"Despite many years of marriage, [Viola] and Julius seem to exist only in the honeymoon phase," Jessica Chastain said.
Julius Tennon and Viola Davis remain deeply in love even after 20 years of marriage. The EGOT winner recalls the most recent time she fell head over heels for her spouse while speaking to PEOPLE on May 1, before receiving the Chaplin Award at New York City's Lincoln Centre. Davis, 57, told PEOPLE, "Oh man, it must have been Thanksgiving," as Tennon and Davis began to share the story together. Tennon, 69, said, "Oh yeah, that's right."
"There was only one turkey, though, [and] a big pot of stuffing," she said as her husband offered a smile, "And three days of eating it all. And three bottles of wine," the actress said, adding warmly of their dynamic during the extended holiday feast, "We just laughed."
"I think she's a goddess," Tennon said to PEOPLE during the interview. "I really do. From the moment I met her. Absolutely wonderful and real and available. Just as sweet as you can be."
THAT’S MOTHER! Viola Davis in Valentino at the #MetGala 💕 pic.twitter.com/eLj0jouIP9
— MEFeater Magazine (@mefeater) May 2, 2023
When questioned about how she manages to remain relatable despite a long list of noteworthy accomplishments, Davis responded, "That's everything right there! I'm serious. That's everything."
"And you allow them to come to you — and speak," the How to Get Away with Murder alum added of how she makes younger generations of women feel comfortable with her on set.
"You have to treat them like peers. There's no one above anyone else. And I'll tell you one thing: If you're number one on the call sheet, that's your responsibility. And you set the tone. You want to treat people the way you want to be treated," Davis noted.
For her 2023 #MetGala look, @violadavis opted for a vibrant cady Pink PP dress with billowing ton-sur-ton feather embroidery, while her husband, #JuliusTennon, dressed in #TheValentinoBlazer, white shirt and bow tie. pic.twitter.com/pRNuhsJ07m
— Valentino (@MaisonValentino) May 2, 2023
Meryl Streep, Jessica Chastain, Jayme Lawson, Gina Pryce-Bythewood, the director of The Woman King, and the playwright and director of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, George C. Wolfe, all joined the couple on the red carpet on Monday to support the tribute to Davis. The Charlie Chaplin Award honor was established in 1972 and has previously been given to actors like Streep, 73, Elizabeth Taylor, Barbra Streisand, Bette Davis, Diane Keaton, Tom Hanks, Martin Scorsese, and, most recently, Cate Blanchett.
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Jessica Chastain also gave a shoutout to Viola as a wife and as a mother. The A Doll's House Broadway star claimed that when working with Davis on The Help, the "doting wife and mother" to daughter Genesis, 12, couldn't stop gushing over Tennon and how "fine" she thinks he is. "Despite many years of marriage, she and Julius seem to exist only in the honeymoon phase," shared Chastain, as the audience laughed. "My God, Julius, does she gush over you. She talked about you constantly — how great you are, how fine you are. And then I met you and of course, it's all true."
"Watching Viola melt when she talks about being a mom is so moving and spectacular," Chastain continued. "No matter how many awards she wins or galas in her honor that she attends, she says she feels most like a star at home because Genesis loves her so much."
Viola Davis on the Last Time She Fell in Love with Husband Julius Tennon: 'We Just Laughed'
— hotgossipnewz (@hotgosipnewz) April 26, 2023
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon are as in love as ever. On Monday ahead of her Chaplin Award honor at New York City's Lincoln Center, the EGOT winner recalled....https://t.co/jBc9AgIWZ2 pic.twitter.com/8u5mWJ0Ujn
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Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Frazer Harrison
