Viola Davis is an American actress and producer. She won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for playing Rose Maxson in the revival of August Wilson’s play Fences. In 2014, Davis began playing lawyer Annalise Keating in the ABC television drama series How to Get Away with Murder and in 2015, she became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. In 2016, Davis played Amanda Waller in the superhero film Suicide Squad and reprised the role of Maxson in the film adaptation of Fences, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Birth Name
Viola Davis
Nickname
Davis
Profession
Actress
Nationality
American
Personal Life
Birthday / Date of Birth
Viola Davis was born on the 11th of August 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States.
Age
She’s currently 58 years old.
Sun Sign
Leo
Ethnicity
Black
Religion
Christianity
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. While 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. Graduation from high school, Davis studied at Rhode Island College, majoring in theater and graduating in 1988. Next, she attended the Juilliard School for four years and was a member of the school’s Drama Division Group 22 (1989–93).
Family Details
- Father – Dan Davis (Horse trainer)
- Mother – Mary Alice (Maid, factory worker, homemaker, a civil rights activist)
- Siblings – Five brothers and sisters
Marital Status
Married
Boyfriend / Spouse
Viola Davis has dated –
- Julius Tennon (2003-Present) – The American actor and producer, Julius Tennon is married to Viola Davis since 2003. In 2011, Davis and her husband adopted an infant daughter named her Genesis Tennon. Davis is stepmother to Tennon’s son and daughter from previous relationships.
Physical Statistics
Height
- In feet – 5 feet 5 inches
- In centimeters – 165 cm
- In meters – 1.65 m
Weight
- In Kilograms – 59 kg
- In Pounds – 130 lbs
Body Measurements
- Measurements – 37-28-36
- Bust – 37 inches
- Waist – 28 inches
- Hip – 36 inches
- Bra Size – 34C
Body Build
Athletic
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Shoe Size
She wears a size 7 (US) shoe.
Dress Size
Her dress size is 6 (US).
Sexuality
Straight
Professional Statistics
Famous For
Davis is best known for her leading role in the 2011 release The Help.
Stage Debut
In 1992, Viola has performed as Denise in As You Like It.
Film Debut
In 1996, Davis appeared in a small role of a nurse in the movie, The Substance of Fire.
Television Debut
In 1996, Viola has appeared in an anonymous role in the TV series NYPD Blue.
Brand Endorsements
In February 2017, she became a brand ambassador for CoverGirl.
Viola Davis Net worth
Viola Davis has a estimated net worth of $25 million dollars as of 2023.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – Viola Davis
- Instagram – violadavis
- Twitter – Viola Davis
Some Lesser Known Facts About Viola Davis
- Davis was born on the former Singleton plantation and is the fifth child of six children of her parents.
- In 1998, she played a small role in Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight.
- In 2001, she appeared as a mother who fights for the right to abort a pregnancy in the play King Hedley II. Davis was awarded the Tony Award for this Broadway play.
- In 2001, Viola won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play as well as the Drama Desk Award for the portrayal of her character Tonya in King Hedley II.
- In 2008, she played Mrs. Mueller in the film adaptation to the Broadway play Doubt, with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- 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.
- In 2011, she won two Screen Actors Guild Awards for The Help in the categories Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role and Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
- In 2012, Time magazine listed Davis as one of the most influential people in the world. Also in 2012, Glamour magazine named Davis Glamour’s Film Actress of the year.
- In June 12, 2012, Davis was presented with the Women in Film’s Crystal Award by her friend and Oscar rival that year, Meryl Streep.
- In 2014, she won Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for How to Get Away with Murder.
- In 2015, Davis appeared in Blackhat, a Michael Mann-directed thriller film starring Chris Hemsworth. Davis also served as executive-producer of the crime drama film Lila & Eve, starring herself and Jennifer Lopez in the titular roles.
- In 2015, she won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for Fences. The same year, she won, Emmy’s Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series Award for How to Get Away with Murder.
- In 2016, Davis starred in the courtroom drama Custody, on which she also served as an executive producer and played Amanda Waller in the film Suicide Squad, an adaptation of a DC Comics series of the same name.
- In 2016, she won the prestigious Oscar award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role for Fences. The same year, she received British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for the same role.
- In January 6, 2017, Davis was presented with the 2,597th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by her Doubt co-star and friend Meryl Streep.
- In September, 2017, Viola kick-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.
- In 2018, Davis donated funds to her alma mater, Central Falls High School, for its theater program.
- In 2018, she starred in the Steve McQueen directed heist thriller Widows, an adaptation of the popular 1983 British miniseries.
- In March 13, 2018, Davis shared the cover of the book on her Twitter account. The book was published by Penguin/Random House on September 4, 2018.
