Viola Davis confident of her potential

Actress Viola Davis, who recently won the Golden Globe for her work in the film ‘Fences’, says that tapping into your own potential could be "very frightening". "I think tapping into one's power is a frightening thing.

And for women, it's new. It is. I always used to feel that self-deprecation was an answer to humility - that people would see me as a humble person the more I put myself down," Davis told.

"And I often think to myself, what if someone says, 'You know what, I'm confident, I'm really happy about the work I did. I really felt like I gave it my best and it came out great,' the same way men do. Why is that not seen as humble?" she added.

The 51-year-old thinks it is important that actors and actresses understand that while their work may not live up to their own expectations, they "deserve" whatever awards and accolades they get.

"The happily ever after comes after you've done the work. And to literally understand, especially as a woman, that a closed mouth doesn't get fed, you've got to ask for what you want and expect to get it," Davis said.