Viola Davis

Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Born	August 11, 1965 (age 61); St. Matthews, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actress, film producer
Years active	1992–present
Known for	Triple Crown of Acting, EGOT recipient, roles in Fences, How to Get Away with Murder, Suicide Squad

Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965) is a distinguished American actress and film producer celebrated for her numerous honors, including achieving the Triple Crown of Acting and joining the ranks of EGOT recipients. Recognized as one of the 100 most influential individuals in both 2012 and 2017, she was also ranked ninth on The New York Times list of the greatest actors of the 21st century in 2020. In 2025, Davis was honored with the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award.

A graduate of Juilliard, Davis launched her professional journey in theater within Rhode Island before debuting on Broadway with August Wilson's Seven Guitars in 1996, which garnered her initial Tony Award recognition. She secured two Tony Awards for performances in Wilson’s plays: Best Featured Actress for King Hedley II (2001) and Best Actress for Fences (2010).

Her portrayal in the 2016 film adaptation of Fences earned Davis the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Additionally, she received Academy Award nominations for her roles in Doubt (2008), The Help (2011), and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020). On television, she made history as the first Black actress to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for ABC’s legal thriller How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020). Within cinematic universes, Davis embodies Amanda Waller in the DC Extended Universe, beginning with Suicide Squad (2016) and continuing through Black Adam (2022), extending into the rebooted DC Universe. Her filmography also includes significant roles in the crime drama Widows (2018) and the historical action movie The Woman King (2022).

Together with her spouse Julius Tennon, Davis co-established JuVee Productions, a company holding a first-look agreement with Entertainment One. She is widely acknowledged for her activism advocating human rights and empowering women of color. In 2019, she became an ambassador for L'Oréal Paris. Her audiobook memoir, Finding Me, released in 2022, won the Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording.

Early life and education

Born on August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina, Viola Davis entered the world on her grandmother’s farm located on the Singleton Plantation. Her parents were Mae Alice Davis (née Logan) and Dan Davis; her father worked as a horse trainer while her mother held various roles including maid, factory worker, and homemaker. As the second youngest among six siblings, Davis's family relocated to Central Falls, Rhode Island shortly after her birth.

Her mother’s involvement in civil rights activism exposed Davis to social justice early on; notably, at age two she accompanied her mother during a protest that led to their arrest. Reflecting on her upbringing, Davis has described enduring "abject poverty" within "rat-infested and condemned" housing conditions. She shares familial ties with actor Mike Colter, who is her second cousin and known for his role as Luke Cage.

During her time at Central Falls High School, Davis credits her participation in arts programs for nurturing her passion for theater. As a teenager, she engaged in federal initiatives such as TRIO Upward Bound and Student Support Services to support her education. At the Young People's School for the Performing Arts in West Warwick, Rhode Island, director Bernard Masterson identified her potential. Following high school graduation, she pursued theater studies at Rhode Island College, completing her degree in 1988.

Davis further honed her craft over four years at the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City, attending as part of Drama Division "Group 22" from 1989 to 1993. In a 2025 interview, she reflected that Juilliard equipped her with skills to perform classical works by Shakespeare, Chekhov, O'Neill, and Strindberg but lacked comprehensive representation of Black actors’ experiences. She highlighted that although she can adeptly interpret Tennessee Williams' plays—which center on fragile white female characters—there is less academic attention given to Black playwrights such as August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry.

Initial roles and stage breakthrough (1992–1999)

Davis began her professional theater career in 1992 with an off-Broadway production of Shakespeare's As You Like It at the Delacorte Theatre. Her Broadway debut came in 1996 when she portrayed Vera in August Wilson's Seven Guitars, a performance that garnered critical acclaim. That same year, she earned her Screen Actors Guild membership through a brief part in The Substance of Fire (1996), for which she was paid $518. Throughout this period, Davis continued to take on off-Broadway parts and guest appearances on television series such as NYPD Blue and New York Undercover, as well as a role in the HBO film The Pentagon Wars (1996). In 1998, she appeared in a minor capacity in Steven Soderbergh's crime comedy Out of Sight (1999).

Film emergence and continued theatrical achievements (2000–2010)

In 2001, Davis returned to Broadway with a role in Wilson's King Hedley II, earning her first Tony Award for Best Featured Actress along with a Drama Desk Award. She secured another Drama Desk Award for her work in the 2004 off-Broadway production of Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel.

During the early 2000s, Davis appeared in several notable films including Soderbergh's Traffic (2000) and Solaris (2002), George Clooney’s Syriana (2005), and provided an uncredited voice role in Ocean's Eleven (2001). Other film credits from this era include Kate & Leopold (2001), Antwone Fisher (2002), and Todd Haynes' Far From Heaven (2002). On television, she had recurring roles on Law & Order: SVU, starred in short-lived series such as Traveler and Century City, and guest-starred on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Between 2005 and 2006, she portrayed a recurring character opposite Tom Selleck in adaptations of Robert B. Parker’s novels.

Davis gained widespread acclaim in 2008 for her portrayal of Mrs. Miller in the film adaptation of Doubt, acting alongside Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Despite limited screen presence, critics highlighted her role as the emotional centerpiece of the movie. This performance earned her nominations for the Academy Award, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress.

On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

In 2010, she starred as Rose Maxson in the Broadway revival of Wilson’s Fences, sharing the stage with Denzel Washington. Her portrayal won her a second Tony Award, this time for Best Leading Actress. That year also saw her feature in minor roles within romantic comedies such as Knight and Day and Eat Pray Love, along with playing Dr. Minerva in the coming-of-age film It's Kind of a Funny Story.

Global acclaim and sustained recognition (2011–2016)

In August 2011, Davis took on the role of Aibileen Clark, a housemaid living in 1960s Mississippi, in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help. Directed by Tate Taylor, she starred alongside Emma Stone, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Jessica Chastain. Davis mentioned drawing inspiration from her mother and grandmother for this character but later expressed reservations about the story’s authenticity concerning black experiences. Her portrayal earned her two Screen Actors Guild Awards, a second Academy Award nomination, as well as nominations for both the Golden Globe Award and BAFTA Award.

In 2012, Davis was recognized by Time as one of the world's most influential individuals and was named Film Actress of the Year by Glamour. That same year, she received the Women in Film's Crystal Award. In 2014, she reunited with director Tate Taylor for the James Brown biographical film Get on Up, portraying Brown's mother; notably, her daughter Genesis also appeared in the movie.

In February 2014, Davis was cast as Annalise Keating, the lead character in Peter Nowalk's pilot for How to Get Away with Murder, produced by Shonda Rhimes's ShondaLand. The series debuted in September 2014, featuring Davis as a criminal defense attorney embroiled in a murder conspiracy. In September 2015, she made history as the first African-American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She received another Emmy nomination the following year and won two SAG Awards consecutively in 2014 and 2015. Additional accolades included nominations for Golden Globe and Critics' Choice Awards.

In 2015, Davis appeared opposite Chris Hemsworth in Michael Mann’s thriller Blackhat. She also executive-produced and starred alongside Jennifer Lopez in the crime drama Lila & Eve. The following year, she both starred in and executive-produced the courtroom drama Custody, while also portraying Amanda Waller in DC Comics’ adaptation Suicide Squad.

Davis reprised her role as Rose Maxson for the 2016 film version of Fences, directed by and co-starring Denzel Washington. This role garnered her a historic third Academy Award nomination—the first African-American actress to achieve such recognition—as well as wins for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, and BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

Established actress (2017–present)

In 2017, Davis was honored with the 2,597th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an accolade presented by her Doubt co-star Meryl Streep. That same year, she appeared again on Time magazine’s "100 Most Influential People" list, with Streep recognizing her as a prominent cultural figure of the 21st century. Additionally, Davis received the Artist of the Year Award from Harvard University.

Davis revealed plans to author a sequel to the beloved picture book Corduroy, titled Corduroy Takes a Bow, which was released by Penguin Random House in 2018.

In 2018, she launched Two-Sides, a documentary series addressing police brutality against African Americans, broadcast on TV One. That year also saw her guest appearance in a crossover episode between How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal, earning her a fourth Emmy nomination. Davis starred in Steve McQueen's heist film Widows, garnering critical praise and securing her second nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress.

By 2020, Davis served as executive producer and featured in the documentary Giving Voice, which follows participants in the August Wilson monologue competition. She co-starred with Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, receiving widespread acclaim, winning a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, earning her sixth Golden Globe nomination, and achieving her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. These milestones made her the most Oscar-nominated black actress in history and the first black actress to receive two Best Actress nominations. Davis also graced the cover of Vanity Fair’s July/August 2020 issue.

In 2021, she reprised her role as Amanda Waller in the superhero film The Suicide Squad. Davis starred opposite Sandra Bullock in Netflix's dramatic feature The Unforgivable. She made uncredited appearances as Amanda Waller in two episodes of the spin-off series Peacemaker and appeared in the film Black Adam. Furthermore, she executive produced and portrayed former First Lady Michelle Obama in Showtime’s drama series The First Lady (2022), addressing social media critiques by highlighting courageous leadership decisions.

In 2022, Davis took on the role of Nanisca, commander of an all-female military regiment from The Kingdom of Dahomey, in the film The Woman King. She also lent her voice as narrator for Disney’s Candlelight Processional at Disneyland that year. In August, she was cast as Head Gamemaker Dr. Volumnia Gaul in the prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

In March 2024, Davis was among several female celebrities honored with Barbie dolls commemorating International Women's Day. She voiced the antagonist Chameleon in Kung Fu Panda 4. Later that year, she reprised Amanda Waller in the animated Max series Creature Commandos. Looking ahead to 2025, Davis is set to star as the U.S. president in the action thriller G20.

Philanthropy and activism

In 2011, Davis provided financial support to the public library in her hometown of Central Falls, Rhode Island, playing a crucial role in preventing its shutdown amid budget constraints. She further contributed to the theater program at Central Falls High School in 2018. Beyond this, Davis has been an advocate for the local chess team, drama club, and the Segue Institute for Learning charter school.

Since 2014, Davis has collaborated with the Hunger Is initiative to address childhood hunger across the United States. Drawing from her own childhood experiences with poverty, she has stressed the importance of completely eliminating hunger. In 2017, she initiated the $30K in 30 Days Project alongside Hunger Is, distributing grants that included a donation to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Partnering with Vaseline’s Healing Project, Davis has supported access to dermatological treatments for underserved populations. She participated in the 2016 groundbreaking ceremony for a free community health center in Central Falls, established through this partnership. Furthermore, Davis was among the speakers at the 2018 Women’s March held in Los Angeles.

Personal life

Davis wed actor Julius Tennon in June 2003. The couple adopted a daughter named Genesis (born 2010) in 2011. Additionally, Davis is stepmother to Tennon’s two children from prior relationships.

Acting credits and accolades

Davis is recognized as one of the preeminent actors of her era. Chris Murphy of Vanity Fair attributed her esteemed status to her consistent delivery of performances marked by profound emotional resonance. Director Steve McQueen described her as "one of the greatest actors of her generation," highlighting her remarkable adaptability.

Her theatrical accomplishments encompass two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, an Obie Award, and a Theater World Award. She made history as the first actress of color to receive the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and holds five Screen Actors Guild Awards, more than any other African American performer. With six SAG Awards overall, she ranks as both the most decorated African American and tied for the highest number of film wins by an actress at these awards. Davis has also earned six Golden Globes Awards and three BAFTA Awards nominations, securing one win in each category.

Her Academy Award recognitions include:

Best Supporting Actress nomination for Doubt (2008)
Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination for The Help (2011)
Best Supporting Actress win for Fences (2016), making her the first black performer to complete the Triple Crown of Acting by winning competitive Oscar, Emmy, and Tony awards
Best Actress in a Leading Role nomination for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), establishing her as the first actress of color with four Academy Award nominations

Davis has been honored with honorary doctorates in Fine Arts from Rhode Island College (2002) and Indiana University (2020). In February 2023, she received a Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for narrating her memoir Finding Me, becoming only the 18th individual to attain EGOT status. In 2024, she was announced as the recipient of the prestigious Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award. Later that year, she and Julius Tennon's production company, JuVee Productions, were honored with the inaugural Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Award by the Coalition for Faith and Media.

Bibliography

Davis, Viola (2018). Corduroy Takes a Bow. New York: Viking Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780425291474.
Davis, Viola (2022). Finding Me: An Oprah's Book Club Pick. New York: HarperOne. ISBN 9780063037328.

External links