself Matt yeah I mean I was living in New York City living my life that's where I grew up I said that I would only ever come to LA for work and you know I I the the call came and you know Shonda Sean Elaine called and I answered it was like the bat-signal accepted shondaland logo TM in the corner and you know it felt it felt right and the character you know I was really intrigued by the fact that the character was called doucheface there's a lot of possibility there you know and then to be honest actually we were all cast you know we got to Philadelphia before we even knew violet was there but if I knew viola was there too I would have been even more excited to jump on board and Here I am oh no I mean I was well I was just supposed to be in the pilot so I would be here six years later but here we are no I went in initially in like December for the role of Wes and then clearly was not what they were looking for yeah and then January I got a call from my agent they were like oh they want you for this one Episode a plays character Oliver who Connor hooks up with to get information about a case and I was like yeah I have no TV experience I would love to do this and then when I found out viola was attached so I was just like I mean I remember sitting in the theater of watching doubt and swatching this woman watching this woman completely steal a scene from Meryl Streep like I just was like who I will follow this person wherever they go this person is good at acting I had a friend of Mines crashing on my couch here and he also an actor and one night I was like hey man there's this script it's amazing it's called how to give it murder and I was like oh yeah he's like yeah I'm auditioning for this character called Connor Walsh and then I stole it from just like Connor Walsh way story Iowa can I tell the truth yeah I have no idea what the truth is well I had decided never do TV ever again after I did it I've done nine failed TV pilots and the last one I did I worked an average of 21 hour days so I said and I had to drive 53 miles one way to work el segundo studio so I was like [ __ ] no I'm not big but then Shonda called and at first you know this number one call sheet so go don't feel bad it was now written for an African American specifically so I think they went out to Diane Lane Jennifer Connelly and they wanted to screen test me not us not you not you not Pete not this extraordinary man right here who I love more than anything on the earth but um they want to screen test the network wanted to screen test me but my manager resisted and I was a little resistant because I said sexualize sociopathic I mean I'm used to wearing aprons and holding babies but I remember I finally signed on after I spoke to I don't know if you were on the phone and Betsey beers and Shonda Rhimes just saying yes yes I said I want to be a real woman yeah if I could be a real woman if I don't have to walk around in heels cuz I know y'all talked about me walking in my heels and that's a little [ __ ] up of y'all but I said but then and after that it was I said yes and it it totally changed my life it said one other thing oh [ __ ] it was a very short call which I loved it's like oh she's direct she's efficient mm-hmm you said you wanted to take off your wake yep because I said if I take off my wig then you have to deal with that [ __ ] that you see underneath it there you have to write that not write the you know the tight ass and you know the sex scenes or what you have to write a real woman and Pete said oh yeah we could do that and so I had no idea what it would mean yeah it's Viola Davis please please begging probably yeah anyway they were episode first season I love that moment thank you for sharing that I'm gonna come back to you Pete I'm gonna kick it up to RO never come back to me I have something special for you yeah so for me you know I was filming a project in Atlanta and I was completely like swamped with it I was doing a show it's Holly Perry and like his work schedule was so strenuous and and I thought that you know they Cynthia auditions over and initially I said guys I have no time to do this and they said it's Viola Davis like are you what are you okay so you know I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning basically called the one person I knew in Atlanta and he showed up and I didn't have a lot of time with the material and can I tell him that it was a different name yeah it was yeah so anyway the character's name before was Graham Wexler was originally what what Gary Maddox his name was remember all this I do and so anyway I had no time with the material and and I was so insecure about I literally filmed it I set up some furniture in my hotel room and I put the camera facing me you know in selfie mode and then I did the scene and I never watched it and I sent it off and I didn't even think about it ever again and I got back home and they were like hey you know tomorrow Pete know what wants to meet you I was like for what we you know and then I went and sat down with them and I was super nervous and then I ran into the casting director on the way up and she said hey oh by the way I want to show you this is a picture we have of you we're gonna show Pete this and she opened the folder and there was a picture of me and there was like 15 other pictures under and I well then I go into the room and before we leave we have this cool conversation it was super relaxing he was very inviting and just asking me about myself and made me feel comfortable and and before we left she said wait I want to give you this photo she opened the photo and took it off and it was another photo of me under and I was like oh snap like what does this mean and they were like well we they wanted to kind of sit down and talk with you about the role so I definitely was super nervous I don't know if it showed did show no you're so smooth we did it and now I'm here two seasons later thank you so much I you know I got this script he was incredible I loved it and I wanted to be this guy I read it was a man who had very little to say in the pilot but I saw so much potential in him so much that he could do that we've all it was that traditional thing where I went in I read for it and and I got it and I got that phone call I was at my buddy's place he lived across the hall from me at the time and and they said you know it's a whole team of people and they're like you got it it's you and and and so I told my buddy wish go over and drink the good bourbon at my place and they're on the phone my manager my everybody's on the phone they're like and I think viola closed our deal today and it goes right over my head so I'm so excited about myself we go over to my place we pour the good bourbon I have a couple of sips and I'm like holy [ __ ] I think he meant Biola data' and the rest is history and I'm thrilled to be a part that's amazing Liza yeah I mean for me it was sort of a traditional audition story as well although there was a little bit of a loaded back story for me and that I had epically bombed for shondaland fairly recently and it was like one of the worst audition experiences of my life so the fact that I had sort of that this sort of came up and there was an opportunity to even get in the room and take a swing at it for me was sort of like okay and it and I went in early like I didn't know who was gonna be attached in the lead I was certainly drawn to the story but but I was just really excited to to even have a chance to get in the room and I felt it went really well and I remember calling my my managers and being like I think I was a [ __ ] triumph man you know just to get out alive and like not have like a debilitating panic attack [Laughter] and I had to kind of wait it out a long time I think cuz we weren't I don't think you guys weren't sure like the torture you yes you were setting me up for further rollers but yeah luckily it worked out and I'm so I'm so grateful yeah last but most certainly not least oh yeah well this has been my gift I came in for season four and I was already a huge fan of everyone on the stage so just - yeah what a party with you guys I just love them I love heard them talk I mean and there is awesome human beings as they are actors so as someone who came in and for you guys had already established didn't set the bar so high and everyone just kind of embraced me with open arms and like viola at the helm and it's like to play opposite this Queen and to have her say the beauty of our viola and Asia that this now I have scenes with you I was like waiting I was like I love Liza please but for these first two women when you have these strong formidable characters and you know someone's really an amazing actor when they say you know it so it's about the work and they're able to say I'm gonna give you the power because that's what the scene calls for and both of them with ease said we're gonna pass this to you our baby this is their show and they pass it to me so graciously and so I will forever be grateful for that and I was in Casco y'all when I got the call [Laughter] [Music] my console car as you shouldn't be viola kind of tipped it off a little bit ago when she talked about it that this roll wasn't intentionally meant for a black woman I was gonna ask you you know how did you create this series and you know of course I was gonna ask did you mean for this to be a black woman but since I know that that wasn't necessarily the intent talk to me about getting there you know and and how that vision may be changed once viola came into the picture well is the greatest thing that ever happened that she came into the picture but none of the characters were written with any specific ethnicity or race or anything like sexuality except for Connor so that was my writing process then I don't know if I would do it the same way now but I actually love that because you could just like watch people and not be like oh they have to be identifying with this part of themselves or that part of themselves but you are right I didn't know that I forgot that we offered it to other people but I remember estelle your manager she had a another client are auditioning for a different part in Lindell oh he was like a stone what about viola and I was like sitting there like up on deck like like this like a little kid on the couch and we just never thought you would do it and then you said you want to get on the phone it's like I'm gonna [ __ ] this up sorry but all that did all the talking I mean Shauna did all the talking and but I do remember you saying you're you spoke so eloquently about the wig moment and I just I remember I was like I can picture her doing the scene in the bathroom I was like I can see remember when you were like route in that West's chest and then you went to the bathroom I was like I can see it I can see it I can see it like it just like it came alive for me and that's how I feel like with every storyline we write really for everyone just like I just came alive for me and then when we got to the pilot and I think you should up the day before and we like had no time to meet but I would just watch her on screen it was really the scene where you yelled at Wes in the lecture hall and she did it was such love like there was this under car it was so mean the moment was so mean and it was but I was like oh my god who is this person they're gonna teach me everything about storytelling and that's the truth no here we act you know viola why was because that that scene in that in the first season it was so instrumental I think and that was really kind of a powerhouse moment I think as people were coming to learn these characters why was that so important for you going into the series - I guess humanized analyse and that way with the removing of the eyelashes and the taking off the wig why was that something that you insisted upon because traditionally before that time I did not like television I I'm just being honest III I could always tell what was network TV I felt like everyone plugged into what was a sexualized character and that they always look like they were I don't know licking honey from the floor you know they always look like they were just sort of walking on a porno movie there was a there was a prototype of the leading lady and I already concluded that that was not me because I I don't know who that woman is and I felt like this was a chance for me to be the palette of what people see as a leading lady as a sexualized character so sort of the taking off the wig was a metaphoric moment of me sort of just sort of shouting out to the rafters that there is a woman behind here she's not a size two she doesn't walk gracefully in heels but she has a vagina and she has a history she may or may not have trauma there may be a reason for that sociopath II I wanted them to deal with the human being the first and foremost because I have to say that when the show came out there was more than one person and privately and publicly that just sort of erased me in this role I really have to say this I mean you know articles talking about my looks and not being right for it not being vulnerable enough not being a classical beauty oh my god I can't see her in this role I mean I'd rather watch Kerry Washington than her you know and people friends calling me and saying oh I had a conversation with someone at the theater and they say no way is this show gonna work with you in it not with this role you know those are the kind of conversations and I see I saw those conversations that's being magnified as cultural conversations it's like they say Asian men and black women are the least desirable people in the world and I [ __ ] reject that right it was my way of saying and it was my way of saying [ __ ] it yeah that's why I here's the thing about that role and you know this better than I do your cast knows this better than I do it really was this incredible vehicle for you as a leading lady and I want to break this down dark-skinned black pansexual woman orchestrating and fixing the messiest of situations while being a badass lawyer and professor and then you win a lead actress Emmy in 2015 for this role which is the first time a black woman what does that all mean to you because you clearly were we're onto something you know what you just talked about this being a cultural conversation I don't know it's like you know when you start off acting everyone tells you to study life but I found since I've had a 31 career I find that a lot of actors just study other actors yeah they just plug into what's been done before yeah I I tried not to do that and so I I feel that that was a testament to to daring to say and daring myself to say that literally all the things that I've ever been told about myself since I was six years old of being ugly dark not smart not sexualized that I literally could reject all of that that there was a possibility that I could make that choice and it could land but the other thing that it says to that I didn't say you know on the stage and I gotta say it in front of you know this ensemble is that you're only as good as the people around you also and we happen to have incredible actors who literally can put their vanity aside and they are absolutely authentic and brave about making bold choices so that keeps me honest also that's that's I don't know what that means I got lucky that's what this that's what I feel like it meant I got lucky and I was happy that I was able to stand up on that stage and give that speech which my friend said viola you went up there you look mad you it seemed like you just took that you just say okay step the [ __ ] aside it is my chance to say that we as people of color we as people of color can be humanized and complicated I mean that's the thing don't have to be metaphors and P and Shonda it's a testament to what courage can when artists are courageous this is this is a result of it I love them thank you for sharing that that was amazing let's dive into some of the characters a little bit I will start with Jack you know of course Jack Connor as you may or may not know he's the most cynical of the group when it comes to all of the things but especially Anneliese because you know your character bats what is it that you think ultimately keeps him as loyal as he's been I don't I mean I think that in what you get into Stanford [Laughter] I think that you know in extreme moments of trauma and chaos you you have to sort of negotiate with yourself and I don't think that it's sort of like a complicated family right I don't think that Conor necessarily likes Annalise but I think that out of necessity he has to love Annalise in moments and trust in her and and everyone else and obviously it doesn't always pan out yeah and I don't know if it will now in the end we'll find out so we will find out you know what does this kind of representation this truly is for for anyone to kind of jump in and talk about you know mean because the the representation of the lgbtq+ community is so significant in this series and it feels like it is very it is it is dealt with and with with all the sincerity that it should be dealt with you know and kind of thinking about the conversations that you guys might inspire and encourage will just love to know you know what it means to be portraying or to be a part of these storylines for the last six seasons because you guys have really inspired these fantastic conversations at the dinner table in many American homes where are you looking at me no I it means the world to me it's something that I needed when I was growing up and I didn't have and it was made life so hard that to know that we're giving that to people all over the world in places that aren't still really strict and not accepting means the world to me and also to be an Asian man like viola was saying like that has faced racism within my own community within the gay community that you know to be happy to be able to play a character that's three-dimensional and you know sexual and not just the butt of jokes and not just the clown you know i I've been trying sitting here just for the last few minutes trying to think of the Asian men that have been on TV and and not in jokey ways and I think of Daniel Dae Kim and lost and that's all I can think of off the top of my head and that's so sad that is so sad to me and I can think of other characters that have been asian-american but they've all been clowns and jokes and stereotypes that to be able to play this character that is Asian and also a part of the gbt q community like has meant the world to me and to get messages from people that say that because of the relationship that they've seen on screen they've been able to come out to their own friends and family and live their truths in their real life just through seeing our fictional portrayal of this couple it's something that is going to be resonating with me for years because I you know you we all have got apart and jumped in this big juggernaut of a machine and we I don't think I haven't fully realized the impact yet that we've all had on culture and everybody's ability to be seen on screen yeah you know the intersectionality is as you really just talked about is so fantastic on this series um I want to read this this quote that we hear analyse say and it was so powerful I thought and she said quote I was afraid to be gay I could have stayed with Eve loved her but I wanted to feel normal accepted so I threw myself at Sam and quote and I really felt like you know this gave us an opportunity to have a conversation about the stigma of black queerness and I wanted to know you know Pete why this was a conversation that you thought was so important to have and was that something like a lot of other subject matters that you deal with that originates in your writers room or where do where does that come from because that felt very specific to a community of people that often don't get to see that representation I think like the show is about every characters other in some way and that to me is what I love to write about I think like what Conrad was talking about which I think a lot of probably the actors on this stage can relate to is I go back to like when I was eight years old and watching TV and just the idea like I didn't know what a gay person was but I knew I was that and just like it's a void like your future is just a nothingness your going into like a black void of nothingness in your life and so for me just the instinct to write and wanting to you know cast this as diversity servers as it is and also the instinct to sort of make Annalise really I guess you could say pansexual but I'm really against the label of Annalise because I think she doesn't know because I don't think she's that it's not you can't put people in the box she's hurt some of all her experiences but I think what's so interesting about I remember writing I wrote that line yeah about like I was afraid to be gay and I was like this is really on the nose yeah but it's really resonated with people because I was like well that's the subtext like that's annalisa subtext obviously she chose Sam because she was afraid of you but on it sometimes makes me realize how like just stating the obvious and stay in writing it very clearly really resonates with people and analyse weren't like we talked about every day I found it fascinating you know she's a survivor of abuse that has to come into what her sexuality is like what was her sexuality before that what was what she liked at 13 14 15 all of that affects like who she chooses in every moment and that's just a free-flowing dynamic thing which I think is everyone and that's all I want right about okay yeah so you had mentioned to me we were backstage that you know you fell like the the characters or the actors who bring the characters to life in the show they know their characters so well that sometimes you may talk with them about what their characters journey might be so I would love to maybe start with Amira and just here you know if you could you're the showrunner if you could you know give your character an interesting journey what would you love [Laughter] what would you love to see from your characters but what have you maybe told Pete I have some great meetings we have fun we're like shoes off chillin on the couch I start confession [ __ ] it's like we have a really good time I think you know uh I think the best way to answer is just like I never know I don't have any specific goal of where I want the car to go but it's an open dialogue of just human experience and so it's an opportunity for me to just share you know the things that I've been through in my life and ways that if there's something that's been kind of proposed in the audience that I remember because I'm living with the character so I'll say like well I remember when we first introduced her she said like you know the stuff that I've seen you know and I'm saying what industry she was talking to Asia's character she was just like yes she's seen hellish stuff and that stuck with me because for me that's like oh really that's a foundation for a character like when you've been exposed to really traumatic experiences that kind of frames do you trust people do not trust people so it's just a nice way to kind of remind myself of that and then explore why and how and who and go deeper into character work and oftentimes that all like you know people come up and be about what about this and I'm just like that's fantastic so I think the beauty of this world is you're surrounded by really strong brilliant minds and it's the same way we work like in a room eyes and I work together today and you do all you didn't work as much as you want by yourself but there's nothing better than being opposite someone and she looked at me five billion times today different ways and to receive that and let it land and and and really it alters it should alter how you respond because that's now it's just as president it's alive and that's what makes it really wonderful so I think it's an operating just give us an opportunity to stay fresh and alive yeah yeah I love that Liza what about with with Bonnie is there anything that we've seen of her over the last six seasons that maybe you kind of maybe sprinkled a little or whispered in somebody's ear listen pizza ear so much yeah but I mean you sort of decided the the initial like once you sort of decided what the backstory was we both read the same book but we used yes that's this is true but I still yeah I mean I think there was there was the the first season was still sort of like who who is this person and we don't know you know sort of uncovering you know what is informing all this behavior and what Pete decided was beyond anything that I could have imagined for myself and once he did decide that then it was you know what I could do in terms of diving into that was infinite and then I think since then I mean we check in but much like Amira said I think it is like it becomes more like confessional and like relating about being a human being but I don't I don't I I it I think it you know for for me it's sort of remaining open to what becomes uncovered I think but I'm so happy with what it is yeah and with where she's gone yeah and I think she's become so much strong I mean that's I think something that I'm really proud of once the decision was made of of her also being a you know a survivor of abuse is that you know she's constantly trying to come at it from from strength and and overcoming you know her past in it in a in a strong way okay Charlie what about you and Frank I cash you know my chip season three oh it's a Pete and I asked him to do a lot of stuff and he let me do pretty much all of it and he started with wanting to take off Frank's mask he's hair and his beard and it was quite a fight I I had to fight just so you know to have my beard ironically three years later I had a whole new fight on my hands to get rid of it and ultimately he agreed and and the result was you getting to see a character shed his mask in his persona and his character in the costume he'd been wearing for the first two seasons he was free in a way he'd never been before which was terrifying and he went on the run and he was alone and he was scared and he was killing people right and left this one does but it was it was a really cool thing to experience and something I had never done and may never get to do again and Pete afforded me that what about with Gabriel uh you know I think my journey was a little bit different I had to kind of interject myself into a show that I already had such lineage in such it's just such a following and a presence that I felt intimidated to be to be frank especially knowing my first scene was going to be the classroom scene with with all these guys and also Viola Davis sitting right in front of me and so so you know I was I was shook it okay I don't know I you know I just I just really wanted it to work and I wanted them to like me you know and I wanted I wanted I don't know if I wanted to call Biola viola or miss Davis I don't know what when I tell you this but no listen pipi was so great and especially having a conversations after I did the first season you know and just his his attention to detail I don't know if you guys know we're now but the basketball stuff was added you know wasn't something I was already put into the character before I got there was something that people in after and he asked me was like I want to do this basketball scene I was like of course like I'm a basketball player at heart like I'm basketball player first and then actor stuff all that after player my head right so we need to told me that I was so elated and he's like you know just just so collaborative man and I never really experienced that to this kind of stage and he allowed me to be free and have thoughts about what I wanted to character be and you know for me that was just such a calming and just inviting experience for me to have and it made me feel like I was invited by all of these amazing acts c-rad right there my boy met they're so funny and you know I just I just hope that people know that they're amazing people also when great actors you know what the person was but that's what I said yesterday with the heart emoji I love that I'm aja let's go down there and talk about Makayla - I feel like I feel like Makayla has been the epitome of fake it till you make it I just didn't know that she was faking it when we first started I was like oh she's got it all together she's the smartest person in the room I was like yeah and then it was like oh no she she's like and that's that's one of the first things we talked about in the in the meeting we had starting that second season where it was talking about just diving more into how she's really cracking at the seams because she spent a lifetime of trying to rise above her circumstances and now it's like she's been given the ultimate test of just how far can she ride you know around these people vagina dragged her down but yeah it's it has been this wonderful exploratory dive into this human being who like most people are born into a world where they feel like they can't just succeed by being who they are they've got to pretend to be something else in order to get further faster and not believing that anyone is really going to invest in them and so they've got to overcompensate for all of that and she's been doing it to like such a 100% controlling degree that there was no way that all this could happen and she could still maintain that for herself and and I also think because of her circumstances and what we've always played with is that she's also been kind of seeking love and validation from the women around her the men around her you know even though [Laughter] even though she claims to be all like I love myself and that's all I need that's not all she needs that's that's not all she's needed she has needed so much from other people but she has been terrified to admit it and so yes well I would I would love for her to get to a place where maybe that can be her truth or where she can come to the truth with herself about that and or I don't know she'll figure it out is what I'm saying like I'm just like I do take notes and then I'm like you guys I go in the writers room it's like I figured it all just stays in here Matt how about yourself with Asher yes so I'm sure I remember the original question no it's all good you maybe had a conversation with with you know about your character in his journey like what have you caught contributed I got you the making about a lot of body roll no you know you know it's interesting you know Pete and I have had conversations around you know both of us when we start out the show I don't think er us went in with the mind of sort of creating political conversations and I do believe that the purpose of the artist the role of artist is to tell the truth and there's no such thing as as a political art so oftentimes we see portrayals of the criminal justice system that are neutral seeming and actually the criminal justice system the way it is is I would say broken but actually I say designed to inflict harm especially on poor black and brown folks and for me over the course of the show through sort of other pathways I social justice became one of most important aspects of my life and to see sort of the evolution of this show and to and refuse to paint a sort of neutrality of the system which actually ends up enforcing the system by pretending that this is just the norm I've been very honored to be a part of those conversations around around you know the political sort of push for progressive for progression around the show because as this is not I did not think that the artists role was to tell the truth when I became an actor or at least I thought that it was my version of the truth which was actually like a sure very much obstructed by my whiteness and my identity is a man and so for me to be able to have the conversations with Pete and for Pete to be open to you know different storylines and to highlighting different aspects of the criminal injustice system in this country and to even have you know you know Gabriel playing an abolitionist on the show which I identify as a prison abolitionist is a huge conversation that is not happening particularly on network television and you know just knowing so many activists and folks on the front lines who are even incarcerated who get to watch this who are doing that work and get to see it reflected back on them while they're inside has meant everything to me and I'm excited and anticipating and my bar has been raised in terms of the truth that I need to be able to tell as an artist in the future projects so a part of that was amazing thank you for that Conrad let's talk about oh no I just some like like every time Matt speaks I feel like I have so much to them think about anything he's like number one he's just changed so much about the culture of our show about working on the show about acceptance and providing a safe space for us all to show up like in a huge he's done that in real life besides like the work that he does as an actor like it's just incredible like the the the work that you do on your own just reverberates out in so many ways that makes me keeps me up at night it makes me think about other people's - of everybody else in the world and everybody else's feelings and isn't that what we're like all here to do and just I'm just like I love you what characters do I like I yeah I think a lot of Oliver's insecurity stems from the society that he's grown up in as an Asian man and specifically in the gay community Asian men are like I can't tell you the number of racist messages that I've received over like dating apps and stuff like that that tell Asian men that they are the least desirable that they are like you know castrated and emasculated and seen as jokes that you know he started out at this bar meeting this guy that showed him a tender attention and showed interest and for nefarious reasons and you know but you know then also took a genuine interest in him and through that somebody you know encouraging him to to come into his own and to realize his power is something that I like I'm still like dealing with as an Asian man in this world of you know why do I feel like I have to show up and smile all the time and like oh it's because like that's what I've been told that's my place in society yeah so I I just feel like his what I I would just like him to continue on that journey and that the the beginning of this season even when he was like able to express that anger through hitting the the pillow over and over again is something that just like you know Asian men aren't allowed to do a lot to express anger or strength even and I hope that he continues that journey I hope that I continue that journey and yeah feels like kara pee now [Applause] don't worry there's not gonna be a copay chart okay uh yeah you know I've given Pete a lot of great ideas he's only ever denied me one and you know after the first couple seasons I was like gloopy bunch of people are dying here's my pitch Connor gets on a boat so goes off to Italy it's you know off the coast one of these countries and then you know I get to film in Greece but he was like get the [ __ ] oil for me sometimes you know I hide out from you Pete I know like I'm hiding out now I know but um everything I want at all there is an endless array I mean she's an alcoholic she is pansexual she is a sex abuse survivor you can write that for years I just personally think that no one explores the black pathology hmm at all you know and and and and and you know there's any number of announcements on boy I'm probably gonna get in trouble I shouldn't have drank that glass of way there's any number number of announcements on deadlines of yet another terrific black actor announcing yet another great project but they're always detectives and if it's a black woman especially if she looks like me she is strong she has no vagina if she does have a vagina is dedicated to one man you just never know why she does why she does why she does it so I think that anyone who is willing to write for a black female that has an ass and thighs and a wide nose and big lips should be allowed to do it I don't even care if it's a wrong decision I don't care if it pisses anyone off because once annalise keating not Viola Davis Annalise Keating is off the air you probably will have what three female black leads on TV and that streaming devices and network TV that Simone misuk Rutina Wesley and Issa Rae I mean you could probably think of someone else but that's the truth okay and she doesn't have to be a hero she doesn't have to represent some social message she just has to be human so you can understand when you come and you watch her on the screen did she like you um she's just like you and that's the most revolutionary thing that we can do right now and and really Shonda is the only one that's doing it you know so I think that if I were to see her transpire over the years it would be all of that she'd be on the wagon off the wagon she'd be running out to some a man running after a woman I don't know yeah what's your life look like yeah she's will be taking that wig off too she'd be taking it off and all and I love that well thank you guys so much for answering all those questions I really appreciate it and now it's your turn Chopin's and I'm gonna call in a couple of you guys for questions thank you every single one of you for doing this it means so much because we get to see you talking about your craft and that means nothing but gold viola have you had a chance to see clemency yet no to see alfre woodard on film do basically on film what you've already been doing on television to see that type of thing a woman who's ridiculously flawed time trying to deal with the concept of having to kill the 13th person because of that it's it's it's amazing to me because I think to myself that could not have happened on film had it not been for you doing what you're doing here and that reactionary ripple it's just it's paramount to see those type of things happen and I thank you for that because it's been such an amazing thing to see you did it on television and see women like that do that on film it's spectacular thank you guys I love you you are so wonderful and if I might ask you to UM ask two questions one for me and one for behalf of my mom Kesha doesn't speak English well which I wanted to ask you um so first question is for viola uh my mom was asking what do you think how can you relate yourself to the personality of Annalise and to yourself and vice-versa so what did you give to annalisa my analyst gave you for your in your just everyday life I don't I don't think that I'm that much of a mess but what but what but what she gave me is permission to embrace whatever I feel is a flaw in me there is something about Annalise to me that is brave brave in her fucked-up-ness brave and the fact that she just goes for it she's a whirling dervish of a mess and I've always been afraid of being that you know once again I think that that's something that is very african-american because I grew up in such kind of questionable and I grow up a mess I grew up in a messy environment so I felt like I had to be really straight you know it's like they always tell you know especially if you grow up in poverty and all of those circumstances you've got to be three times as good you got to be twice as good how do you tip how you twice as good as who you are you just really just being as trying to be as good as who you are right and I just feel like um and she gave me permission to even feel like I could play her she literally allowed me to step into her and step into her life I didn't see myself as that I believed everything everyone said about that I wasn't attractive I'm not sexual my voice is too deep she's not this she's not that and suddenly I had to play her and I felt like Annalise was sitting right there saying okay when are you gonna come in money you could allow me in and I allowed her in and she's just unleashed all of this stuff in me yeah thank you by the way we we're in my husband thinks you are very beautiful and one more question for Pete more on personal sight with you leading as an example to all the audience and how successful your show is for the beginning screenplay writer what is your advice what where to start where to go and who to reach to to just just to brainstorm just to be at least half of successful as you are being so creative you just hire these people well do you have any advice I think for me yeah you just start with a character and then it grows from there so it's character character character how you guys my name is Brianna thank you for all the things that you've portrayed and the stories you've told but also I have a question for Liza as a Gilmore Girls fan [Applause] how has it been to transition from playing a character like Paris where she's you know over-the-top overachiever and then to turn to Bonnie who's like multi-dimensional multifaceted in that she has this trauma that she's constantly overcoming it's been good you know being a part of Gilmore Girls was it remains to be an extraordinary thing you know that show continues to be in the world and and and that the people that that love that show are unlike no other people and however I guess you know my my time as Paris was was a considerable time ago so I was lucky I think to to have a gap between playing these two people she's always kind of there though I mean I think I'm honest with myself like there's that's there's parts of me that are that person just like there's there's parts of Bonnie that are that are that are in in me too so I don't know if I mean and also I don't know if I if I could have if I would have been ready for Bonnie without playing Paris I think I think at all I don't know they all inform each other but I'm I again you know it's amazing to be able to answer that question and and to be able to speak of of playing those two people please another warm round of applause for the cat [Applause]

Channel: The Paley Center for Media

Views: 448,228

Keywords: The Paley Center for Media, Paley Center, PaleyLive LA 2019, Kelley L. Carter, Viola Davis, Annalise Keating, Rome Flynn, Gabriel Maddox, Charlie Weber, Frank Delfino, Liza Weil, Bonnie Winterbottom, Amirah Vann, Tegan Price, Aja Naomi King, Michaela Pratt, Matt McGorry, Asher Millstone, Conrad Ricamora, Oliver Hampton, Jack Falahee, Connor Walsh, Peter Nowalk, ABC, Drama, Legal Drama, Lawyers, Doubt, Stereotypes, Emmy Awards, LGBTQ Characters, Representation, Alfre Woodard

Id: zpvJvRDVoGk

Length: 59min 2sec (3542 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 16 2020