After attending the Juilliard School of Performing Arts, Davis made her Broadway debut in 1996 in Seven Guitars. "The women in this story were like my mother, my grandmother," she explained to Variety. Throughout the early 2000s Davis appeared in numerous films, including Soderbergh's Solaris and Traffic, as well as George Clooney's Syriana (2005), which Soderbergh produced. [citation needed], In 2010 Davis had small roles in the romantic comedy thriller Knight and Day starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz and the romantic comedy Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts. At Rhode Island College, Davis earned her degree in theater in 1988. In 2008 Davis' career reached new heights with her nuanced performance in Doubt. . She made the most out of her one scene in the film, in which she barely speaks. [115], She has been nominated for four Golden Globes Awards, two British Academy Film Awards winning one for each and by earning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress honor for Fences, Davis became the first Black actor to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting: winning a competitive Oscar, Emmy and Tony in acting categories. She earned critical praise for her performance. She made her Broadway debut in August Wilson's tragic comedy Seven Guitars in 1996. Former 'Saturday Night Live' cast member Chris Rock has appeared in such films as 'Bad Company' and is the creator of the television show 'Everybody Hates Chris.'. [35] She also gave brief performances in the film such as the romantic comedy Kate & Leopold (2001) and the drama Antwone Fisher (2002). In 2015 she became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her work on the television series How to Get Away with Murder. I never heard that in the course of the movie.”. In her powerful acceptance speech, Davis spoke about portraying "ordinary people" and their human experience. Viola Davis usually has an answer for everything according to the actress herself. She reprised her role playing Rose Maxson in the 2016 film adaptation of Fences, directed by and co-starring Washington, for which she received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 2017. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. And I know that if you do a movie where the whole premise is, I want to know what it feels like to work for white people and to bring up children in 1963, I want to hear how you really feel about it. She discovered a love of acting early in high school. Davis's guest appearance garnered her a fourth Emmy Award nomination, and her first for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Hers was the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (Clooney) in the first scene in Ocean's Eleven (2001). [16][17] She was born on her grandmother's farm on the Singleton Plantation. [80] On March 4, Davis was awarded the Artist of the Year Award at Harvard University. [45], In August 2011, Davis starred as Aibileen Clark, a housemaid in 1960s Mississippi, in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help, directed by Tate Taylor and co-starring Emma Stone, and Octavia Spencer. Her performance received raves from critics in particular theatre critic Ben Brantley of The New York Times who described Davis' performance as "extraordinary", adding "Ms. Davis, who won a Tony for her performance in Wilson’s “King Hedley II,” may well pick up another for her work here. "[103] As an honoree at the 2014 Variety Power of Women luncheon, Davis further commented that "the thing that made me join...was the word 'eradicate', 'get rid of' - not by thirty-percent not by twenty-percent not by fifty-percent, but to do away [with it]. Bette Davis is remembered as one of Hollywood's legendary leading ladies, famous for her larger-than-life persona and for her nearly 100 film appearances. [89], In 2020, Davis served as an executive producer and appeared in the documentary film Giving Voice, following students entering the August Wilson monologue competition for a chance to compete on Broadway. Davis's film breakthrough came in 2008, when her role as a troubled mother in the film Doubt earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Viola Davis Has an Entirely Charming Love Story That You Should Know Once upon a time Viola Davis had a romantic life nearly as messy as Annalise … "I've had backlash playing a serial killer ... Anthony Hopkins didn't, but I did. [99][100][101], Since 2014, Davis has collaborated with the Hunger Is campaign to help eradicate childhood hunger across America. "I … She holds the distinction of becoming the first actress of color to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series and is the first African-American to win five Screen Actors Guild Awards. Returning to the stage, Davis gave another show-stopping performance in Fences in 2010. They’re my mom. "[39][40] She was nominated for several awards for her performance, including a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Julius Tennon, Viola Davis, 2017 Oscars, Academy Awards, Candids Three-and-a-half weeks later, she stumbled across Tennon on the set of the short-lived medical drama City of Angels . Born in a poverty-stricken family, Davis worked hard to overcome her challenging early years. She also guest starred as a lawyer in several episodes on Law & Order: SVU. Actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth is known for her Broadway roles in 'Wicked' and 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,' as well as her work on TV shows like 'The West Wing' and 'Pushing Daisies. Her mother was also an activist during the Civil Rights Movement. Born in a one-room shack on her grandmother’s farm, Viola Davis overcame poverty to become one of the greatest actors of her generation. It is one of her favorite roles, despite some negative reactions in the African American community. [95] The film will tell the story of Nanisca, the general of an all-female military unit, played by Davis, and her daughter Nawi, played by Nyong'o. [118] On January 20, 2020, Davis was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in fine arts from Indiana University. https://www.biography.com/actor/viola-davis. [6] For starring as a 1960s housemaid in the comedy-drama The Help (2011), Davis received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won a Screen Actors Guild Award. [51] Also in 2012, Glamour magazine named Davis Glamour's Film Actress of the year. She appeared in the 2013 sci-fi flick Ender's Game and played singer James Brown's mother in the 2014 biopic Get on Up. #4 Viola Davis started her acting career by performing on stage in “Everybody's Ruby” for which … [42], In 2010, Davis returned to Broadway in her third August Wilson play, this time a revival of Fences as Rose Maxson, acting alongside Denzel Washington. [59][60][61] It began as a series in September 2014. "How I Got My, Viola Davis Talks Hunger Is Initiative at Power of Women, Viola Davis' Childhood Inspires Her to Join The Vaseline Healing Project, People's Choice Award for Favorite Actress in a New TV Series, Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play, Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1, Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Drama, Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series, "Viola Davis Biography: Theater Actress, Film Actress, Television Actress", "The 100 Most Influential People in the World: Viola Davis", "The 100 Most Influential People in the World", "Viola Davis Just Got A Star On The Hollywood Walk Of Fame", "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century (So Far)", "Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, 'Memphis,' Win Top Tony Awards", "SAG Awards 2012: Complete list of winners", "Emmy Awards 2015: The complete winners list", "Viola Davis announces 'Fences' wrap: let the Oscar campaigns begin", "Viola Davis Wins First Golden Globe for 'Fences, "Critics Choice Awards 2016: Viola Davis wins best supporting actress", "Inside Viola Davis's Swaggering Transformation Into Blues Icon Ma Rainey", "The 27th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards", "Viola Davis is now the single most nominated Black actress in Oscar history", "Viola Davis Gave The Most Powerful Speech at the Women's March On Intersectional Feminism", "Viola Davis Talks Growing Up Hungry, Poor and Ashamed", "Viola Davis' path from poverty in Central Falls to Hollywood glamour", "Viola Davis recalls her grandmother's home on a former plantation with a 'horrific' past", "Chats with Intimate Apparel's Viola Davis and New York Newcomer, King Lear's Geraint Wyn Davies", "Viola Davis: "The Help" and "Daring Yourself to Dream Big", "Viola Davis Tackles Fear, Shines In 'Doubt'", "Viola Davis Grew Up in Poverty and Rat-Infested Apartments—Now She Has an Oscar", "Exclusive What’s News @ RIC interview: Viola Davis talks about her life and her new film", "THEATER REVIEW;Unrepentant, Defiant Blues For 7 Voices", "Viola Davis' top 10 performances: From 'Traffic' to 'The Help, "50 celebrities you forgot appeared on 'Law and Order: SVU, "Meghan Markle's movies and TV roles, in pictures", "DOUBT Star Viola Davis Visits THE VIEW 12/23", "Bless you, father, for you have sinned. Viola Davis has previously said she has one major acting regret and it is starring in “The Help." They’re my grandma. "[79] On January 30, it was announced that Davis would star alongside Julia Roberts in the film adaptation of Jodi Picoult's novel, Small Great Things. Both Davis and Washington won Tony Awards for their work on the production. [55], Davis reunited with The Help director Tate Taylor in Get on Up, a biopic of James Brown, playing Brown's mother. Viola Davis stars in the title role of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” as the 1920s blues singer who did things her own way. She, once again, made a tremendous impression with a small supporting role, and showed she could hold her own against some of Hollywood's greatest talents. Davis' friend, Oscar winner Meryl Streep, also spoke at the presentation. Her turn as the mother of a troubled navy sailor (Derek Luke) brought her critical praise and an Independent Spirit Award nomination. [34] She won another Drama Desk Award for her work in a 2004 off-Broadway production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage. [33] Davis continued acting off Broadway in various productions, and appeared in bit parts on television including episodes of NYPD Blue (1996), and New York Undercover (1996). D uring the fraught, emotional days after the killing of George Floyd, Viola Davis wanted, more than anything, to be out on the streets of Los Angeles, shouting, protesting, holding a sign. [108], Davis married actor Julius Tennon in June 2003. For her stage work, she has won two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, an Obie Award and Theater World Award. While accepting the honor, Davis said she could not believe her life: "It's like my life flashing before my eyes, and all I can say is, God has blessed my life in abundance. [68] She received nominations from the Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Drama and Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for her performance on the show. Because everyone should be a child, and should grow up and have a chance at the American dream". Born in St. Matthews, South Carolina, Davis began her acting career in Central Falls, Rhode Island, starring in minor theater productions. "Viola Davis is possessed of a blazing, incandescent talent," Streep said. [105][106][107] She was also a speaker at the 2018 Women's March event in Los Angeles. The role earned Davis several award nominations and the SAG award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role. Alex Haley was a writer whose works of historical fiction and reportage depicted generations of African American lives. I have to follow my heart at the end of the day," she later told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. [46] Davis described her performance in the film as channeling her mother and grandmother saying, "I feel like I brought my mom to life; I've channeled her spirit. She ventured into acting and appeared on TV, films, and stage, earning considerable name and fame in less than a decade. "The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. [94], On March 1, 2018, Davis announced that she would star alongside Lupita Nyong'o in The Woman King, inspired by true events that took place within The Kingdom of Dahomey. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! Davis first studied acting at Central Falls High School. [53] On June 25, 2012, the Walk of Fame Committee of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced that Davis was part of the new group of entertainment professionals who have been selected to receive stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2013. [28] While enrolled at the Young People's School for the Performing Arts in West Warwick, Rhode Island, Davis's talent was recognized by a director at the program, Bernard Masterson. [26], Davis attended Central Falls High School, the alma mater to which she partially credits her love of stage acting with her involvement in the arts. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and will be released by Netflix. Before long, Davis began to establish a name for herself in the New York theater world. In 1996, Davis made her Broadway debut in the original Broadway production of August Wilson's Seven Guitars as the Vera, alongside Keith David. Years later, after … With her wide body of work in the entertainment industry, she’s made quite a name for herself by taking on roles that challenge her professionally while addressing some of Hollywood’s most common stereotypes. She has won Tony Awards for her performances in King Hedley II (2001) and a revival of August Wilson's Fences (2010), which co-starred Denzel Washington. Viola Davis has moved fans with passionate performances on the big and small screens, but a recent speech in which opened up about her embattled … Her father worked at racetracks, often as a horse groomer. When she was two months old her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, where her father, Dan Davis, worked as a horse groomer and trainer. [46] She has since expressed deep regret over taking on the role; although she still admires the people she worked with, she does not think the story or portrayal is truthful about the lives of the black characters. A post shared by VIOLA DAVIS (@violadavis) on Aug 11, 2020 at 8:15am PDT "The above is the house where I was born August 11, 1965. She also appeared in the HBO television military comedy film, The Pentagon Wars (1996) starring Kelsey Grammer, and Cary Elwes. [116] She is the first Black actress to have received four Academy Award nominations. [23] She has described herself as having "lived in abject poverty and dysfunction" during her childhood,[24] recalling living in "rat-infested and condemned" apartments. [3][2] In 2017 she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [76], On January 6, 2017, Davis was presented with the 2,597th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by her Doubt co-star and friend Meryl Streep. Viola Davis is an actress known for her award-winning performances in the TV series 'How to Get Away With Murder,' the Broadway productions of 'King Hedley II' and 'Fences' and its film adaptation. "[43] On June 13, 2010, Davis won her second Tony Award for her performance. [4] In 2020, The New York Times ranked Davis ninth on its list of "The 25 Greatest Actors of the 21st Century".[5]. On the small screen, Davis tried her hand at series television with the medical drama City of Angeles, in 2000. [98] In 2018, Davis donated funds to her alma mater, Central Falls High School, for its theater program. In 1992, Davis starred in her first professional stage role, an off Broadway production of William Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It as Denis alongside Elizabeth McGovern at the Delacorte Theatre. I channeled the spirit of my grandmother, and I've kind of paid homage to how they've contributed to my life and the lives of so many people". [44] She was the second African-American to win the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, after Phylicia Rashad. [73], In 2016, Davis reprised her role as Rose Maxson for the film adaptation of Fences directed by and starring Denzel Washington. Viola Davis, Julius Tennon, and Genesis Tennon bring to life director Regina King’s domestic tableau for W’s annual Directors Issue. 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