Ask any How to Get Away with Murder fan to describe an iconic scene from the show, and they will mostly likely tell you about a moment from season 1, episode 4 (“Let’s Get to Scooping”), which aired on October 16, 2014, where the series’ main character Annalise Keating (played by Viola Davis) removes her wig. As Naughty Boy’s “No One’s Here to Sleep” plays in the background, we see Annalise take off her jewelry, wig, and makeup, stripping away the armor that comprises her indomitable image in court and her law classroom. It’s a rare image of a Black woman unmasking her vulnerability, a nuanced depiction that we rarely saw at the time, particularly from an older Black queer woman. To this day, it is one of the most impactful portrayals of Black women on television.
Speaking to Marie Claire via email, HTGAWM executive producer Shonda Rhimes, creator Peter Nowalk, and Annalise actor Davis recall the pre-production choices that led to the wig scene, which was spearheaded by Davis herself. “True story: Viola's one request when she agreed to be on the show was to see Annalise without her wig,” Nowalk says, which was also highly publicized during the show’s run. “I said, ‘Of course, that sounds cool.’ Only once I saw the episode did I understand the impact. Viola's performance was vulnerable, exposing, surprising, captivating... but it was also real in a way that TV rarely is. Viola's a genius actor, I think we can all agree on that, but this moment proves she's a genius storyteller, too.”
