Viola Davis shares experience with intense pain from herpes zoster

American actress Viola Davis has shared details regarding her experience with herpes zoster, a viral infection that caused her intense physical pain. The 61-year-old actress recalled the onset of the condition, which first occurred in 2012 during a period of heavy professional workload and physical exhaustion.

Davis described the symptoms as beginning with flu-like sensations followed by an extremely painful skin rash that started on her abdomen and spread to her back. She noted that the pain was severe, rating it a “nine on a scale of ten,” and reported that it made basic movements such as lying down, standing up, and walking difficult. The actress mentioned that the intensity of the discomfort was so unexpected that she initially suspected she had been bitten by a venomous spider.