From 2014 to 2020, the ABC legal drama “How to Get Away With Murder” was appointment viewing for millions of fans who tuned in week after week for the juicy, unpredictable plot twists and unforgettable one-liners, which were made even more compelling by the show’s star, Viola Davis, who played law professor and criminal defense attorney Annalise Keating.
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In a recent interview with PEOPLE, Davis said that one of the things she thinks made the show and her character so successful was her decision to remain “unapologetically Black.”
“I’ve done a lot of TV, but that show sort of just put me on the map, and I think it’s because I made choices that made Annalise Keating my own,” Davis told PEOPLE. “I did not follow the sort of script of what you’re supposed to do being a leading lady on television.”
For Davis, part of making Keating her own meant staying true to herself rather than trying to imitate some cookie-cutter version of what a television lawyer should look like.
“I took my wig off. I took my makeup off. I stayed the size I am. I stayed as Black as I could be. And my age…Everything about me was unapologetic,” she added.
Davis’ choices clearly paid off. The role earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2015, an honor no other Black woman had received before.
Even five years after the show went off the air, Annalise Keating’s fans still ride hard for her, like dashaunherbell_, who is still calling for justice for Annalise on TikTok from her interns, whom he believes gaslight her throughout the series.
“And to this day, I’ll never forget how Annalise Keating was the only person on that show. Those raggedy law school dropouts tried to blame everything on her. All she ever deserved was peace, nap, and a little vok vok,” he said.
Nearly 2,000 commenters were quick to agree.
“I will never forgive them, I’ve watched HTGAWM 4 times! I’m still mad!” wrote someone.
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