Viola Davis is an award-winning American actress and an activist who is passionate about human rights issues like child hunger.
Early Life
Viola Davis was born on August 11th of 1965 in St. Matthews, South Carolina. Although Davis was born on a farm, her family moved to Rhode Island when she was just two months old. She has five siblings, but only two sisters came with her to Rhode Island while the rest remained on the farm with her grandparents. Her father was working as a horse trainer at the time of her birth, and her mother was a maid and an activist within the Civil Rights Movement. Growing up on Rhode Island wasn’t easy for Davis, as she lived in serious poverty within run-down apartment buildings.
Davis fell in love with acting when she reached high school, and she participated in several extracurricular arts programs and academies. Davis’ acting talents were quickly spotted, and she set her sights on a future career in acting. After graduating from high school, she attended Rhode Island College and majored in theater. After leaving university, she was accepted into the famed Juilliard School, where she honed her acting skills over the next four years.
Career
Davis’s first paid acting job was in 1996 when she played a minor role in the film “The Substance of Fire.” However, Davis would truly make her presence known when she played the role of Tonya in the Broadway play “King Hedley II.” The 2001 production earned Davis her first Tony Award, and she soon followed up with another role in the off-Broadway play “Intimate Apparel” in 2004.
During this period, she also appeared in films like “Out of Sight,” “Solaris,” “Traffic,” and “Syriana.” Some of her roles were brief, such as in “Ocean’s Eleven,” “Kate & Leopold,” and “Antwone Fisher.” Another notable role came in 2002 with the film “Far From Heaven.” She also booked recurring roles in shows like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Traveler,” and “Century City.” In addition, she made a guest appearance in “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.”
In 2008, she made a stunning impact on the film “Doubt,” gaining numerous award nominations despite appearing in just one scene. In 2010, Viola returned to the theater world and won another Tony Award for her leading role in the play “Fences.” That year, she also played a major role in the film “It’s Kind of a Funny Story.” In 2011, she played a film role that was especially significant to her family heritage in “The Help.” As a result of her performance, she was nominated for an Academy Award and won two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In 2014, she worked with Tate Taylor (the same director for “The Help”) on the film “Get On Up.” She also booked a lead role in the TV series “How to Get Away With Murder.” Her performance on the series eventually helped her win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series – a first for a woman of color. In 2015, she appeared in the film “Blackhat” alongside Chris Hemsworth and executive-produced the film “Lila & Eve,” in which she also starred alongside Jennifer Lopez…
Recently in 2022, Davis starred in The Woman King, inspired by true events that took place within The Kingdom of Dahomey. The film tells the story of Nanisca, the general of an all-female military unit, played by Davis, and her daughter Nawi, played by Thuso Mbedu. Davis was the narrator at Disney’s Candlelight Processional at Disneyland in 2022
Personal Life
Davis married actor Julius Tennon in June 2003. In 2011, the couple adopted an infant daughter named Genesis. Davis is also a stepmother to Tennon’s two children from previous relationships.
Davis is a Christian and regularly attends services at Oasis Church in Los Angeles.
Net Worth
Davis has a net worth of $25 million.
