First Look at Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman’s Transformative Work in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

This morning, Netflix debuted key scenes and a trailer for George C. Wolfe’s highly anticipated Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. Davis is nearly unrecognizable in the part, which requires physical transformation to look like a woman Davis does not, in any way, resemble.

Davis was asked about this in the Q&A with she and George C. Wolfe and her answer was that she resisted the challenge at first because she didn’t see herself as the character. But Davis being Davis, one of the best actors in Hollywood, did take on the challenge and has really gone there with this part.

I also wrote up Davis and the other actresses portraying icons in American history, which is unprecedented in film and Oscar history to have three powerhouse women play three powerhouse women.

Here is the trailer and photos.