Transcript provided by cnn.com
Read Page Rockwell’s sharp penned view on the below transcribed interview here, and Dads and Daughters president Joe Kelly’s response here

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: So, have you taken your kids or your grandkids to a movie lately? You have may have seen a talking fish or a cowboy doll named Woody. But did you notice any leading women or girls, any strong female characters at all?

Great to see you, Geena.

GEENA DAVIS: Thank you. You, too. Thanks.

PHILLIPS: So, you were sitting there watching TV with your 2- year-old daughter, and you thought, there’s a problem here?

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: I did. I did. You know, when we were kids - or at least when I was a kid, let’s say, you know, the…

PHILLIPS: We’re in the same realm.

DAVIS: OK.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: Well, the kids’ entertainment, especially cartoons, were really dominated by male characters. I mean, it - you would be hard- pressed to come up with any female character, except maybe Granny in “Looney Tunes,” who owned Tweety.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: But I had assumed things had changed terrifically, because I had heard about “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues.” And those shows really are - are wonderful gender-balanced and interested in - in girls’ portrayals.

But - but there really is, as our study found, a huge gender imbalance still. And it - it struck me so much, partly because I am watching with a daughter, and partly because I am just sort of hyper- sensitized to this thing because of my past in - in films.

You know, I got know to in some pretty strong films with strong female characters. And it - it’s - it has really opened my eyes. And, so, I would sit there counting on my hand, one hand, the male characters, on the other hand, the female characters.

And I pretty much came up with the same ratio that the study did.

PHILLIPS: Well, it’s interesting, because you talk so much about this sort of long journey for self-discovery and how, for so many years, you didn’t really feel comfortable in your own skin, and you didn’t really have a lot of self-confidence.

Now fast forward. Oh, my gosh, you have this amazing husband, these beautiful children, a great career. You’re playing a female president. I guess maybe we should talk about how you got to that point. It wasn’t easy, was it?

DAVIS: Well, no.

I feel like finding my own self-esteem and value in myself has taken most of my adult life. But I think I have a lot of it figured out now. And there were a lot of important steps along the way. “Thelma & Louise” was definitely a big turning point. I had always been interested in playing interesting and complicated female characters, but the response to that film was quite unexpected for us.

That - that women could come out of this film just feeling, really, you know, empowered and wonderful opened my eyes to what impact media can have on us. And right on the heels of that, I did “League of Their Own,” where, then, 15-year-old girls were coming up to me and saying, “I play sports because of that movie.”

PHILLIPS: Aww.

DAVIS: And, so, that has become a part of my life. And, then, of course, to get to play the first female president is - is just perfect, as far as I’m concerned.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Well, you’re perfect for the role; that’s for sure.

DAVIS: Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Do you think, personally, playing these various roles has made an impact on you? Because you talk about how it was tough when you were younger to just feel secure about so many parts of your life. So, were you sort of acting out somebody that, in many ways, you wanted to be personally?

DAVIS: Oh, I - I think, definitely, I was interested in acting characters that were - that had stronger qualities than I probably felt I had in real life.

I knew that that where I wanted to go, and that’s what I was attracted to. I mean, I - I played a female pirate. There’s not a lot of…

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: … a lot of actresses in Hollywood today that could say that. And…

PHILLIPS: I could see you pulling 8 G’s in an F-18.

DAVIS: Yes, exactly.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: So - so, definitely, I think playing those parts and - and heading in that direction affected me. Taking up archery, interestingly…

PHILLIPS: And you almost made it to the Olympics. How did that happen?

DAVIS: I - I…

PHILLIPS: Why archery?

DAVIS: I’m…

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: You know, it was a complete fluke.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: I had been watching the Olympics on television in ‘96, and saw archery for the first time. And it’s incredibly beautiful and - and dramatic, also. And I thought, “I wonder if I would be good at that?” and started taking lessons. And I got obsessed with it.

And, then, I found myself at the Olympic trials a couple of years later. So…

PHILLIPS: Unbelievable.

DAVIS: … it was really exciting.

But - but, you know, to have confidence in yourself as an athlete is a whole ‘nother level that really, really improved my self- esteem as well.

PHILLIPS: So, now you have these three beautiful children. How do you talk to them about gender imbalance and stereotyping? I - I know they’re young. But are you able to do things now, as a parent, that maybe you thought you didn’t get as a child, so you can help start their journey now?

DAVIS: Right. Right. Exactly.

You know, mitigating talk, they have found, is as effective as - as if you had never seen the negative - the negative media. For example, violence on television - if you talk to your kids about it, and have, you know, intelligent discussions about it, it has the same impact as if they hadn’t even seen these - the violent images.

So, it’s the same with gender inequity. We’re not, in any way, recommending that you throw away a movie that doesn’t have any female characters, but is otherwise a great film. But, when you watch it with your kids, notice. Help them notice, boys and girls. It’s really important for boys to see that girls take up half of the planet, which we do.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: Actually, roughly, slightly - it’s slightly more. But, you know, I would never want to quibble about that 1 or 2 percent. I’m - I’m willing to let that slide.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: Well, behind every man is an even better woman, right? Isn’t that - isn’t that the truth?

DAVIS: I will let you say it.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: I know you’re being humble. Yet, you have this amazing husband, Reza.

DAVIS: I do.

PHILLIPS: Fifteen years your - your younger. Wow. Geena, is that - you know, is it easy?

DAVIS: What can I say?

PHILLIPS: Is it - yes, I know. What can you say? You’re - you’re successful.

DAVIS: Well…

PHILLIPS: You’re beautiful. You have got it all. But is it - has it been tough?

DAVIS: You know what? I think it is.

Possibly part of having a younger mate is - I mean, I had a very established career and life before I met him. So, there was - there was no way - I mean, and - and he was still in his residency, you know, training to become a surgeon.

And - and - and he felt like, “Well, there’s no way I am going to get into some competition about salary or status or anything.

He went into this relationship with eyes wide open. And - and it has been really equal and wonderful from the - from the beginning.

PHILLIPS: And of - of Persian background. You said you haven’t really mastered koobideh, or soltani, but you have mastered tah dig (ph).

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: Well, let’s say I can eat all that stuff.

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: I’m not - I’m not going to claim - I am not really a - a cook. I really…

PHILLIPS: But…

DAVIS: I cook about once a year. That’s it.

PHILLIPS: Well, you are celebrating the new year, though, right?

DAVIS: Yes, absolutely. Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: All right. How do we get involved with See Jane? Can we log on to a Web site? Can we volunteer?

DAVIS: Absolutely, both things. You can go to SeeJane.org and learn all about it.

We also have the study posted, the full study that Annenberg School For Communication did for us, posted on our site. And you can read all about it. It’s fascinating details. And it’s really quite eye-opening. I think the - one of the results I hope we get is that parents can see these films with new eyes and - and realize, hey, there aren’t a lot of female characters in that movie. And - and maybe even reviewers will start to mention that in their reviews.

PHILLIPS: And I know you get this asked all the time. Do you really think one day there will be a female president?

DAVIS: Well, first of all, yes.

(LAUGHTER)

PHILLIPS: For the 50 millionth time, Kyra, yes.

DAVIS: No, no, no. No. It’s…

(LAUGHTER)

DAVIS: It’s - you know, it’s just - if we continue to completely discount female candidates, the female population, from the possibility of being president, we’re cutting out half of the talent pool.

We need the absolute best person for that job. And, so, we need every American who’s eligible to be - you know, to be a possibility for president. And there’s incredible, smart, capable, talented women out there, obviously, who deserve a chance.

Not only will we have our first female president, but, eventually, it will become very normal for us to go back and forth and - and often have female presidents, just as likely as to have male presidents.

PHILLIPS: Amen.

Geena Davis, it’s great to see - just to be able to have watched your career and see everything that you have now, personally and professionally. It was great to talk to you.

DAVIS: You, too. Thanks so much.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Geena.

DAVIS: OK.