Davis was born on August 11, 1965, inSt. Matthews, South Carolina,[8] to Mae Alice Davis (née Logan) and Dan Davis.[9][10][11] She was born on her grandmother's farm on the Singleton Plantation.[12] Her father was a horse trainer, and her mother was a maid, factory worker and homemaker.[13][14][15] She is the second youngest of six children, having four sisters and a brother.[16] Soon after she was born, her parents moved with Davis and two of her older siblings toCentral Falls, Rhode Island, leaving her other siblings with her grandparents.[11]
Her mother was also an activist during theCivil Rights Movement.[15] When she was two years old, Davis was taken to jail with her mother after she was arrested during a civil rights protest.[17] She has described herself as having "lived in abject poverty and dysfunction" during her childhood,[18] recalling living in "rat-infested and condemned" apartments.[19] Davis is a second cousin of actorMike Colter, known for portraying theMarvel Comics characterLuke Cage.[20]
Davis attendedCentral Falls High School, the alma mater to which she partially credits her love of stage acting with her involvement in the arts.[21] As a teenager, she was involved in the federalTRIO Upward Bound andTRIO Student Support Services programs.[22] While enrolled at the Young People's School for the Performing Arts inWest Warwick, Rhode Island, Davis's talent was recognized by a director at the program, Bernard Masterson.[23]
In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaptation of theBroadway play byJohn Patrick Shanley,Doubt, withMeryl Streep,Philip Seymour Hoffman, andAmy Adams. Though Davis had only a few scenes in the film, she remained a highlight of the film with noted film criticRoger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times specifically praising her performance writing, "It lasts about 10 minutes, but it is the emotional heart and soul ofDoubt, and if Viola Davis isn't nominated by the Academy, an injustice will have been done." Ebert would further go on to write, "She goes face to face with the pre-eminent film actress of this generation, and it is a confrontation of two equals that generates terrifying power."[33][34] She was nominated for several awards for her performance, including theScreen Actors Guild Award, theGolden Globe Award and anAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[35]
In 2010, Davis returned to Broadway in her third August Wilson play, this time a revival ofFences as Rose Maxson, acting alongsideDenzel Washington. Her performance received raves from critics in particular theatre criticBen Brantley ofThe New York Times who described Davis' performance as "extraordinary", adding "Ms. Davis, who won a Tony for her performance in Wilson'sKing Hedley II, may well pick up another for her work here. Her face is a poignant paradox, both bone-tired and suffused with sensual radiance."[37] On June 13, 2010, Davis won her secondTony Award for her performance.[38] She was the second African-American to win the Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, afterPhylicia Rashad.[citation needed]
In August 2011, Davis starred as Aibileen Clark, a housemaid in 1960s Mississippi, in the film adaptation ofKathryn Stockett's novelThe Help, directed byTate Taylor, and co-starring alongsideEmma Stone,Octavia Spencer,Bryce Dallas Howard, andJessica Chastain.[40] Davis described her performance in the film as channeling her mother and grandmother saying, "I feel like I brought my mom to life; I've channeled her spirit. I channeled the spirit of my grandmother, and I've kind of paid homage to how they've contributed to my life and the lives of so many people".[40] She has since expressed deep regret over taking on the role; although she still admires the people she worked with, she does not think the story or portrayal is truthful about the lives of the black characters.[41] Davis gained praise for her work and eventually won twoScreen Actors Guild Awards, in addition to receiving her second Academy Award nomination,[42][43][44] as well asGolden Globe Award andBAFTA Award nominations.[45][46]
In 2012,Time magazine listed Davis as one of the most influential people in the world.[47] Also in 2012,Glamour magazine named Davis Glamour's Film Actress of the year.[48] On June 12, 2012, Davis received theWomen in Film's Crystal Award.[49] In 2014, Davis reunited withThe Help directorTate Taylor inGet on Up, a biopic ofJames Brown, playing Brown's mother.[50] Her daughter, Genesis, also appeared in the film.[51]
In 2017, Davis was presented with the 2,597th star on theHollywood Walk of Fame by herDoubt co-star and friendMeryl Streep. While accepting the honor, Davis said: "It's like my life flashing before my eyes, and all I can say is, God has blessed my life in abundance."[69] Davis was also listed among and a featured cover star ofTime magazine's "100 Most Influential People" List for the second time, her first being in 2012.[70] Streep penned the article in the magazine, referring to Davis as having "carved a place for herself on the Mount Rushmore of the 21st century", commenting that "her gifts as an artist are unassailable, undeniable, deep and rich and true. But her importance in the culture – her ability to identify it, her willingness to speak about it and take on responsibility for it – is what marks her for greatness."[71] In March 2017, Davis was awarded the Artist of the Year Award atHarvard University.[72]
Also in 2017, Davis announced that she would write the sequel to the classic picture bookCorduroy, titledCorduroy Takes a Bow. In a press release, Davis stated that "Corduroy has always held a special place in my life, first as a child paging through it, and then again with my daughter, introducing her to the adventures of that adorable teddy bear".[73] The book was published byPenguin Random House later in 2018.[74][75]
In 2020, Davis served as an executive producer and appeared in the documentary filmGiving Voice, following students entering theAugust Wilson monologue competition for a chance to compete on Broadway.[80][81] That same year, she starred alongsideChadwick Boseman (in his final onscreen performance) as thetitular character in the biographical dramaMa Rainey's Black Bottom, based on the1982 play of the same name and directed byGeorge C. Wolfe.[82] She received critical acclaim and aScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her performance,[83] in addition to her sixth Golden Globe Award nomination and her second Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, her fourth nomination overall.[84] With that nomination, she became the most-nominated black actress in the history of the Academy Awards,[85] as well as the first black actress to have been nominated for Best Actress more than once.[86] She also appeared on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue ofVanity Fair, photographed byDario Calmese.[87]
In March 2024, to commemorate the 65th anniversary ofInternational Women's Day, Davis was one of a number of female celebrities that had their likeness turned intoBarbie dolls.[101] Also in March, Davis voiced the Chameleon, who was the main antagonist ofKung Fu Panda 4, the fourth installment in theeponymous franchise.[citation needed] In December 2024, Davis reprised her role as Amanda Waller in the animatedMax TV seriesCreature Commandos.[102][103] In 2025, Davis starred inG20, an action thriller in which she plays the U.S. president.[104]
In 2011, Davis donated funds to her hometown public library in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to assist in preventing its closure due to a lack of city funding.[105] In 2018, Davis donated funds to her alma mater, Central Falls High School, for its theater program.[106][107][108]
Since 2014, Davis has collaborated with the Hunger Is campaign to help eradicate childhood hunger across America.[109] Speaking on her work, Davis said that "seventeen million kids in this country, so one in five kids in this country, go to bed hungry. I was one of those kids, because I grew up in abject poverty; I did everything that you could possibly imagine to get food: I rummaged in the garbage cans, I stole from the local store constantly."[110] As an honoree at the 2014Variety Power of Women luncheon, Davis further commented that "the thing that made me join...was the word 'eradicate', 'get rid of' – not by thirty-percent not by twenty-percent not by fifty-percent, but to do away [with it]. Because everyone should be a child, and should grow up and have a chance at the American dream".[111] In September 2017, Davis started the $30K in 30 Days Project with Hunger Is, awarding a $1,000 grant to the Rhode Island Community food bank in her home state.[109]
As part of her partnership withVaseline to promote the Vaseline Healing Project, Davis attended the groundbreaking of a free community health center in Central Falls, Rhode Island in October 2016 that was sponsored by the project.[107] The project provides dermatological care to help heal the skin of those affected by poverty around the world.[112][113][114] She was also a speaker at the2018 Women's March event in Los Angeles.[115]
Davis married actor Julius Tennon in June 2003.[116] In 2011, the couple welcomed a daughter, Genesis (born in 2010), via adoption. Davis is also a stepmother to Tennon's two children from previous relationships.[117]
Davis is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of her generation.[b] Chris Murphy ofVanity Fair said she achieved her reputation and accolades by consistently "delivering deeply felt performances, unmatched in their ability to access a seemingly endless well of emotion while remaining undeniably grounded".[119]Steve McQueen, who directed Davis inWidows, called her "one of the greatest actors of her generation", believing she could act any role if allowed the opportunity.[125]
Davis was awarded an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from her undergraduate alma mater,Rhode Island College, in 2002.[130] On January 20, 2020, Davis was awarded an honorary doctoral degree in fine arts fromIndiana University.[131] In February 2023, she was awarded theGrammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording for the narration to her 2022 autobiographyFinding Me, making her the 18th person to achieveEGOT status.[132][133] In 2024 it was announced she would receive theGolden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.[134] In December of 2024, the Coalition for Faith and Media presented Davis and her husband Julius Tennon with an inaugural Faith and Spirituality in Entertainment Honor for the work of their production company JuVee Productions.[135][136]
^abArditi, Lynn (October 8, 2016)."Viola Davis returns to hometown for Central Falls health center groundbreaking".The Providence Journal.Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 12, 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.
^Miller, G. Wayne (May 14, 2016)."Deloris Davis Grant tells RIC grads: 'be a rock star' + videos".The Providence Journal.Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. RetrievedJanuary 12, 2017.Deloris Davis Grant (sister of actress Viola Davis) teaches English and drama at Central Falls High School
^abMurphy, Chris (April 23, 2021)."Viola Davis's 10 Most Iconic Roles".Vanity Fair. Archived fromthe original on February 2, 2023. RetrievedJune 20, 2024.Viola Davis has emerged as one of the most decorated and celebrated actresses of her generation
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