Viola Davis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viola Davis
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Davis in 2023
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| Born | August 11, 1965 |
| Education |
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| Years active | 1988–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Julius Tennon
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Mike Colter (second cousin) |
| Awards | Full list |
Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965) is a famous American actress and film producer. She has won many important awards for her acting. These include the Triple Crown of Acting and an EGOT. The Triple Crown means she has won an Academy Award (for movies), an Emmy Award (for TV), and a Tony Award (for plays). An EGOT means she has won an Emmy, a Grammy Award (for music or audio), an Oscar, and a Tony.
Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017. The New York Times also listed her as one of the greatest actors of the 21st century. In 2025, she received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, a special honor for her amazing career.
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Early Life and Education
Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina. She grew up on her grandmother's farm. Her father trained horses, and her mother worked as a maid and in a factory. Viola is one of six children. When she was very young, her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island.
Viola has shared that her childhood was challenging. She grew up in difficult living conditions. Her mother was also involved in the Civil Rights Movement. When Viola was two, she went to jail with her mother during a protest. Actor Mike Colter, known for playing Luke Cage, is her second cousin.
Viola went to Central Falls High School. She loved acting in school plays there. She also joined programs that helped students prepare for college. Her talent was noticed by a director at a performing arts school. After high school, she studied theater at Rhode Island College. She graduated in 1988.
Then, she attended the Juilliard School in New York City for four years. Juilliard is a very famous school for performing arts. Viola has said that her training helped her play many different kinds of roles. She learned about classic plays by writers like William Shakespeare. She also believes it's important to study plays by black writers like August Wilson.
Career Highlights
Starting on Stage (1992–1999)
Viola Davis began her professional acting career in 1992. Her first stage role was in a play called As You Like It. In 1996, she made her debut on Broadway in August Wilson's play Seven Guitars. Critics praised her performance. That same year, she got her first movie role in The Substance of Fire. She also appeared in TV shows like NYPD Blue.
Broadway Success and Film Roles (2000–2010)
In 2001, Viola returned to Broadway in another August Wilson play, King Hedley II. She played a character named Tonya. Her performance was highly praised, and she won her first Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. She also won a Drama Desk Award.
During the early 2000s, Viola appeared in many films. These included Solaris and Traffic. She also had a small, uncredited voice role in Ocean's Eleven. On TV, she had a recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
In 2008, Viola played Mrs. Miller in the movie Doubt. Even though she had only a few scenes, her performance was very powerful. Film critic Roger Ebert said her acting was the "emotional heart and soul" of the movie. She was nominated for many awards, including her first Academy Award nomination.
In 2010, Viola returned to Broadway for a new production of August Wilson's Fences. She starred alongside Denzel Washington. Her performance as Rose Maxson earned her a second Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.
Becoming a Global Star (2011–2016)
In 2011, Viola starred in the movie The Help. She played Aibileen Clark, a housemaid in the 1960s. She received great praise for her work. She won two Screen Actors Guild Awards and was nominated for her second Academy Award. Later, she shared that she had some regrets about the role. She wished the story had shown the lives of the black characters more truthfully.
In 2012, Time magazine recognized Viola as one of the world's most influential people. In 2014, she was cast as the main character, Annalise Keating, in the TV series How to Get Away with Murder. Annalise is a tough lawyer and professor.
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In September 2015, Viola made history. She became the first African-American actress to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in How to Get Away with Murder. She also won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for her TV work.
In 2016, Viola played Amanda Waller in the superhero movie Suicide Squad. That same year, she reprised her role as Rose Maxson in the film version of Fences, again with Denzel Washington. Her performance was highly acclaimed. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This made her the first black actress to receive three Academy Award nominations. Winning the Oscar for Fences also meant she had achieved the Triple Crown of Acting.
Continued Success (2017–Present)
In 2017, Viola Davis received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her friend and co-star Meryl Streep presented the honor. Time magazine again included Viola on its "100 Most Influential People" list.
In 2018, Viola starred in the movie Widows. She received excellent reviews for her powerful performance. She also appeared in a special crossover episode of How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal.
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In 2020, she starred as Ma Rainey in the movie Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Her performance earned her another Screen Actors Guild Award. She also received her fourth Academy Award nomination, making her the most-nominated black actress in Oscar history.
Viola continued to play Amanda Waller in superhero films like The Suicide Squad (2021) and Black Adam (2022). She also played former First Lady Michelle Obama in the TV series The First Lady (2022). In 2022, Viola starred in The Woman King, a historical action film about an all-female military unit. She played the general, Nanisca.
In March 2024, a Barbie doll was made in her likeness to celebrate International Women's Day. She also voiced the Chameleon, a villain, in the animated movie Kung Fu Panda 4. In 2025, Viola is starring in an action thriller called G20, where she plays the U.S. president.
Giving Back and Personal Life
Viola Davis is known for her charity work and activism. In 2011, she donated money to her hometown library in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to help keep it open. In 2018, she also gave funds to her old high school's theater program.
Since 2014, Viola has worked with the Hunger Is campaign to help end childhood hunger in America. She has spoken openly about growing up in poverty and how important it is for all children to have enough food. She believes everyone should have a chance at a good life.
Viola married actor Julius Tennon in 2003. In 2011, they adopted a daughter named Genesis. Viola is also a stepmother to Julius's two children.
Awards and Recognition
Viola Davis is considered one of the greatest actors of her time. She is praised for her powerful and emotional performances.
For her stage work, she has won two Tony Awards, three Drama Desk Awards, and other honors. She was the first actress of color to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She has also won five Screen Actors Guild Awards, more than any other African-American actor.
Viola has been nominated for six Golden Globes Awards and three BAFTA Awards, winning one of each. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fences (2016). This made her the first black performer to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting (winning an Oscar, Emmy, and Tony). She is also the first actress of color to receive four Academy Award nominations.
In 2023, she won a Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for narrating her autobiography, Finding Me. This Grammy win meant she achieved EGOT status, having won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony. In 2024, she received the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for her outstanding contributions to entertainment.
Images for kids
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Viola Davis in 2023
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Davis at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009
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Davis at the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Awards
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Davis in 2022
See also
In Spanish: Viola Davis para niños
