Photo: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Viola Davis is simply the most complete actor working today — one of the very few people to pull off the Triple Crown of Acting (Oscar, Tony, Emmy), and she did it with the kind of raw, unguarded performances that make you forget you're watching acting at all. Growing up in poverty in South Carolina and grinding her way through Rhode Island College to Juilliard, she built every inch of that career on sheer talent and will. Her Emmy win for How to Get Away with Murder was a landmark moment, and her Oscar for Fences hit like a gut punch in the best possible way. What gets me is that she doesn't play it safe — she's never the "dignified" version of a role, she goes somewhere real and messy and true every single time. An absolute force.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Viola Davis
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴィオラ・デイヴィス
- Reading
- ゔぃおら・でいゔぃす
- Born
- August 11, 1965 (age 60)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Leo / Snake
- Origin
- St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States
- Occupation
- stage actor / film actor / television actor / television producer / actor
2. Background
- High school
- Central Falls High School
- University
- Rhode Island College
Awards & achievements
- 1996 Theatre World Award
- 2010 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play
- 2001 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
- 2017 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
- 2012 Crystal Award
- 2015 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
- Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Viola Davis born?
Born August 11, 1965 (age 60).
Where is Viola Davis from?
Viola Davis is from St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States.
What does Viola Davis do?
Viola Davis works as stage actor, film actor, television actor, television producer, actor.
Stage actor — see all → · Film actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.