# Viola Davis

Viola Davis is an American actress and producer born in 1965 in St. Matthews, South Carolina. EGOT winner with an Oscar for Fences, Emmys for How to Get Away with Murder, and Grammy for audiobook. Known for The Help, Doubt, Suicide Squad, and The Woman King.

## Quick Facts

- **Born:** August 11, 1965
- **Birthplace:** St. Matthews, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Occupation:** stage actor
- **Category:** Movies & TV

## Overview

Viola Davis is an American actress and film producer. Her accolades include both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2017. The New York Times ranked her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century (2020). Davis received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2025.

## Wikipedia Context

This profile section is complemented from Wikipedia for Viola Davis. American actress and producer (born 1965)

## Sources

Primary source page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_Davis

## Timeline

### 1965 — Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in St
Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in St

### 1965 — Birth
Birth of Viola Davis.

### 1988 — After graduating from high school, Davis studied at Rhode Island College,...
After graduating from high school, Davis studied at Rhode Island College, majoring in theater and participating in the National Student Exchange before graduating in 1988

### 1989 — Next, she attended the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City for...
Next, she attended the Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City for four years, and was a member of the school's Drama Division "Group 22" (1989–93)

### 1992 — Early work and breakthrough on stage (1992–1999) In 1992, Davis starred in her...
Early work and breakthrough on stage (1992–1999) In 1992, Davis starred in her first professional stage role, an off Broadway production of William Shakespeare's comedy As You Like It as Denis alongside Elizabeth McGovern at the Delacorte Theatre

### 1996 — That same year, Davis received her Screen Actors Guild card in 1996 for doing...
That same year, Davis received her Screen Actors Guild card in 1996 for doing one day of work, playing a nurse who passes a vial of blood to future How to Get Away with Murder co-star Timothy Hutton in the film The Substance of Fire (1996)

### 1998 — In 1998, she played a small role in Steven Soderbergh's crime comedy film Out...
In 1998, she played a small role in Steven Soderbergh's crime comedy film Out of Sight (1999)

### 2000 — Film breakthrough and further stage success (2000–2010) In 2001, she returned...
Film breakthrough and further stage success (2000–2010) In 2001, she returned to the Broadway stage in another play by August Wilson titled King Hedley II, portraying Tonya, a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy." Her performance earned critical attention, and 

### 2001 — Hers was the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions...
Hers was the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (Clooney) in the first scene in Ocean's Eleven (2001)

### 2026 — Wikipedia Complement
Profile metadata and editorial blocks were complemented using Wikipedia and Wikidata references.

### 2026 — Profile Update
Structured profile components were updated to improve completeness.

## Quotes

> "Profile note: Viola Davis was complemented using Wikipedia reference material."
> — Viola Davis, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Editorial note: This block stores profile notes and source context, not attributed quotations."
> — Viola Davis, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

> "Source note: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola_Davis"
> — Viola Davis, Peoplebio editorial note (2026)

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Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/viola-davis