Viola Davis Feels Higher Sense Of Responsibility After The Help

First Published: January 14, 2012 5:41 PM EST Credit: Getty Images Caption 2012 Critics Choice Movie Awards: Viola Davis Talks Receiving Accolades For Her Role In The Help LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- Viola Davis rose to fan-favorite status and wowed the critics playing good-hearted, lovable maid Aibileen Clark in The Help, and the Golden Globe-nominated actress says the recognition for the challenging role is definitely satisfying. It feels pretty good! Viola told Access Hollywoods Shaun Robinson at the Critics Choice Movie Awards in Los Angeles on Thursday, when asked how it feels to receive such acting accolades. I definitely feel like Ive gone to a different place in my career and I feel a higher sense of responsibility for women [and] for women of color it feels tremendous. I feel like Im like, stepping into my purpose, she added. While she knew she had stumbled upon a very special script when she signed on for The Help, Viola said she wasnt quite sure how audiences would react to the film. I knew it was going to be something. I didnt know if it was going to be negative or positive, but I knew it was going to be something, she told Shaun. I thought it could go either way. We were making a movie about maids in 1963 who are uneducated, and it definitely couldve gone the other way. As for whether shes nervous about Ricky Gervais taking the wheel as host at the Golden Globes on Sunday (where shes up for the coveted Best Actress Motion Picture Drama award), Viola said shes hoping she escapes the comedians wrath. If he says something about me, yeah, absolutely! she told Shaun with a laugh, when asked if shes nervous about Ricky hosting. But otherwise, he is absolutely hysterical. He can blast other people and I will laugh with abandon! If he says something about me, Im gonna get my ex-linebacker husband and Im gonna say, Ricky, hey, she jokingly added. The 69th Golden Globes will air Sunday at 8 ET/5 PT on NBC. Copyright 2012 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.