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IMDbPro

Viola Davis(I)

  • Actress
  • Producer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterTop 500159
Viola Davis at an event for Suicide Squad (2016)
Award-winning actress Viola Davis, known for her dramatic performances in 'Doubt,' 'The Help,' 'Fences,' and 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom,' stars in the period action film 'The Woman King.' "No Small Parts" takes a look at her eclectic acting career.
Play clip4:01
The Rise of Viola Davis
99+ Videos
99+ Photos
Viola Davis is a critically revered actress of film, television, and theater and has won rave reviews for her multitude of substantial and intriguingly diverse roles. Audiences across the United States and internationally have admired her for her work- including her celebrated, Oscar-nominated performances in The Help (2011), Doubt (2008), and her Oscar winning performance in Fences (2016). In 2015, Davis won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series for her work in ABC's How To Get Away With Murder, making her the first black woman in history to take home the award. In addition to acting, Viola currently produces alongside her husband and producing partner, Julius Tennon, through their JuVee Productions banner. Together they have produced award-garnering productions across theater, television, and film.
BornAugust 11, 1965
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 11, 1965
IMDbProStarmeterTop 500159
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Won 1 Oscar
    • 116 wins & 230 nominations total

Photos828

Viola Davis in Air (2023)
Matt Damon and Viola Davis in Air (2023)
Viola Davis and John Boyega in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, and Sheila Atim in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
Viola Davis and O-T Fagbenle in The First Lady (2022)
Viola Davis in Dear... (2020)
Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain in The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them (2014)

Known for

Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard, Octavia Spencer, and Emma Stone in The Help (2011)
The Help
8.1
  • Aibileen Clark
  • 2011
Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences (2016)
Fences
7.2
  • Rose Maxson
  • 2016
Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
The Woman King
6.8
  • Nanisca
  • 2022
Will Smith, Jared Leto, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Adam Beach, Viola Davis, Jay Hernandez, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, Margot Robbie, Cara Delevingne, and Karen Fukuhara in Suicide Squad (2016)
Suicide Squad
5.9
  • Amanda Waller
  • 2016

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
    • Dr. Volumnia Gaul
    • Post-production
    • 2023
  • Operation Othello
    • Narrator
    • Completed
    • TV Movie
  • Waller
    • Amanda Waller
    • Pre-production
    • TV Series
  • Creature Commandos
    • Amanda Waller
    • In Development
    • TV Series
  • Untitled Harriet Tubman Project
    • Harriet Tubman
    • In Development
  • I Almost Forgot About You
    • Pre-production
  • Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Chris Tucker, Jason Bateman, and Viola Davis in Air (2023)
    Air
    • Deloris Jordan
    • 2023
  • Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Shahi, Noah Centineo, Bodhi Sabongui, and Quintessa Swindell in Black Adam (2022)
    Black Adam
    • Amanda Waller (uncredited)
    • 2022
  • Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
    The Woman King
    • Nanisca
    • 2022
  • Gillian Anderson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Viola Davis in The First Lady (2022)
    The First Lady
    • Michelle Obama
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Steve Agee, Dee Bradley Baker, Chukwudi Iwuji, John Cena, Jennifer Holland, Freddie Stroma, and Danielle Brooks in Peacemaker (2022)
    Peacemaker
    • Amanda Waller (uncredited)
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Sandra Bullock in The Unforgivable (2021)
    The Unforgivable
    • Liz Ingram
    • 2021
  • Sylvester Stallone, Peter Capaldi, Pete Davidson, Idris Elba, Nathan Fillion, Sean Gunn, Michael Rooker, John Cena, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney, David Dastmalchian, Flula Borg, Margot Robbie, Mayling Ng, and Daniela Melchior in The Suicide Squad (2021)
    The Suicide Squad
    • Amanda Waller
    • 2021
  • Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
    Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
    • Ma Rainey
    • 2020
  • Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder (2014)
    How to Get Away with Murder
    • Annalise Keating
    • TV Series
    • 2014–2020
  • Live in Front of a Studio Audience
    • Florida Evans
    • TV Series
    • 2019
  • Allison Janney, Viola Davis, Mike Epps, Jim Gaffigan, Mckenna Grace, Bella Higginbotham, Charlie Shotwell, Johanna Colón, and Milan in Troop Zero (2019)
    Troop Zero
    • Miss Rayleen
    • 2019
  • Robert Duvall, Liam Neeson, Viola Davis, Colin Farrell, Michelle Rodriguez, Daniel Kaluuya, Brian Tyree Henry, Elizabeth Debicki, and Cynthia Erivo in Widows (2018)
    Widows
    • Veronica
    • 2018
  • Kerry Washington in Scandal (2012)
    Scandal
    • Annalise Keating
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Elaine Kao, Cedric Sanders, Diarra Kilpatrick, and Miles Orion Feldsott in American Koko (2017)
    American Koko
    • Narrator
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences (2016)
    Fences
    • Rose Maxson
    • 2016

Producer

  • Operation Othello
    • executive producer
    • Completed
    • TV Movie
  • The Color of Cola
    • executive producer
    • In Production
  • Waller
    • executive producer
    • Pre-production
    • TV Series
  • Sonata
    • producer
    • In Development
  • I'm Your Man
    • executive producer
    • Pre-production
  • I Almost Forgot About You
    • producer
    • Pre-production
  • Hanging By A Thread
    • executive producer
    • Pre-production
  • Viola Davis, Lashana Lynch, John Boyega, Sheila Atim, and Thuso Mbedu in The Woman King (2022)
    The Woman King
    • producer (produced by, p.g.a.)
    • 2022
  • Iago: The Green Eyed Monster (2022)
    Iago: The Green Eyed Monster
    • executive producer
    • Short
    • 2022
  • Hungry for Answers (2022)
    Hungry for Answers
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Gillian Anderson, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Viola Davis in The First Lady (2022)
    The First Lady
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Viola Davis in How to Get Away with Murder (2014)
    How to Get Away with Murder
    • producer
    • TV Series
    • 2016–2020
  • Giving Voice (2020)
    Giving Voice
    • executive producer
    • 2020
  • Emanuel (2019)
    Emanuel
    • executive producer
    • 2019
  • Allison Janney, Viola Davis, Mike Epps, Jim Gaffigan, Mckenna Grace, Bella Higginbotham, Charlie Shotwell, Johanna Colón, and Milan in Troop Zero (2019)
    Troop Zero
    • producer
    • 2019
  • The Last Defense (2018)
    The Last Defense
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2018
  • Two Sides (2018)
    Two Sides
    • executive producer
    • TV Mini Series
    • 2018
  • XQ Super School Live (2017)
    XQ Super School Live
    • executive producer
    • TV Movie
    • 2017
  • Elaine Kao, Cedric Sanders, Diarra Kilpatrick, and Miles Orion Feldsott in American Koko (2017)
    American Koko
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • Emerging Artist Series
    • executive producer
    • TV Series
    • 2017
  • Night Shift (2017)
    Night Shift
    • executive producer
    • Short
    • 2017
  • Viola Davis, Hayden Panettiere, and Catalina Sandino Moreno in Custody (2016)
    Custody
    • executive producer
    • 2016

Soundtrack

  • Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in Fences (2016)
    Fences
    • performer: "Jesus Be A Fence Around Me"
    • 2016
  • Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story (2006)
    Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
    • performer: "Almighty God"
    • TV Movie
    • 2006
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos126

Why 'The Woman King' Stunts Had to Be 90 to 100% Real
Clip 3:23
Why 'The Woman King' Stunts Had to Be 90 to 100% Real
The Rise of Viola Davis
Clip 4:01
The Rise of Viola Davis
Viola Davis | Career Retrospective
Clip 2:02
Viola Davis | Career Retrospective
Viola Davis Reflects on Chadwick Boseman's Unapologetic Authenticity
Clip 1:42
Viola Davis Reflects on Chadwick Boseman's Unapologetic Authenticity
Viola Davis Shares the Importance of Unfiltered Black Characters in 'Ma Rainey'
Clip 1:54
Viola Davis Shares the Importance of Unfiltered Black Characters in 'Ma Rainey'
The Most Anticipated Movies and TV Shows to Stream in December
Clip 3:16
The Most Anticipated Movies and TV Shows to Stream in December
DC Winter Round-Up: Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash
Clip 3:30
DC Winter Round-Up: Wonder Woman, Batman, The Flash
'Troop Zero' Star Viola Davis Reveals Her Dream Role
Clip 2:11
'Troop Zero' Star Viola Davis Reveals Her Dream Role
Spotlighting Sundance 2019's Women Directors
Clip 3:36
Spotlighting Sundance 2019's Women Directors
IMDbrief: Golden Globes 2019 Snubs & Surprises
Clip 2:51
IMDbrief: Golden Globes 2019 Snubs & Surprises
Women of 'Widows' Find Surprising Cast Connections
Clip 3:58
Women of 'Widows' Find Surprising Cast Connections
How 'Widows' Captures Chicago's Criminal Element
Clip 1:38
How 'Widows' Captures Chicago's Criminal Element

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
  • Height
    • 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
  • Born
    • August 11, 1965
    • St. Matthews, South Carolina, USA
  • Spouse
    • Julius TennonJune 23, 2003 - present (1 child)
  • Children
    • Child
  • Parents
      Mary Alice Logan
  • Other works
    Received a 1999 Obie Award for her performance in the Off-Broadway play "Everybody's Ruby".
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography
    • 4 Interviews
    • 11 Articles
    • 8 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Is one of three African-American actresses (the other being Whoopi Goldberg and Angela Bassett) to be nominated for an Academy Award in both the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories.
  • Quotes
    We grew up in abject poverty. Acting, writing scripts and skits were a way of escaping our environment at a very young age.
  • Trademarks
      Her natural hair

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