Viola Davis refuses to dismiss ‘black women’s pain’

Academy Award winner Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon launched in 2012 JuVee Productions, to see the changes they wish Hollywood would make—specifically in portrayals of race and other issues. “We are in a zeitgeist that is hungry for disruptors,” the “How to Get Away With Murder” actress told CNN recently.

The couple’s project, “American Koko,” is a web series that is just that—a satirical series starring Diarra Kilpatrick, who plays a detective investigating racially sensitive cases.

“There’s no greater voice than that of an artist. ‘American Koko’ does what true art is supposed to do,” Davis said, adding that the ABC Digital comedy tackles a familiar stereotype.

“The ‘angry black woman’ has become a label that we’ve stamped upon generations of black womanhood. It’s become a way of silencing us, dismissing our pain and erasing our femininity. Perhaps it’s fear that has disallowed many to ask the most powerful question: Why is she angry?”

‘Riverdale’s’ ‘Veronica’ another year older

Camila Mendes —Instagram

The actress playing Veronica, the raven-haired teen vixen from “Riverdale,” is now 23. Brazilian-American actress Camila Mendes uploaded a picture with a birthday cake on Instagram last week. “Thanks for making an uninteresting age feel a little less uninteresting,” she captioned.

She added, “To the fans who waited outside [the] set yesterday and sang to me: Thank you for reminding me how lucky I am to be doing what I love … So far, 23 is looking positive.”

Sam Underwood on mental health

Sam Underwood

“Fear the Walking Dead” British actor Sam Underwood is auctioning off a script page signed by the cast to help raise awareness on mental issues.

The former “Dexter” and “The Following” actor thanked the AMC channel and said on his website (initiative26.com): “Proceeds from the show will be donated to a mental health organization.”

Underwood is the writer and performer of a touring show, “Losing Days,” which, according to the site, “follows his hilarious and harrowing journey of losing his f**king mind—and finding it again—set to the tunes that got him through… It’s a true story seen through a shattered kaleidoscope, delving into the superhero struggle of mental illness, and smashing the taboos that surround it.” —OLIVER PULUMBARIT