Viola Davis is a popular theatre and film actress. She was nominated for the prestigious American Academy Award "Oscar" four times and in 2017, she received the coveted statue for the best supporting role in the movie "Fences". For the same role, she was awarded a "Golden Globe" and a BAFTA award.
Viola Davis is a talented actress and a well-known philanthropist
She has repeatedly been a laureate of the Screen Actors Guild Awards in the USA. In 2012, the Times magazine included Viola Davis in the list of the hundred most influential people on the planet.
Childhood and Youth
Viola was born on a small farm in South Carolina, to the humble family of housekeeper Mary Alice and horse trainer Dan Davis. The family later relocated to Rhode Island, where young Viola experienced prejudice due to her skin color. But these challenges only hardened her character.
Right: Viola Davis in her childhood; Left: The actress with her mom
The Davis family had six children, Viola being the second to last. The large family lived modestly, with money only for necessities. Therefore, the children invented their own form of entertainment, staging improvised performances with made-up characters at home. Viola stood out in these skits, revealing her acting talent at a young age.
Viola Davis Reveals Details Of Her Tragic Childhood
In her final years of school, Viola joined a youth organization supporting young African American kids suffering from discrimination. After finishing school, she decided to stay in the town with its intolerant residents and enrolled in a local college. It was during her college years that she first participated in a theater production. It was then that Viola realized she wanted to pursue acting as a career.
Viola Davis in her youth and now
After college, Viola continued her education at the Juilliard School of Arts (New York), where she was able to perfect and hone her acting talent. Graduating in 1993, Davis was primarily known for her theater work for a long time, many of which earned high theater awards.
1993: Graduating from the Juilliard School of Arts
Acting Career
Her big-screen debut was a tiny role as a nurse in the movie "The Substance of Fire" (1996). She appeared in several films by Steven Soderbergh ("Out of Sight", "Traffic", and "Solaris"). The actress was well known to viewers from the detective series "Law & Order".
A scene from the series “Law & Order”
Her breakout in her film career was a supporting role in John Shanley's drama "Doubt" (2008), where her co-star was the legendary Meryl Streep. For this 11-minute performance, Viola was nominated for two awards - the "Oscar" and the "Golden Globe".
In real life, Viola Davis and Meryl Streep are good friends
She did not win the main prize that time but attracted the attention of film critics and serious directors. Two years later, she was cast in the lead role in the reality-based drama "The Help", where she masterfully demonstrated all facets of her talent. This role meant a lot to the actress - it allowed her to remind viewers again about the inadmissibility of racism.
Viola Davis in the movie “The Help”
The role in "The Help" again brought her prestigious nominations for "Oscar" and "Golden Globe", in addition, Davis was awarded the prize for the best female role from the Screen Actors Guild of the USA. After such success, Viola Davis's name firmly established itself in the top lines of the ranking of leading Hollywood actors.
Viola Davis and her first “Oscar” (2017)
In 2016, Davis could be seen in the much-talked-about action film "Suicide Squad". Viola played government agent Amanda Waller, the head of the "Suicide Squad" project. Under her leadership, villains Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), killer Deadshot (Will Smith), pyromaniac El Diablo and brilliant bore Captain Boomerang were sent to kill the Enchantress (Cara Delevingne).
Viola Davis played Amanda Waller from “Suicide Squad”
In 2017, the actress received her first "Oscar". Her victory in the "Best Supporting Role" category was brought by Denzel Washington's drama "Fences". The film touched on the racial issue, telling about the unfair life of elderly African Americans in America in the 50s. By the way, a few years earlier she was involved in a play of the same name, for which she was awarded the prestigious theatrical award "Tony".
A scene from the movie “Fences” (2017)
Viola Davis's heartfelt speech during the presentation of the coveted golden statuette brought tears to everyone present in the hall. Many viewers agreed that the actress should have been awarded another "Oscar" for such emotional words. People ask me all the time, what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? And I say, exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories. The stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition. People who fell in love and lost. I became an artist and thank god I did because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.Viola Davis' speech at the Oscar-2017
In 2018, the drama "Widows" premiered, in which Viola Davis appeared in the company of Elizabeth Debicki and Michelle Rodriguez. She played Veronica Rawlings, the wife of Harry (Liam Neeson), who was engaged in robbing notable people. When he dies during another raid, Veronica is forced to deal with a huge debt and find those responsible for her husband's death.
A scene from the movie “Widows”
In 2019, Viola could be seen in the family film "Troop Zero", and at the end of 2020, the biographical drama by George C. Wolfe "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" premiered on Netflix, in which Davis played the leading role - the legendary blues singer. On the film set, she met Chadwick Boseman, for whom the role of trumpeter Levi, who wrote the arrangement for Ma Rainey's song "Black Bottom", was one of the last. For this role, Viola Davis was nominated for "Oscar" for the fourth time, but lost the victory to Frances McDormand from "Nomadland".
Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in the movie “Ma Rainey's Black Bottom”
In 2021, she returned to the role of Amanda Waller in the new "Suicide Squad" from James Gunn, and in 2022 she appeared to viewers in the image of Michelle Obama in the series "The First Lady".
Viola Davis played Michelle Obama in the series “The First Lady”
In the same year, Viola played the leading role in the historical drama "The Woman King". Her heroine - the leader of the African tribe of female warriors General Nanisca, is defending the right of her people to independence. The actress called this film, which brought her a nomination for the "Golden Globe", "the main one in her career".
Viola Davis in the movie “The Woman King”
Personal Life of Viola Davis
Since 2003, Viola Davis has been happily married to actor Julius Tennon. Her husband is eleven years older than she is, and he has two children from a previous marriage. In 2011, Julius and Viola adopted a newborn girl, Genesis.
Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon
In 2016, the drama "Fences" was released in which the couple worked together.
Viola Davis with her adopted daughter Genesis
That same year, the actress's name appeared in the list of the most influential mothers in America according to Working Mother magazine.
Viola Davis Extended Interview - The Jennifer Hudson Show
Viola Davis Now
Viola Davis was invited to play the lead role in a biographical movie about Harriet Tubman, a woman who fought against slavery. However, the status of the project is unclear at the moment.
A solo series about Amanda Waller, "Waller", was set to release in 2024. The showrunner for the project was Crystal Henry, with James Gunn as the executive producer. Additionally, she lent her voice to Chameleon, the main antagonist in the fourth installment of "Kung Fu Panda".
Viola Davis voiced Chameleon in part 4 of 'Kung Fu Panda'
