Viola Davis Feared A Heart Attack During 'The Woman King' Training

Oscar-winning actor Viola Davis just added another notch to her belt by becoming a bonafide action star.

But at times, she thought it might kill her, she told Jimmy Fallon Wednesday on The Tonight Show.

Davis was talking about her role in The Woman King , a historical epic about the female Agojie warrior squad who protected the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s. It required relentless training, she said.

Let me tell you something, Davis told Fallon . I was 56 when I trained to be this warrior ... Five hours a day, hour and a half of weight training, three and a half hours of martial arts, punching, 10.0 on the treadmill.

And as I was running on the treadmill, Jimmy, she continued, I said, Im gonna have a damn heart attack.

Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and filmed in South Africa , The Woman King stars Davis as the Agojie leader General Nanisca and John Boyega as tribal King Ghezo, according to AV Club . Davis said the project spent seven years gathering dust before it got off the ground.

You gotta see it because let me tell you something, Davis said. From the very moment the movie opens, you are on a ride.

Davis told Fallon if anybody ever bothered him, she can take care of it with her newfound prowess. There is nothing like looking at a 250-pound man with a machete coming at you to sharpen the defenses, she said.

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They yell action and thats it, she said. You are on that man, you have your sword, he has his, and youve got to do it. You gotta take care of yourself.

Watch Viola Davis on The Tonight Show below:

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