'How To Get Away With Murder' Actress Karla Souza Inspired By Cicely Tyson; 'Laurel' Insists Cast Members Get Along

"How to Get Away with Murder" cast Karla Souza looks up to Cicely Tyson as one of her role models, as the actress claimed that they all get along in the ABC hit series, which has been renewed for season 2.

In an interview with E! News, Karla Souza was asked if she has anybody who admires in Hollywood.

I would say Cicely Tyson," she said. "Now that I've encountered her behind the cameras-because sometimes you have an idea of who the person is...and then you meet them... But she's a woman who I respect, her art and her values and her integrity. And I'm lucky to have a woman like that in this industry."

According to her profile, Cicely Tyson was born in Harlem, New York on Dec. 19, 1933. She started off as a model before moving on to films. The actress was nominated for the Oscars for Best Actress in the 1972 film, "Sounder."

Karla Souza also credited "How to Get Away with Murder" for how it "changed the face of television, networking television, forever, actually."

"The fact that Viola was able to do that scene with the wig...as she said when she won the SAG [Award]...how women that are like her normally aren't cast as the sexy, mysterious woman, and the fact that ABC has allowed this change to happen," she added.

"How to Get Away with Murder" actress Karla Souza also quipped that Shonda Rhimes' "non-asshole policy" explains why the cast members are going along so well.

"She [Rhimes] was so clever in picking the people she picked because we all get along and I know that's sort of her mastermind behind the operation, having a team that she picks that she knows is going to get along," she said. "We also have a very respectful work ethic...we had to pull the death of Sam throughout nine episodes and it was very taxing for all of us. And so to have all of us take care of each other...it's very nurturing."

According to Entertainment Weekly, "How to Get Away With Murder" ended on very strong ratings, with its two-hour episode on Thursday night generating 9 million viewers among adults 18-49.