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Birthdate and Birthplace
Voila Davis was born on August 11, 1965 in Saint Mathews, North Carolina. Born to Mary Alice Logan and Dan Davis who were farmers. She was the second youngest of six siblings, four sisters and one brother. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0205626/bio/
https://www.sportskeeda.com/pop-culture/viola-daviss-sisters -
Trauma
Viola Davis explains how she grew up with poverty and violence. She endured rat infest, having no water or electricity, hunger, sexual abuse and witnessing her father beating her own mother. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Culture/viola-davis-internalized-childhood-traumas-felt-completely-isolated/story?id=84321012#:~:text=She%20said%20she%20endured%20rat,father%20physically%20abuse%20her%20mother. -
Rhode Island College
Davis attended Rhode Island College and earned her undergraduate degree in theatre in 1988. She then continued her studies at The Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Viola-Davis#:~:text=She%20enrolled%20at%20Rhode%20Island,which%20she%20graduated%20in%201994.
https://risefirst.org/role-models/Viola%20Davis -
Debut
Seven Guitars is a play that is set in Pittsburgh in 1948.This play was Viola Davis Broadway debut. There were 13 previews and 188 performances.
In the same year she made her drama debut with "The Substance of Fire." https://www.britannica.com/biography/Viola-Davis -
Everybody's Ruby
Everybody's Ruby was one of the first plays that Viola Davis has played in. The play is about a murder of a popular white doctor in 1952 in Florida. A Black women is accused of the crime and setting off racial agitation. https://playbill.com/article/everybodys-ruby-w-phylicia-rashad-viola-davis-begins-at-public-feb-23-march-28-com-80208 -
Obie Award
Davis Wins an OBIE Award for her role/ performance in Everbodys Ruby. She was able to capture the role of the character.
https://playbill.com/article/viola-davis-wins-obie-for-everybodys-ruby-com-81980 -
Tony Award
Viola Davis earns a Tony Award for her performance as Tonya in the production of King Hedley II in 2001. https://playbill.com/article/celebrate-oscar-and-two-time-tony-winner-viola-davis-on-stage -
King Hedley II
Viola starred in the production of King Hedley II playing as Tonya. This continues the story of the Seven Guitars characters. This shows the the tragic realities for Black man. https://playbill.com/production/king-hedley-ii-virginia-theatre-vault-0000005232#:~:text=SYNOPSIS%3A,to%20buy%20a%20video%20store. -
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon
Viola Davis met Julius Tennon over the craft table. They eventually took off with their relationship and got married on June 23, 2003. https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a44964028/viola-davis-julius-tennon-relationship-timeline/ -
Broadway- Fences
Viola Davis starred in the Broadway Fences, playing as Rose. She received several nomination and awards for Fences. -
Daughter
Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, adopted their daughter named Genesis on October 2011. Genesis wants to follow in her mothers pathway so she is starting to be in the acting industry. She did a voice over in Th Angry Bird 2 Movie. https://www.blinkist.com/magazine/posts/viola-davis-daughter#:~:text=Meet%20Genesis%20Tennon%3A%20Viola%20Davis%27s%20Daughter&text=Some%20fans%20have%20wondered%20if,eight%20years%20at%20the%20time. -
Launch of Production Company
Viola Davis wanted to continue her acting career but she was only gifted with supporting roles. Julius, her husband and her decided to launch a company named JuVee Production in 2011 to create a space for underrepresented actors. https://www.hcamag.com/us/specialization/diversity-inclusion/viola-davis-launched-production-company-out-of-necessity/419819#:~:text=That%27s%20why%20she%20and%20her,company%20JuVee%20Productions%20in%202011. -
Ambassador
Viola Davis is the ambassador for the charity of Hunger Is. They aim to childhood hunger in America. She is helping with the issue and has raised over $12.5 millions. This has brought healing to her own life. https://www.leadersleague.com/en/news/the-rise-of-viola-davis#:~:text=She%20was%20inspired%20by%20many,scholarship%20and%20majored%20in%20theatre. -
Triple Crown
As Viola Davis wins her Oscar award in 2016 for her part in fences, she also wins the name of "Triple Crown." She became the first Black performer in acting to win Oscar, Emmy, and Tony in acting categories. https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2023/02/06/viola-davis-reaches-egot-status-here-are-the-17-others-who-have-achieved-this-unique-honor/?sh=6e9820f96634 -
Struggle
After Viola Davis received her Oscar Awards, she began to struggle with something called, "imposter syndrome." Many A-lister in Hollywood experience this syndrome. People who have this feel like a fraud despite their high achievement. https://www.leadersleague.com/en/news/the-rise-of-viola-davis#:~:text=She%20was%20inspired%20by%20many,scholarship%20and%20majored%20in%20theatre. -
Feminist
Viola Davis is an outspoken feminist. She gave a speech at the Women's March in Lost Angeles, California. She is a survivor of sexual assault so she spoke out for women who don't have money, or confidence to speak for themselves. https://law.unlv.edu/students/student-organizations/blsa/blog/icons-womens-history-viola-davis -
Wrote
Viola Davis wrote the book called Corduroy Takes a Bow with Don freeman. This story is about a bear going to theatre for the very first time. Corduroy gets overwhelmed with the dressing rooms, the music, and prop tables. https://www.amazon.com/Corduroy-Takes-Bow-Viola-Davis/dp/0425291472 -
Television
Viola Davis received critical acclaim for her role as Annalise Keating in How To Get Away With Murder. She also won the Primetime Emmy Award regarding this role. https://www.emmys.com/bios/viola-davis -
Indiana University Award
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Indiana University awarded Davis with an Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. Her success and significant has led to this event happening. https://honorsandawards.iu.edu/awards/honoree/9349.html -
Memoir
In April of 2022, Viola Davis writes a memoir called "Finding Me" exploring her childhood. It takes a deeper look in her childhood poverty, journey in Hollywood, and the importance of one's true self. https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/finding-me-en#:~:text=Brief%20summary,she%20learned%20along%20the%20way. -
Qoute
“I now understand that life, and living it, is more about being present. I’m now aware that the not-so-happy memories lie in wait; but the hope and the joy also lie in wait.”
- Viola Davis- Finding Me