Viola Davis to Play Lead in Shonda Rhimes' 'How to Get Away With Murder'

Actress Viola Davis of "The Help" fame is all set to thrill the audience with ABC's upcoming series "How to Get Away With Murder" from 25 September. The legal drama series by Shonda Rhimes of "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy" is written by Peter Nowalk.

The new series, which will be aired on ABC every Thursday, portrays Davis as a charismatic, brilliant and seductive Professor Annalise Keating, who is also a defence attorney, according to ABC.

In "How to Get Away With Murder", Keating deals with the toughest cases of all times, from fraud and arson to murder. Though, she leads a happy life with a successful career and a loving husband, at one point of time, Keating gets entangled with four students of her class, which changes her life forever.

Davis takes a new look in ABC's upcoming legal drama series to become a masterful and sexy Keating. She is said to be thrilled about her new role as a protagonist.

"It's what I've had my eye on for so long. A woman of color, of a certain age and a certain hue. I don't see anyone on TV like me in a role like this. It's time for people to see us, people of color, for what we really are: complicated," she told The New York Times.

During an interview at Television Critics Association summer 2014, the 49-year-old actress said that she was in search of a character out of her comfort zone and she got a chance to do it in "How to Get Away With Murder", reports US Weekly.

"I dove at [this role]. I love the fact that she's messy and mysterious. She's not necessarily nurturing and 'Come sit on my lap so I can talk to you, baby'. She's a woman. She's sexual. She's vulnerable. I wanted a character that took me out of my comfort zone," said Davis.

"How to Get Away With Murder" will be her first series as a leading lady. However, it remains to be seen whether the viewers embrace Davis in her new anti-mummy role.

Other cast members in "How to Get Away With Murder" includes Billy Brown as respected Philadelphia detective Nate Lahey, Alfred Enoch as Wes Gibbins, Aja Naomi King as Michaela Pratt, Matt McGorry as Asher Millstone, Karla Souza as Laurel Castillo, Charlie Weber as Frank Delfino, Liza Weil as Bonnie Winterbottom, Jack Falahee as Connor Walsh and Katie Findlay as Rebecca Sutter.