Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Viola Davis
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
Viola Davis stands at a microphone in a white and black gown, holding her Emmy Award while accepting the outstanding lead actress in a drama series honor. Octavia Spencer and Viola Davis, dressed as maids, stand together in a kitchen smiling at each other in a scene from the film The Help (2011). Viola Davis as Rose Maxson stands outside in a checked dress and patterned apron, leaning on a railing next to a brick wall in a scene from the film Fences. Viola Davis as Ma Rainey passionately singing into a vintage microphone, with Chadwick Boseman and Colman Domingo playing brass instruments behind her in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Viola Davis as Nanisca, wearing armor and holding a weapon, sits beside John Boyega as King Ghezo in a blue robe in a scene from the film Woman King. Viola Davis, wearing a colorful necklace and bracelets, smiles while being interviewed by host Jimmy Fallon at his desk on The Tonight Show set with a New York City backdrop. Viola Davis, in period costume, sits at a vintage sewing machine working with fabric during a scene from the play Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage.
Quizzes
Empty movie theater and blank screen (theatre, motion pictures, cinema).
Oscar-Worthy Movie Trivia
USA 2006 - 78th Annual Academy Awards. Closeup of giant Oscar statue at the entrance of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Hompepage blog 2009, arts and entertainment, film movie hollywood
Pop Culture Quiz
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Britannica Websites
Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.
Viola Davis stands at a microphone in a white and black gown, holding her Emmy Award while accepting the outstanding lead actress in a drama series honor.
Viola Davis: Emmy Award, 2015 Viola Davis accepting an Emmy Award for her work in the TV series How to Get Away with Murder, 2015.

Viola Davis

American actress
Written by
Richard Pallardy
Richard Pallardy received a B.A. in English from Illinois State University in 2005. He was a research editor with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. from 2008 to 2016 and worked on Britannica Blog from 2010...
Richard Pallardy
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965, Saint Matthews, South Carolina, U.S.) is an American actress known for her precise, controlled performances and her regal presence. She accomplished the rare feat of winning the four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). Davis was raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where her father found work as a horse groom at nearby racetracks and her mother took on domestic and factory jobs. Their...

Discover the world with Britannica

Subscribe to Continue Reading

Free Trial | No Ads | Exclusive Content
Explore Subscriptions
DNA
Right
Mobile