(Warning: A very light spoiler is discussed)
A deep, passionate kiss is shared by Viola Davis and Liam Neeson in the opening frames of “Widows,” immediately keying audiences into the fact that they’re not watching an ordinary crime thriller. This is a Steve McQueen crime thriller, by the director who won the Best Picture Oscar for “12 Years a Slave” and who also earned raves for his groundbreaking sex addiction drama “Shame,” starring Michael Fassbender.
“You will not see that,” Davis said of the intimate bedroom kiss between a black woman and white man depicted in the film. “I don’t care how much people say they’re committed to inclusivity — they’re not committed to that,” said the Oscar winner at a screening on the 20th Century Fox lot in Los Angeles, attended by McQueen and other cast members.
It’s an opening scene that arguably hasn’t been done in film. As Davis put it, to have “the opening shot in this movie where you have a dark-skinned woman with a big nose and wide lips and all of that and her natural hair kissing — romantically kissing a white man onscreen.”
Also Read: Steve McQueen's 'Widows' Leads MoMA's 'The Contenders' Lineup of Year's Finest Films
“Widows,” co-written by McQueen and “Gone Girl” writer Gillian Flynn, is a remake of a 1980s British TV show. The film version is set in Chicago. It revolves around the women left behind, mourning the deaths of their criminal husbands as they navigate survival in a crime world they’ve suddenly inherited. It also stars Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki, Colin Farrell, Carrie Coon and Robert Duvall.
Rodriguez, also at Tuesday’s screening Q&A, chimed in on Davis’ thoughts on interracial love in movies: “The reality of the truth of the fabric of this country is multiracial. I can’t tell you how many Irish last names are on yellow, mixed race, African humans,” she said. “This is just a man who sees truth and he’s putting it on the screen,” Rodriguez added of McQueen.
“That right there has been elusive to me because of the way I look,” added Davis of her kissing scene with Neeson. “I’m just going to say it,” she added as the audience — mostly Screen Actors Guild members — erupted into applause. “Steve [McQueen], he didn’t want to hear that… He saw me as this woman. I migrate toward people who actually see me. I actually do have a vagina,” she concluded as the crowd cheered and laughed.
“Widows” opens in theaters Nov. 16.
50 Actresses Over 50 Who Still Rule Hollywood (Photos)
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These strong women have aged gracefully — while still governing Hollywood.
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Nicole Kidman (birthdate: 06/20/67)
The Australian Oscar winner has kept busy with blockbusters ("Aquaman"), award-winning indies ("Boy Erased") and TV hits like HBO's "Big Little Lies" and "The Undoing."
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Getty ImagesHelena Bonham Carter (birthdate: 05/26/66)
After starring in 2015's "Cinderella," this Oscar nominee reprised a different Disney role as the Red Queen in "Alice Through the Looking Glass." And then won acclaim on Netflix's "The Crown."
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Getty ImagesYuh-Jung Youn (birthdate: 06/19/47)
South Korean actress Yuh-Jung Youn has graced Korean screens for decades and recently brought her talents to the U.S. in "Minari," earning her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 2021.
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Getty ImagesHalle Berry (birthdate: 08/14/66)
Aside from the fact that she's the only black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress, she recently starred in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," "John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum" and two movies in the "Kingsman" series.
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Getty ImagesSalma Hayek (birthdate: 09/02/66)
Salma Hayek has been a household name since forever and it's no wonder -- she's had notable movie roles "Frida," "Desperado," and "Wild Wild West."
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Getty ImagesViola Davis (birthdate: 08/11/65)
An accomplished SAG and Emmy winner, Davis starred in ABC’s hit series "How to Get Away With Murder" and the two "Suicide Squad" movies (including a 2021 sequel). She also starred in the 2020 drama "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom."
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Getty ImagesGong Li (birthdate: 12/31/65)
After making her American film debut in 2006's "Miami Vice," Li helped bring Chinese cinema to Europe and the U.S.
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Getty ImagesSarah Jessica Parker (birthdate: 03/25/65)
Following the enormous success of her breakout series "Sex and the City," Jessica Parker starred in a string of romantic comedies. She starred in HBO's comedy "Divorce."
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Getty ImagesDiane Lane (birthdate: 01/22/65)
The Oscar nominee has been busy, voicing the mother in Pixar's "Inside Out," playing Cleo Trumbo in "Trumbo," and Martha Kent in 2013's "Man of Steel" and 2016's "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." She starred opposite Kevin Costner in 2020's "Let Him Go."
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Getty ImagesVivica A. Fox (birthdate: 07/30/64)
Since the '80s, Fox has made a name for herself in both film and TV, including appearances in Fox's "Empire," "Independence Day: Resurgence" and Lifetime's series of "Wrong" movies.
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Getty ImagesMarisa Tomei (birthdate: 12/04/64)
The Oscar-winning Tomei maintains a tireless work ethic, playing roles in "The Big Short," "Captain America: Civil War," and the Tom Holland "Spider-Man" movies.
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Queen Latifah (birthdate: 03/19/1970)
The rapper turned actress and producer stars in CBS' hit reboot of "The Equalizer."
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VarietyTaraji P. Henson (birthdate: 09/11/70)
Taraji broke out in "Baby Boy," and has garnered recognition for her roles in "Hustle and Flow" and 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button." She most recently starred in "Hidden Figures" and rocked everybody's world as Cookie on "Empire."
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Getty ImagesMonica Bellucci (birthdate: 09/30/64)
After turning heads in "The Passion of the Christ" and two of the three "Matrix" films, the Italian actress returned to the silver screen as a Bond girl in 2015's "Spectre." And then starred as Italian photographer Tina Modotti in the miniseries "Radical Eye."
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CBSLucy Liu (birthdate: 12/02/68)
The actress broke out in the late-'90s series "Ally McBeal," then starred in films like "Charlie's Angels" and "Kill Bill." In 2019, she wrapped a long run playing Watson in CBS' Sherlock Holmes series "Elementary."
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Getty ImagesSandra Bullock (birthdate: 07/26/64)
"The Blind Side" star gained another Oscar nom for 2013's "Gravity" and stayed busy with 2018 hits like "Ocean's Eight" and "Bird Box."
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Getty ImagesLaura Linney (birthdate: 02/05/64)
This three-time Oscar and Tony nominee is working hard, with big roles in shows like "Ozark," "Tales of the City" and Viggo Mortensen's film "Falling."
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Getty ImagesOctavia Spencer (birthdate: 05/25/70)
Octavia Spencer had her big break with her role in "The Help" in 2011 -- and she won an Oscar for it. Since, she's starred in "Fruitvale Station," "Hidden Figures," and "Ma."
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Getty ImagesMing-Na Wen (birthdate: 11/20/63)
In addition to being the enchanting voice of the heroine in Disney's "Mulan," Wen is known for her roles on "Stargate Universe," Disney+'s "The Mandalorian" and ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."
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Getty ImagesLisa Kudrow (birthdate: 07/30/63)
Since her days as a "Friends" leading lady, Kudrow has been active in film and TV, playing characters in Netflix’s "BoJack Horseman," "Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising," the 2019 indie hit "Booksmart" and the Netflix comedy "Space Force."
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Getty ImagesHelen Hunt (birthdate: 06/15/63)
The "As Good As It Gets" actress drew acclaim in 2012 for her role in Sundance favorite "The Sessions" and recently starred in the sitcom reboot "Mad About You."
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Getty ImagesVanessa Williams (birthdate: 03/18/63)
Even after the end of ABC's "Ugly Betty" and the short-lived "666 Park Avenue," Williams has kept working with projects like "Daytime Divas" and Justin Simien's 2020 film "Bad Hair."
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Getty ImagesDemi Moore (birthdate: 11/11/62)
While doing charity work for her anti-sex-trafficking foundation Thorn, Moore has returned to the screen in TV projects like "Empire," "Animals." and "Brave New World."
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Getty ImagesJodie Foster (birthdate: 11/19/62)
After appearing in "Elysium" and "Carnage," the Oscar-winning actress took a break from acting and returned to directing with 2016's "Money Monster" starring George Clooney and Julia Roberts and an episode of "Black Mirror." She then appeared in front of the camera in 2020's "Prisoner 760."
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Getty ImagesJennifer Jason Leigh (birthdate: 02/05/62)
With a career that spans four decades, Jason Leigh earned an Oscar nomination for 2015's "The Hateful Eight," then starred in shows like "Twin Peaks," "Patrick Melrose" and "Atypical" as well as movies like 2020's "The Woman in the Window."
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Getty ImagesJulia Louis-Dreyfus (birthdate: 01/13/61)
Since she wrapped her seventh and last season of HBO’s "Veep," the actress-comedian starred in the 2020 Will Ferrell romantic drama "Downhill."
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Getty ImagesJane Lynch (birthdate: 07/14/60)
Despite the 2016 cancellation of her short-lived sitcom "Angel from Hell," Lynch has made strides in the past few years, hosting NBC's "Hollywood Game Night" and earning Emmy attention for "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."
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Getty ImagesJulianne Moore (birthdate: 12/03/60)
Having appeared in both mainstream and art-house films, Moore received acclaim for her Oscar-winning performance in "Still Alice." She followed with showy roles in 2020's "The Woman in the Window" and Julie Taymor's "The Glorias."
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Getty ImagesLorraine Toussaint (birthdate: 04/04/60)
Starting her career in theater before transitioning into film and TV, Toussaint has appeared in Ava DuVernay's "Selma" and the short-lived Fox series "Forever." She's also received praise for her work as Vee in Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black" and series like "Into the Badlands" and "The Village."
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Getty ImagesEmma Thompson (birthdate: 04/15/59)
One of Hollywood and Britain's most accomplished performers, Thompson appeared in 2017's "Beauty and the Beast," Mindy Kaling's "Late Night" in 2019 and 2021's "Cruella."
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Getty ImagesJamie Lee Curtis (birthdate: 11/22/58)
An actress known for her roles in horror films and the 2003 comedy "Freaky Friday," Lee Curtis has lately appeared on screen in 2018's "Halloween" reboot and 2019's "Knives Out."
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Getty ImagesAngela Bassett (birthdate: 08/16/58)
Though she's known primarily for her film roles, including her turn in Spike Lee's 2016 drama "Chi-Raq" and 2018's "Black Panther," Bassett is a TV regular, particularly in FX's anthology series "American Horror Story" and "9-1-1."
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Getty ImagesMichelle Pfeiffer (birthdate: 04/29/58)
The three-time Academy Award nominee's recent film work includes the "Ant-Man" series, "Maleficent: Mistress of Evil" and 2020's "French Exit."
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Getty ImagesSharon Stone (birthdate: 03/10/58)
The "Basic Instinct" actress has appeared in James Franco's "The Disaster Artist" and the TV series "Ratched" and "The New Pope."
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Getty ImagesEllen DeGeneres (birthdate: 01/26/58)
In addition to being a TV personality, a two-time Oscar host and an LGBTQ advocate, DeGeneres found time to reprise her role as the forgetful blue tang in Pixar's 2016 hit "Finding Dory," the sequel to 2003's "Finding Nemo."
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Getty ImagesHolly Hunter (birthdate: 03/20/58)
The Georgia-born Oscar winner returned to film in 2012 after a seven-year hiatus, and has since had roles in "The Big Sick," "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," and TV shows like "Here and Now" and "Succession."
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Getty ImagesAndie MacDowell (birthdate: 04/21/58)
Known for her early '90s roles in "Sex, Lies, & Videotape," "Groundhog Day," and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," MacDowell has appeared in recent films like "Only the Brave" and 2019's "Ready or Not."
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Getty ImagesJoan Allen (birthdate: 08/20/56)
The three-time Academy Award nominee appeared in 2015's acclaimed "Room" and ABC's mystery melodrama "The Family" as well as Apple TV+'s "Lisey's Story."
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Getty ImagesGeena Davis (birthdate: 01/21/56)
The "Thelma and Louise" actress appeared in "GLOW," 2017's "Marjorie Prime" and Tate Taylor's 2020 drama "Ava."
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Getty ImagesRene Russo (birthdate: 02/17/54)
Russo, a Vogue model-turned-BAFTA nominated actress, juggled lots of roles in recent movies, including Marvel's "Thor," the neo-noir thriller "Nightcrawler" the Nancy Meyers comedy "The Intern" and 2019's "Velvet Buzzsaw."
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Getty ImagesOprah Winfrey (birthdate: January 9, 1954)
The actress and producer has kept busy since ending her long-running daytime talk show, overseeing her OWN network and appearing in series like "Greenleaf" and movies such as "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and "A Wrinkle in Time."
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Getty ImagesKim Basinger (birthdate: 12/08/53)
The Golden Globe and SAG-winning actress starred in the 2016 crime comedy caper "The Nice Guys" and had a big role in the last two "Fifty Shades" movies.
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Getty ImagesMary Steenburgen (birthdate: 02/08/53)
A well-known character actress, Steenburgen has appeared in several TV shows (Fox’s "The Last Man on Earth," Netflix's "Orange Is the New Black") and films ("Song One," "A Walk in the Woods"). She starred in the 2016 drama "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and 2018's "Book Club."
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Getty ImagesJane Seymour (birthdate: 02/15/51)
Since her breakthrough role in 1973’s “Live and Let Die,” Seymour has kept busy in projects like the 2016 spoof movie "Fifty Shades of Black" and the CW’s "Jane the Virgin."
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Getty ImagesMeryl Streep (birthdate: 06/22/49)
One of the most recognized and active women working in Hollywood today, Streep is keeping her acclaimed acting streak alive. Recent projects include "The Post," "Little Women," Netflix's "The Prom" and HBO's "Big Little Lies."
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Getty ImagesSigourney Weaver (birthdate: 10/08/49)
The "Ghostbusters" alum has been in 12 movies since 2010, ranging from "Chappie" to "The Cabin in the Woods." She had a cameo in 2016's female-led remake of "Ghostbusters" and stars in James Cameron's upcoming "Avatar" sequels.
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Getty ImagesJessica Lange (birthdate: 04/20/49)
A multiple Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG winner, Lange has been drawing acclaim since the '80s, especially for her performance in FX’s "American Horror Story."
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Getty ImagesIvonne Coll (birthdate: 06/18/47)
Since her breakout debut in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part II," Coll has had recurring TV roles in shows like "Switched at Birth," "Glee" and "Teen Wolf." She starred as Alba Villanueva in the CW's "Jane the Virgin."
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Getty ImagesGlenn Close (birthdate: 03/19/47)
The "Fatal Attraction" star garnered praise and an Oscar nomination for 2017's "The Wife" and has clocked roles in the "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies as well as 2020's "Hillbilly Elegy."
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Getty ImagesHelen Mirren (birthdate: 07/26/45)
The Oscar winner is another one of Hollywood's biggest and most active actresses, including memorable turns in recent movies like the "Red" and "Fast & Furious" series as well as shows like "Catherine the Great."
Nicole Kidman joins Robin Wright, Viola Davis, and Laura Linney among the stars making waves on screen
These strong women have aged gracefully — while still governing Hollywood.
