Brené with Viola Davis on Being Brave, Speaking Truth, and Finding Me

Hi, everyone. I'm Brene Brown, and this is Unlocking Us. Have an incredible conversation for you today with none other than the amazing singular Viola Davis. Just what a you know, talking about tough and tender and brave and vulnerable, she's got a new memoir out called Finding Me. I just read that it'll debut at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, which is so exciting for her and so well deserved. We're gonna talk about the book. It is a very deep reflection that takes us on a journey through Viola's childhood, overcoming trauma, finding her voice, what it's like being in just a kind of brutal industry, to be honest with you, and just some some extraordinary experiences that have changed her. And because of who she is, they've, by turn, changed us. I am so glad you're here for this conversation. Before we go to our first break, I want to in case you don't know, I announced on Monday, and then we've gone off on social this week. I am, for the first time in my career, going on a very serious sabbatical this summer. We're also doing kind of a critical mass restoration and rest at Brene Brown Education Research, our company. And so we're going away for a few months. We are taking a hiatus with a podcast. We're going dark on social for four months. It's scary and it's weird, but I'm so driven by this idea. It's a quote that is often attributed to Viktor Frankl. No one really knows where it comes from, but I think Viktor Frankl's work is so represented in it that I'm choosing that. But it's got an interesting history. You can read more on brenebrown.com. But the quote is between stimulus and response, there is a space. And in that space, there's the power of choice. And with that choice comes freedom and learning. And so celebrating twenty six years sobriety this month, that's the first time I ever got a glimpse of that space between stimulus and response. And I'm gonna celebrate those twenty six years by reinvesting in the next twenty six with creating some space. So we'll be gone until September, but I'm so glad you're here for this conversation. At Criminal, we've made it a tradition every December to dedicate an episode entirely to animals who are really going for it. And Tony, what happened when you pulled over? Nothing out of the ordinary until I saw the cat on the back of the roof behind the luggage carrier. Listen to our fifth annual Animals episode on Criminal wherever you get your podcasts. Before we jump in, let me tell you a little bit about Viola. Not that you need it, but it's very interesting. She is a critically revered actress of film, television, and theater. She's won rave reviews for her multiple and substantial and intriguingly diverse roles. She has Oscar nominated performances in The Help, Doubt, Ma …