Viola Davis Worried She’d Have “Heart Attack” While Training For “The Woman King”

Viola Davis/Gaga Skidmore - Wikimedia Commons

Viola Davis explained how rigorous the training was that she went through to star in “The Woman King.” Read more.

Viola Davis was worried she was going to have a heart attack while training for epic new movie “The Woman King.”

During an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” the Oscar-winning actress described the gruelling fitness regime she had to undertake to prepare for her role as General Nanisca in the historical drama about the Agojie, the all-female warrior unit that protected a West African kingdom during the 17th to 19th centuries.

“I was 56 when I trained to be this warrior. Now, five hours a day, hour and a half of weight training, three and a half hours of martial arts. Punching. 10.0 on the treadmill,” she explained. “And as I was running on that treadmill, Jimmy, I said, ‘I’m going to have a damn heart attack.'”

But while Viola was exhausted by the intense program, she was thrilled with the final result when she watched the film.

“You see it on the screen, and I’m like, “I did that!” the star exclaimed.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, “The Woman King opened on Friday (September 16th).