‘The Woman King’: Viola Davis Worked Out 5 Hours a Day for 4 Months to Play Nanisca
Viola Davis has been a mainstay character actor in Hollywood for years. Known for her intense performances and ability to deliver heartfelt dialogue, Davis is a favorite actor among movie buffs. While Davis has appeared in many popular movies, from The Help to Suicide Squad, her latest film is quite possibly her most anticipated to date.
The Woman King has only been in theaters for a short time. However, the historical action epic has made waves with critics and fans alike. Davis committed to her role, embarking on an intense training regimen that saw the star exercising up to five hours a day.
‘The Woman King’ is based on a true story
The Woman King is a historical epic directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood. Released in early September, the film tells the story of General Nanisca, an elite warrior who trains the Agojie. This real-life all-female warrior unit protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey for more than two centuries.
The Woman King features a star-studded cast, including Davis as Nanisca, John Boyega as King Ghezo, Thuso Mbedu as Nawi, and Sheila Atim as Amenza. Critics have praised The Woman King for its well-crafted storyline, which blends action and drama, as well as for the performances of the immensely talented cast.
According to IMDb, The Woman King has been in development since 2015 but wasn’t officially greenlit until 2020. Once the film received the “go” signal, Davis and the rest of the cast dove right into their roles.
Viola Davis committed to an intense exercise regimen for ‘The Woman King’
Davis knew she wanted to do justice to Nanisca, including getting as strong as possible. As she told The Hollywood Reporter, “… I had to call in all of those things that I threw into a wastebasket to create this Nanisca. And somewhere in the middle of that, it just happened: I felt badass.”
Davis, along with the rest of the cast, committed to a workout routine that started four months before filming started. Each day, Davis did 90 minutes of weightlifting, followed by three and a half hours of fight training. Workouts often included training on the treadmill, with Davis running a six-minute, 23-second mile on the treadmill during each session.
“I felt proud, even, of my body, and not that it looked like anything that anybody else would find acceptable, but for me, it just was the house of my bravery,” Davis said of her stunning physical transformation.
‘The Woman King’ cast and crew endured serious obstacles while filming
Although Davis and the rest of the cast felt prepared to shoot The Woman King on a physical level, they dealt with some unexpected challenges as they made the film. COVID-19 shut production down in late 2021, only to resume in early 2022.
The shoot itself was intense, with the cast and crew deep in the heart of the African jungle. “It was physically the hardest thing that any of us had done,” producer Cathy Schulman told The LA Times. “It was pretty amazing to watch this troupe of women behind and in front of the camera go out to do that every day.”
Director Prince-Bythewood echoed Schulman’s sentiments, telling the publication “This was the toughest shoot of my career. It was also the most beautiful. But to get through it with a film that I’m proud of is a really important thing to me.”
At the end of the day, however, The Woman King finished production, roaring into theaters in September 2022 and impressing viewers and critics alike.
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