Here's How Viola Davis And Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor Responded When Asked If They Had A "Controversial Hot Take" That Would Have Them Looking Like Flynn Rider
On Jan. 5, I had the opportunity to hit up the Golden Globes red carpet to get an up-close scoop of all the celebrities and nominees attending the event.
It was a star-studded night and a very, very busy red carpet, so you had to be vigilant to catch everyone's attention.
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There was Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who recently returned as the voice of Maui in the box-office smash Moana 2, showing off his custom Dolce & Gabbana.
There were the politest waves from Catherine O'Hara (Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice) and Dakota Fanning (The Watchers, The Perfect Couple).
Mychal Thompson
I received an admirable salute from Adrien Brody, who went on to win Best Actor for his role in The Brutalist. The film also won Best Director for Brady Corbet and Best Motion Picture — Drama.
Ariana Grande blew everyone delicate kisses and entered with elegance, much like her Golden Globe-nominated character Glinda the Good Witch in Jon M. Chu's Wicked.
And yes, I did give Cynthia Erivo emotional words of encouragement while holding on to her beautiful hands with the most gorgeous long nails. (Not pictured.)
Check out this post to see what everyone wore on the red carpet.
For the actors not in a hurry, I playfully asked a nosy question, "What's the most expensive thing you're wearing?" Their answers were unexpected and quite funny.
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But the night's highlight was speaking with two actors who gave us some of the most groundbreaking performances of the last decade — Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor and Viola Davis.
Christopher Polk / Penske Media via Getty Images, Earl Gibson Iii / Penske Media via Getty Images
I asked them the ridiculous question, "What is one hot take that'll have everybody like..." and showed them the viral meme of Tangled's Flynn Rider when he tells all the ruffians at the Snuggly Duckling he doesn't sing:
I hoped to see if Aunjanue and Viola thought pineapples shouldn't be on pizza or if people should never wear socks to bed, but their responses were far better.
Aunjanue, who addressed her bisexuality in 2022 and has been adamant about representation in Hollywood, answered the question swiftly, bringing attention to much-discussed issues over projects with LGBTQ+ themes.
"Gay people should play gay people," Aunjanue said in response to the meme question.
The Nickel Boys actor made a very valid point, seeing that most significant roles in Hollywood that depict stories about LGBTQ+ characters aren't always portrayed by actors who openly identify as LGBTQ+. As the roles and stories are limited in comparison, it would be beneficial to allow certain actors to portray the characters closely related to their underrepresented group.
Viola, who attended the event with her husband, actor and producer Julius Tennon, answered my harebrained question just how you'd think someone who gives the most memorable awards speeches only knows how.
It was at this moment when I knew she was about to shut it down with an answer most fitting for the star of The Woman King and How to Get Away with Murder.
"Oh no, I don't have anything," Viola said confidently.
She stepped back, laughed, and said, "No one would ever point a sword at me."
The EGOT winner made it clear that nobody is pointing any Tangled Snuggly Ducking swords at her for anything, which makes perfect sense given that her beloved work has earned her the most coveted entertainment recognition, including the Cecil B. DeMille Award she took home on Jan. 3.
The way that it felt like this was her response to my silly question, and I ate it up because she is royalty in my book:
Aunjanue and Viola are remarkable talents, and if you haven't caught up on all their critically acclaimed work in film and television, then I have only one thing to say to you:
BuzzFeed Community: If you had the chance to ask a celebrity any question on the red carpet, what would it be? Let me know in the comments, and perhaps I'll ask them next time (if it's appropriate, of course).
As we head deeper into awards season, check out more of our coverage of the Golden Globes here to get familiar with this year's biggest contenders.