THE 31ST annual Oscars nominees luncheon took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel early last week with an impressive 150 of the 188 nominees in attendance. Like every year, the emphasis during the event was to savor the moment and celebrate a well-deserved honor with all the other nominated before getting back to the campaign. And in no time, that’s what a many nominees did. The previous evening, Best Actress nominee Meryl Streep attended a Q&A after a screening of The Iron Lady. Later in the week, 3 of the 5 Best Actor contenders, frontrunner Jean Dujardin (The Artist), George Clooney (The Descendants) and Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), Max von Sydow (Best Supporting Actor for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) and Best Supporting Actress frontrunner Octavia Spencer (The Help) also appeared after screenings of the films for which they are nominated, sometimes being joined by other key creatives of the films.

One of the more popular Q&As featured The Help’s frontrunner Viola Davis, nominated for Best Actress. Looking radiant and excited, Davis recollected her childhood years growing up very poor in a very non-black neighborhood in Rhode Island and facing degrading moments of discrimination because of her skin color and always having to defend herself. Undeterred, she continued to dream and found her calling after seeing Cicely Tyson in The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman in 1974. Tyson’s performance changed Davis’ path as an actress, giving her a role model to which she could aspire, unlike the caricatures she often saw, especially on TV. While she cited the work of Esther Rolle (Maude and Good Times) and Isabel Sanford (The Jeffersons), two theatrically trained actresses who became trapped by the work, she acknowledged them “for having talent bigger than the work” and knew there was something more for her to delve into as an African American actress. She started on the stage (ultimately winning two Tony Awards) and then began to find work in TV and film. Her breakthrough role was in film version of Doubt opposite Meryl Streep in 2008. It was a one-scene role which required a lot of investigative work to understand the character and her choice as a mother whose young male child may have been molested by a priest. Davis received her first Oscar nomination for her searing performance. When she heard about book of The Help, she immediately tried to option it for herself as an actress and producer, primarily because she doesn’t have lots of scripts waiting for her unlike many actresses, including her co-nominees this year. Unfortunately, the $300 she offered (she had no idea how to make an option offer) was rejected, but the director Tate Taylor wanted her for the role as Abileen, the quiet maid whose life is turned around when she shares her personal story. Despite the Oscar notoriety and frontrunner status, Davis feels she still “needs more ground in Hollywood.” She and her husband (her secret awardsseason weapon for coping) formed a production company and have begun to look for properties for them to produce and for her to star in. She can make more than $300 option offers these days.

As the audience began to ask questions, it became evident that the role-model baton has been passed from Tyson to Davis for today’s younger African-American actresses. When pressed for advice, Davis urged all actors “to keep doing what they’re doing, to see no limitations and embrace failure. The tools are different for everyone, but know that we are running the same race.” The next stop for Davis would include many more appearances including Good Morning America, The View and Fashion Week in New York to name a few.