Viola Davis: 'The Help brought my mother to life'

Viola Davis has said that her role in The Help allowed her to pay tribute to the memory of her late mother and grandmother.

The actress, who plays 1960s housemaid Aibileen Clark in the film, told The Hollywood Reporter that the story felt true-to-life and gave her a greater appreciation for the struggles that women of colour have had to overcome.

"I feel like I've brought my mum to life; I've channeled her spirit," Davis explained.

"I channeled the spirit of my grandmother, and I've kind of paid homage to how they've contributed to my life and the lives of so many people."

Davis also revealed that the role allowed her to develop a better understanding of that important era in America's history, telling Essence: "I learned about the contributions of everyday people. The people who didn't make it into the history books but paved the way for us. The domestics, bus drivers, garbage men.

"What I learned from Aibileen is the courage it took to just live the everyday, being black in 1961 Mississippi. The courage it took to just stand on your own two feet, put food on the table and just survive. Just to simply survive."

> Viola Davis: 'I'm adopting a baby'

Watch a trailer for The Help, which opens August 12 in the US and October 28 in the UK, below: