Viola Davis says personal experiences played a significant role in shaping characters in her new novel Judge Stone, a legal thriller she co-wrote with bestselling author James Patterson.
The book centers on a Black female judge presiding over a complex case involving a teenage girl who undergoes an illegal abortion after being raped.
In discussing the story, Davis said the character’s emotional experience was informed by her own past. The Oscar-winning actor has previously spoken publicly about surviving sexual assault as a child.
“I felt a responsibility to women who have been sexually assaulted and raped, especially children, as I am one of them,” Davis said. “And what they also deserve is the truth of how it made them feel.”
According to Davis, elements from her life helped shape several characters in the novel.
“All of it. Every single bit of my story influenced all of these characters,” she said. “I feel that it is my duty to honor six-year-old Viola.”
The project marks another step in Davis’s expanding work as an author. She previously released the memoir Finding Me and the children’s book Corduroy Takes a Bow.
Speaking with CBS about the new novel, Davis said she is open to exploring writing further but is still considering what the next phase of her career might look like.
“Maybe a little bit more writing, or maybe travel,” she said. “Maybe just being a regular person.”
Davis, one of the few performers to achieve EGOT status — winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — added that professional accolades are not how she ultimately measures her life’s legacy.
“EGOT is not going to be on my gravestone,” she said with a laugh.
