Davis, Viola (1965-…), is an American motion-picture, stage, and television actress. Davis became known for her intense performances. She also became known as an activist for greater inclusion, particularly of African Americans, in the movie and theater industries.
Davis is among relatively few actors who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards. She won Tony Awards in 2001 and 2010, for her acting in the plays King Hedley II and Fences, respectively. Both plays were written by the American dramatist August Wilson. In 2015, Davis became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actress in a drama series, for her performance in the TV series “How to Get Away with Murder” (2014-2020). In 2017, she won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for her role in the movie Fences (2016). And in 2023, Davis won a Grammy Award for the audiobook of her memoir Finding Me, published in 2022.
Davis was born on Aug. 11, 1965, in rural Saint Matthews, South Carolina. In 1988, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from Rhode Island College, in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1993, she received a certificate in acting from the Juilliard School in New York City, New York.
Davis got her first big acting break in 1995 in Wilson’s play Seven Guitars. Her bold performance as the character Vera Hedley earned her the first of many Tony Award nominations. Davis made her first motion-picture appearance in the drama The Substance of Fire (1996). She gained widespread recognition in the film Doubt (2008), in which she played a mother fighting for justice for her son. Davis’s other notable movies include The Help (2011), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (2020), and The Woman King (2022).
