Viola Davis is stepping into a new creative arena, and she says the experience came down to one unexpected connection.
The EGOT-winning actress recently teamed up with bestselling author James Patterson to co-write a new legal thriller titled Judge Stone. While the collaboration may seem surprising at first glance, Davis says the partnership came together quite naturally.
“Meeting, writing this book, I just liked him. We just connected,” Davis said when reflecting on working with the prolific author to CBS News on Sunday, March 8.
The actress, who describes herself as more of a homebody than people might expect, also revealed she’s happiest in the quiet comfort of her own space. “Homebody, totally. I’m [a] total introvert,” Davis, 60, explained, adding that she enjoys simply being herself when she’s off the clock. “I like just being. I just like to be regular. I don’t want to put on makeup. I don’t want to try to be anyone else, other than myself.”
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Judge Stone centers on a respected Black female circuit judge in a small Alabama town who finds herself presiding over an explosive case involving a teenage girl who is raped and later undergoes an illegal abortion. The subject matter is intentionally provocative, something Patterson, 78, says is the entire point.
“That’s why. That’s exactly why,” Patterson said when asked why the book tackles such a polarizing issue. “To make it so it’s not a lightning rod. And I think that’s why this story is so good, why it’s so powerful, because we’re going into areas that people aren’t [talking about]. We need to talk about it.”
Davis also drew on deeply personal experiences while helping shape the novel’s characters. “I felt a responsibility to women who have been sexually assaulted and raped, especially children, as I am one of them,” she said. “And what they also deserve is the truth of how it made them feel.”
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Patterson has been particularly enthusiastic about the project, even making a bold comparison while promoting the book. In an Instagram post, he wrote, “Not since TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD has there been a novel quite like this one,” which quickly caught attention from fans.
“Not James Patterson comparing himself to Harper Lee 😭,” one wrote in the comments.
Another declared, “I just finished the ARC and it’s AMAZING,” while a third replied, “Going to read this this weekend!”
With Judge Stone set to release this week, both collaborators believe they may have created something special.
“You know, every book you start, you want it to be great,” Patterson said. “And in this case, I think we settled for great.”