The Secret Sauce: Viola Davis On The Power Of Black Women In ‘Air’

Viola Davis has dedicated her career to breathing life into many characters whose stories reflect the Black experience. Her most recent role finds her portraying Deloris Jordan, the mother of businessman and NBA alum Michael Jordan, in Amazon Studios’ Air which hit theaters on Wednesday. According to Davis, such an honor was flattering and frightening as her involvement was a direct request from Mr. Jordan himself.

“It feels both flattering and frightening,” Davis said. “They both kind of exist on the same plane. It’s flattering because it's Michael Jordan who wants you to play his mother. If you've seen his mom in any way, you can see how extraordinary she is. That's flattering. The pressure is in actually playing that and honoring that on the screen. Therein lies the pressure.

“Overall, I feel very blessed to have been a part of this film, no matter how much pressure I was under. At the end of the day, we just landed into playing James and Deloris Jordan. It was never anything where we got together, and we were just motivated by stress and anxiety.”

After transcending genres with her forceful presence on the screen, Davis added the coveted EGOT status to her already lengthy resume with a Grammy win in February.

Julius Tennon, actor and Davis’ husband in real life, stars in the film alongside Davis as Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan. For Tennon, acting alongside his wife was a fun experience, especially since they’d been married for quite some time.

“It was easy; we've been together for so long, and it's always fun to play with Viola and then to be with Matt Damon and Ben Affleck,” Tennon said in an interview. “Ben had such a vision and knew exactly what he wanted. It was fun. I looked forward to every day and every moment on set.”

While the film’s foundation is based on a moment in Michael Jordan’s career, it’s actually centered around how his mother, Mrs. Jordan, played a pivotal role. Not only does it illustrate how Black women can often be considered unsung heroes, but the beauty of this film, according to Davis, is that Mrs. Jordan’s story was pushed to the forefront.

“We're unsung heroes because, historically, we've been considered chattel. This story was so beautiful because they pushed her to the forefront, and she was the secret sauce. The entire movie will have you wondering, ‘What really sealed this deal?’ and then you see that it was Deloris. That's the secret sauce. The fact that this movie is made, I think, injects something in the minds of people that we are powerful and that we, a lot of times, are unsung heroes, that we have a lot of strength that no one ever sees. We have a lot of vulnerabilities that no one sees, and at the end of the day, no matter what the vulnerabilities and the obstacles are, we get it done.”

Another aspect of Air worth noting is the Jordans’ unwavering commitment to their son. Tennon believes parents must support their children while allowing them to grow into who they’re destined to be.

“They learn those lessons at home, so you have to infuse and inspire and encourage your kids at home constantly,” Tennon said. “So when they go out in the world, they'll know how to handle themselves as best they can. But we also always have to stay available and open and let them be who they are going to be.”

Davis shares similar sentiments and feels that genuine human connections can be a saving grace to combat the world's ills.

“There are just so many obstacles in the world that tell you you're not good enough. There are so many detractors, whether you're in school, in relationships, or friendships. So I always tell my daughter, ‘Find people who love you,’ because when you're in the hole, that's the thing that will get you out of that hole. That's going to be your rope. We're wired for connection, and we need those people who believe in us when we can't believe in ourselves in a really tumultuous world.”