Viola Davis at an event for The 67th Primetime Emmy Awards (2015)
Viola Davis made history when she became the first black actress to win the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama. Accepting the award for her performance in How to Get Away with Murder, she thanked other women of color, including fellow nominees Taraji P. Henson, Kerry Washington, and Halle Berry: “Thank you for taking us over that line,” Davis said.