Jump to content

Viola Davis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2605:6000:101e:fe:b83d:c568:d902:c348 (talk) at 16:23, 3 February 2017 (undo vandalism). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Viola Davis
Davis at the SAG Awards in 2015
Born (1965-08-11) August 11, 1965 (age 58)
St. Matthews, South Carolina, U.S.
Alma materRhode Island College (1988)
Juilliard School (1993)
Occupation(s)Actress, producer
Years active1996–present
Spouse
Julius Tennon
​
(m. 2003)​
Children3
AwardsFull list

Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965)[1] is an American actress and producer. After graduating from the Juilliard School in 1993, Davis began her career on stage and won an Obie Award in 1999 for her performance as Ruby McCollum in Everybody's Ruby. She played supporting and minor roles in several films and television series in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the films Kate & Leopold (2001) and Far from Heaven (2002), and the television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. In 2001, she won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as Tonya in the original production of King Hedley II.

Davis' film breakthrough came in 2008 when her supporting role in the drama Doubt earned her several nominations, including the Golden Globe, SAG, and the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Greater success came to Davis in the 2010s. She won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role as Rose Maxson in the revival of August Wilson's play Fences.[2] For her lead role as 1960s housemaid Aibeleen Clark in the comedy-drama The Help (2011), she received nominations for the Golden Globe, BAFTA, and the Academy Award for Best Actress, and won a SAG Award.[3][4] In 2016, Davis played Amanda Waller in the superhero action film Suicide Squad and reprised her role as Rose Maxson in the film adaptation of Fences,[5] for which she has won the Golden Globe, SAG Award, and Critics Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress.[6][7] This made her the first African-American actress and the first woman of color to win five SAG Awards.[8] Davis' portrayal has also garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. With the nomination, Davis has become the first black woman in history to be nominated for three Academy Awards.[9]

Since 2014, Davis plays lawyer Annalise Keating in the ABC drama How to Get Away with Murder, and in 2015 she became the first black woman of any nationality to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[10] Her portrayal also won her two SAG Awards in 2015 and 2016. In 2012, she was listed by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.[11] Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, are the founders of the production company JuVee Productions. Davis has starred in their productions Lila & Eve (2015) and Custody (2016).[12]

Early life and family

Davis was born in St. Matthews, South Carolina, at her grandparents’ house on the Singleton Plantation.[13] She is the daughter of Mary Alice (née Logan) and Dan Davis,[13][14] and is the second youngest of six children.[15] Her father was a horse trainer and her mother was a maid, factory worker, and homemaker,[16][17][18] as well as a civil rights activist.[19] Her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, with two-month-old Viola and two of her sisters, leaving her older sister and brother with her grandparents.[13] Davis has described herself as having "lived in abject poverty and dysfunction" during her childhood.[20]

Davis is a cousin to actor Mike Colter, who is known for portraying the Marvel Comics character Luke Cage.[21]

Education

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.[22] As a teen, she was involved in the federal TRIO Upward Bound and TRIO Student Support Services programs.[23] When enrolled at the Young People's School for the Performing Arts in West Warwick, Rhode Island, Davis' talent was recognized by a director at the program, Bernard Masterson.[24] Following graduation from high school, Davis studied at Rhode Island College, majoring in theater and graduating in 1988. She was awarded an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from the college in 2002.[25] After her graduation from Rhode Island, Davis attended the Juilliard School for four years,[17] and was a member of the school's Drama Division "Group 22"(1989–1993).[26]

Career

Davis received her Screen Actors Guild card in 1996 for doing one day of work as a nurse who passes a vial of blood to Timothy Hutton in the film The Substance of Fire. She was paid $528.[27]

In 2001, she won the Tony Award and a Drama Desk Award for her portrayal of Tonya in King Hedley II, a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy."[28] She has also won another Drama Desk Award for her work in a 2004 off-Broadway production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage.

Davis appeared in numerous films, including three films directed by Steven Soderbergh – Out of Sight, Solaris and Traffic, as well as Syriana, which Soderbergh produced. Viola was also the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the first scene in Ocean's Eleven.[29] She also gave brief performances in the films Kate & Leopold and Antwone Fisher. Her television work includes a recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, starring roles in two short-lived series, Traveler and Century City, and a special guest appearance in a Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode entitled "Badge".

Davis at the 81st Academy Awards in 2009

In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaptation to the Broadway play Doubt, with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. Though Davis had only one scene in the film,[30] she was nominated for several awards for her performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[31]

On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[32] On June 13, 2010, Davis won her second Tony Award for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson's Fences.[33] She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after Phylicia Rashad.

Davis played the role of Dr. Minerva in It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010), a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden with Ryan Fleck, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini.[34] In August 2011, Davis played the role of Aibileen Clark in the screen adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel The Help, directed by Tate Taylor. For her performance, Davis garnered great critical acclaim, and eventually received two Screen Actors Guild Awards, as well as her second Academy Award nomination,[35] which she ultimately lost to Meryl Streep. She also received Golden Globe Award and BAFTA nominations for the same performance.

In 2012, Time magazine listed Davis as one of the most influential people in the world.[36] Also in 2012, Glamour magazine named Davis Glamour's Film Actress of the year.[37] On June 12, 2012, Davis was presented with the Women in Film's Crystal Award by her friend and Oscar rival that year Meryl Streep.[38] 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.[39] On January 5, 2017, Davis received the 2,597th star on the Walk of Fame.[40]

Davis reunited with The Help director Tate Taylor in Get on Up, a biopic of James Brown, playing Brown's mother.[41] Her daughter Genesis also appeared in the movie.[42]

In February 2014, Davis was cast in Peter Nowalk's pilot How to Get Away with Murder (executive produced by Shonda Rhimes for her ShondaLand production company) as the lead character.[43] It began as a series in September 2014.[44] On September 20, 2015, she became the first black woman of any nationality to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.[45][46][47][48] She received a second Primetime Emmy Award nomination for the role in 2016.[49]

In 2015, Davis appeared in Blackhat, a Michael Mann-directed thriller film starring Chris Hemsworth.[50] She also appeared in Lila & Eve with Jennifer Lopez. Davis also served as a producer.

In 2016, Davis starred in the courtroom drama Custody, on which she also served as an executive producer,[51] played Amanda Waller in the film Suicide Squad, an adaptation of a DC Comics series of the same name,[52] and reprised her role as Rose Maxson for the film adaptation of Fences, for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, another Screen Actors Guild Award and received her third Academy Award nomination.

Personal life

Davis married actor Julius Tennon in June 2003.[53] They have a daughter, Genesis, whom they adopted as a newborn in October 2011. Davis is stepmother to Tennon's son and daughter from previous relationships.[54]

Davis has remained a booster of her home town of Central Falls. In 2016 she attended the groundbreaking of a community health center.[55] She has also raised and donated money for the city's library and the Central Falls High School.[55][56]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 The Substance of Fire Nurse
1998 Out of Sight Moselle Miller
2000 Traffic Social Worker
2001 The Shrink Is In Robin
Kate & Leopold Policewoman
2002 Far from Heaven Sybil
Antwone Fisher Eva May Fisher
Solaris Dr. Gordon
2005 Get Rich or Die Tryin' Grandma
Syriana CIA Chairwoman Uncredited
2006 The Architect Tonya Neely
World Trade Center Mother in Hospital
2007 Disturbia Detective Parker
2008 Nights in Rodanthe Jean
Doubt Mrs. Miller
2009 Madea Goes to Jail Ellen St. Matthews
State of Play Dr. Judith Franklin
Law Abiding Citizen Mayor April Henry
2010 Knight and Day Director Isabel George
Eat Pray Love Delia Shiraz
It's Kind of a Funny Story Dr. Minerva
Trust Gail Friedman
2011 The Help Aibileen Clark
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Abby Black
2012 Won't Back Down Nona Alberts
2013 Beautiful Creatures Amarie "Amma" Treadeau
Ender's Game Major Anderson
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby Professor Lillian Friedman
Prisoners Nancy Birch
2014 Get On Up Susie Brown
2015 Blackhat FBI Agent Carol Barrett
Lila & Eve Lila Walcott
2016 Custody Judge Martha Sherman Also executive producer
Suicide Squad Amanda Waller
Fences Rose Maxson

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 NYPD Blue Woman Episode: "Moby Greg"
1996 New York Undercover Mrs. Stapleton Episode: "Smack is Back"
1998 The Pentagon Wars Platoon Sgt. Fanning
1998 Grace & Glorie Rosemary Allbright
2000 Judging Amy Celeste Episode: "Blast from the Past"
2000 City of Angels Nurse Lynnette Peeler 19 episodes
2001 Amy & Isabelle Dottie
2001 Providence Dr. Eleanor Weiss Episode: "You Can Count On Me"
2001 The Guardian Attorney Suzanna Clemons Episode: "The Men from the Boys"
2001 Third Watch Margo Rodriguez Episode: "Act Brave"
2002 Father Lefty
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Terry Randolph Episode: "Badge"
2002 The Division Dr. Georgia Davis Episode: "Remembrance"
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Attorney Campbell Episode: "The Execution of Catherine Willows"
2003 Hack Stevie Morgan Episode: "Third Strike"
2003 The Practice Aisha Crenshaw Episode: "We the People"
2004 Century City Hannah Crane 9 episodes
2005 Jesse Stone: Stone Cold Molly Crane
2005 Threshold Victoria Rossi Episode: "Shock"
2006 Jesse Stone: Night Passage Molly Crane
2006 Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise Molly Crane
2006 Without a Trace Audrey Williams Episode: "White Balance"
2006 Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story Diane Barrino TV movie
2007 Fort Pit
2007 Jesse Stone: Sea Change Molly Crane
2007 Traveler Agent Jan Marlow 8 episodes
2008 Brothers & Sisters Ellen Snyder Episode: "Double Negative"
2008 The Andromeda Strain Dr. Charlene Barton
2003–08 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Donna Emmett 7 episodes
2009 United States of Tara Lynda P. Frazier 6 episodes
2013 Sofia the First Helen Hanshaw (voice) Episode: "The Buttercups"
2014–present How to Get Away with Murder Professor Annalise Keating Main role

Theatre credits

Year Title Role Venue
1992 As You Like It Denise Off-Broadway
1996 Seven Guitars Vera Broadway
1997 God's Heart Eleanor Off-Broadway
1998 Pericles 2nd Fisherman/Lychorida/Bawd
1999 Everybody's Ruby Ruby McCollum
The Vagina Monologues Performer (Replacement)
2001 King Hedley II Tonya Broadway
2004 Intimate Apparel Esther Off-Broadway
2010 Fences Rose Broadway

See also

References

  1. ^ "Viola Davis Biography: Theater Actress, Film Actress, Television Actress (1965–)". Biography.com (FYI / A&E Networks). Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ Boroff, Philip (June 14, 2010). "Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, 'Memphis,' Win Top Tony Awards". Bloomberg L.P. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  3. ^ SAG Awards 2012: Complete list of winners The Associated Press via New York Daily News, January 30, 2012.
  4. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People In The World". Time. April 18, 2012.
  5. ^ "Viola Davis announces 'Fences' wrap: let the Oscar campaigns begin". Serving Cinema. June 14, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  6. ^ "Viola Davis Wins First Golden Globe for 'Fences'". Variety. January 8, 2017. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  7. ^ "Critics Choice Awards 2016: Viola Davis wins best supporting actress". Entertainment Weekly. December 12, 2016. Retrieved January 9, 2017.
  8. ^ Karen Mizoguchi. "SAG Awards 2017: Viola Davis Becomes First African American Actress to Score 5 Wins". People.com. Retrieved 2017-02-01.
  9. ^ Mic. "Oscars 2017: Viola Davis just became the first black actress to earn 3 Oscar nominations". Mic. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  10. ^ "Emmy Awards 2015: The complete winners list". CNN. September 21, 2015.
  11. ^ "The 100 Most Influential People In The World". Time. April 18, 2012.
  12. ^ "Projects". JuVee Productions. Retrieved 2016-01-31.
  13. ^ a b c Rochlin, Margy (September 2014). "Viola Davis Blossoms". More. Meredith Corporation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  14. ^ "Viola Davis Talks Growing Up Hungry, Poor and Ashamed". Blackenterprise.com. 2015-08-04. Retrieved 2017-01-24.
  15. ^ "Viola Davis’ path from poverty in Central Falls to Hollywood glamour" February 22, 2009, Providence Journal.
  16. ^ "Veteran Actors, First Time Nominees". WSJ. February 20, 2009.
  17. ^ a b Buckley, Michael (March 14, 2004). "Chats with Intimate Apparel's Viola Davis and New York Newcomer, King Lear's Geraint Wyn Davies". Playbill.com.
  18. ^ "Viola Davis: "The Help" and "Daring Yourself to Dream Big", Life Goes Strong, August 1, 2011.
  19. ^ Davis spoke of her mother's activism during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, relating how she had been taken to jail along with her mother at the age of two when Mary Davis was arrested during a Civil Rights protest (September 20, 2012).
  20. ^ "Viola Davis Tackles Fear, Shines In 'Doubt'", NPR, December 10, 2008.
  21. ^ Sharma, Nemisha (December 6, 2015). "'Luke Cage': 5 Cool Things You Didn't Know About Marvel/Netflix Star Mike Colter". Design & Trend. Retrieved July 16, 2016.
  22. ^ "Viola Davis". The A.V. Club.
  23. ^ "Viola Davis". TVGuide.com.
  24. ^ Brown, Gita, "Exclusive What’s News @ RIC interview: Viola Davis talks about her life and her new film", What's News, Rhode Island College, August 2, 2011.
  25. ^ RIC to Award 1,300 Degrees at Commencement Exercises, from the website of Rhode Island College.
  26. ^ "Alumni News". Juilliard School. October 2011. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011.
  27. ^ Moynihan, Rob (January 19, 2015). "How I Got My SAG-AFTRA Card", TV Guide, p. 8.
  28. ^ "Truly, Madly, Intimately", American Theatre magazine, September 2004.
  29. ^ Stodghill, Alexis Garrett (December 23, 2011). "Viola Davis' top 10 performances: From 'Traffic' to 'The Help'". Grio. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  30. ^ Caro, Mark (February 14, 2009). "Viola Davis: The Pop Machine interview". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 21, 2015.
  31. ^ "Oscar nominations 2009: Amy Adams and Viola Davis discuss their roles in Doubt". The Daily Telegraph. January 22, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  32. ^ "Academy Invites 134 to Membership". oscars.org. June 30, 2009. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  33. ^ "Fences Stars Viola Davis & Denzel Washington Win 2010 Tony Awards". broadway.com. June 13, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  34. ^ Sciretta, Peter (November 30, 2009). "Ryan Fleck's It's Kind of a Funny Story Begins Production". /Film. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved June 12, 2010.
  35. ^ Eggertsen, Chris (September 14, 2014). "Shocker: Oscar nominee Viola Davis is routinely offered 'mammy-ish' roles by Hollywood". HitFix.
  36. ^ "TIME '100 Most Influential People': Kristen Wiig, Viola Davis And Other Actors Honored". moviefone. April 18, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  37. ^ "Film Actress – Viola Davis". glamourmagazine. May 29, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  38. ^ "Meryl Streep-Viola Davis Love Fest at Women in Film Awards". showbiz. June 14, 2012. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  39. ^ Gans, Andrew (June 25, 2012). "Viola Davis, Helen Mirren, Jane Lynch, Olympia Dukakis, Jennifer Hudson Are Hollywood Walk of Fame Recipients". Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  40. ^ Gettell, Oliver (January 5, 2017). "Viola Davis accepts star on Walk of Fame: 'I cannot believe my life'". Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  41. ^ "Tate Taylor Reunites With 'The Help's' Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer On James Brown Pic". Deadline. September 30, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  42. ^ "Viola Davis – Viola Davis' Daughter To Make Acting Debut In James Brown Biopic". WENN. October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
  43. ^ "Viola Davis to Star in ABC Drama 'How to Get Away With Murder'". hollywood reporter. Retrieved May 10, 2014.
  44. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 8, 2014). "ABC Picks Up Shonda Rhimes 'How To Get Away With Murder', John Ridley's 'American Crime', Comedy 'Black-ish' To Series". Deadline.com. Retrieved May 9, 2014.
  45. ^ Nakamura, Reid. "Viola Davis and Taraji P. Henson Make Emmy History With 'How to Get Away With Murder,' 'Empire' Roles". Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  46. ^ Rachel Handler. "Watch Viola Davis Explain Her Historic Emmys Speech to Ellen DeGeneres". TIME, September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015
  47. ^ Michael Gold. Viola Davis’s Emmy Speech. Awards Season. The 2015 Emmy Awards. New York Times, September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  48. ^ Stephanie Merry, "Emmy Awards: ‘Game of Thrones’ beats ‘Mad Men’, Viola Davis becomes first African American to win best actress in drama, Jon Hamm finally wins best actor, ‘Veep’ sweeps", Washington Post, September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.
  49. ^ "Emmy Nominations 2016: Game of Thrones Rules Again". New York Times. July 7, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  50. ^ "Viola Davis In Talks To Star In Michael Mann's Cyber Crime Pic". Deadline. April 19, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  51. ^ McNary, Dave (April 30, 2015). "Hayden Panettiere, Ellen Burstyn Join Viola Davis in 'Custody',". Variety. Retrieved May 15, 2015.
  52. ^ "EXCLUSIVE: Viola Davis Bags Amanda Waller Role In 'Suicide Squad'". Latino-Review.com. December 16, 2014.
  53. ^ Johnson, Zach (July 29, 2015). "Viola Davis Poses With Daughter Genesis Tennon for AARP the Magazine and Reflects on Her Life Before Turning 50". E!. Archived from the original on September 21, 2015. Retrieved September 21, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  54. ^ Nahas, Aili; Raftery, Elizabeth (October 18, 2011). "Viola Davis Adopts a Daughter, Genesis". People. Archived from the original on October 14, 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2015. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  55. ^ a b Arditi, Lynn (8 October 2016). "Viola Davis returns to hometown for Central Falls health center groundbreaking". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 12 January 2017. Davis has been one of the city's most high-profile boosters, raising and donating money for the city's Adams Memorial Library, the Central Falls High School chess team and drama club, and the Segue Institute for Learning, a charter school.
  56. ^ Miller, G. Wayne (14 May 2016). "Deloris Davis Grant tells RIC grads: 'be a rock star' + videos". The Providence Journal. Retrieved 12 January 2017. Deloris Davis Grant (sister of actress Viola Davis) teaches English and drama at Central Falls High School

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Viola Davis.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Viola_Davis&oldid=763497631"