Oh, Viola Davis. You are my hero.
First of all, no one has ever looked better in purple jeans and a purple shirt with a stunning matching black velvet jacket. And no one has ever been more upfront about beauty and aging.
"People say, 'You're ageless' to which I have one response," says the Oscar winner. "I say, 'You don't know my back and my hot flashes!'"
"I feel like I'm aging, but at the same time I'm not so concerned with my age," says Davis.
Our conversation turns to beauty and how women in Hollywood will do anything to stay young.
"So many people are so desperate to stay young," says Davis. "My theory on this is if you're 35 and you're still trying to be 27 that's one thing.
"When you get over 40 or even get to 50 and you're trying to be 27 then that's a problem," she says with a laugh.
"So what if you're not 27 anymore!" she cries.
BEAUTY TIPS: SHE IS NO 'TOX
I don't even have to ask Viola if she believes in Botox and fillers.
"However young you want to look," she says, "If you are a 47 year old woman, you're not going to see a 25 year old staring back at you in the mirror no matter how much Botox you put in.
"You're 47 and you have to make peace with it," advises the star of "The Help" and "Doubt."
"Embrace your age," she says.
It's hard in her business where youth is such a prize. In fact, Viola stars these days in "Beautiful Creatures" based on a young adult novel about witches. She's the all-seeing mature woman who advises the teens.
"This business is so stressful," she says. "I don't look at those teens and wish I could go back in time. Why take that on, too?"
She had great advice for midlifers who might be comparing their skin or body parts with the younger generation.
"Why do you want to compete with a 25-year-old when you have the stretch marks and hot flashes to deal with in your life. That's enough stress!" she cries. "I'm 47 and perfectly comfortable with all that I am right now."
LIFE TIPS: VIOLA DAVIS IN PERSON
We get to meet at the hip SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills where she's talking about her new movie and another upcoming film called "Ender's Game."
"For me, it's all about finding the humanity in my characters," she says. "If you don't see a human being then the actor is not doing his or her work. You shouldn't see a lot of acrobatics.
"Playing human beings is my life mission."
She's also all about being a mom to her baby daughter with husband Julius Tennon. Their daughter Genesis was adopted as a newborn in 2011.
"My whole life is about thinking about how long will I have to be away from her if I take a certain job.
"I'm very stressed about being away from my daughter," she admits.
"But Meryl Streep gave me great advice," she says. "So did Julianne Moore who said that I just had to tough it out. She also told me to take my daughter with me. Meryl told me, 'Don't feel guilty. You're a great mom. You're doing the best that you can with what you have.'
"Meryl also told me to trust my instincts," she says.
"All those things sound so hackneyed, but they have served me well," she says.
"Listen, it doesn't matter how old you are. Your mind is not the same after you have a kid," she says. "They invade your mind. If she coughs, I'm awake.
"So much for beauty sleep," she says with a laugh. "I'll wake up 15 or 16 times if I hear her moan.
"My best life advice is to follow your gut. You can never go wrong," she says.
