Arts & Culture

Viola Davis

Born August 11, 1965 · St. Matthews, South Carolina

The first Black woman to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting — an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony — Viola Davis has brought a ferocious, unforgettable power to every role and shattered every ceiling in her path.

Known For

EGOT winner

Oscar

Fences (2017)

Legacy

Most nominated Black actress in Oscar history

Viola Davis was born on a former plantation in St. Matthews, South Carolina and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, in poverty so severe that she sometimes ate from dumpsters. She found her escape in acting, earning a scholarship to Rhode Island College and later attending Juilliard.

After years of struggling for meaningful roles in an industry that offered few to Black women, Davis broke through on Broadway, winning Tony Awards for King Hedley II and Fences. She earned her first Oscar nomination for Doubt (2008) and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fences (2017).

Her starring role in How to Get Away with Murder made her the first Black woman to win the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama Series. She has become the most nominated Black actress in Academy Award history and achieved EGOT status (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony). Through her production company JuVee Productions, she is developing stories that center Black women and underrepresented communities.