Viola Davis

Viola Davis (born August 11, 1965) is an American actress. Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II (2001). She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the 2010 production of Fences. She won a second Drama Desk Award for Intimate Apparel (2004).
Her films include Traffic (2000), Antwone Fisher (2002), and Solaris (2002). Her eight-minute-long performance in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's Doubt (2008) garnered several honors, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Viola Davis Interview


Viola Davis Tackles Fear, Shines In 'Doubt'


Viola Davis" "Meryl Streep Doubt clip"


Viola Davis - Best Actress in a Play (2010 Tony Awards)


Denzel Washington and Viola Davis in 'Fences'

Emma Stone & Viola Davis Talk 'The Help'




Early life

Davis was born on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina, the daughter of Mary and Dan Davis.[1][2] Her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island when she was two months old.
Viola Davis credits in part her involvement in the arts at her Alma mater, Central Falls High school for her love of stage acting.[3]
Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the college.[4] Her involvements in Upward Bound and Student Support Services were important steps in her academic and social development.[5] As a teenager, Davis's talent was recognized by Bernard Masterson when, as director of Young People's School for the Performing Arts in Rhode Island, he awarded Davis a scholarship into that program.[citation needed]
She also attended the Juilliard School for four years, characterizing the experience as a "hot mess":[2]
[edit]Career

In 2001, she was awarded the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Tonya in King Hedley II, a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy."[6] She has also received two Drama Desk Awards, for her work in King Hedley II and, in 2004, for her work in an off-Broadway production of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage.[citation needed]
Davis appears in numerous films, including three films directed by Steven Soderbergh - Out of Sight, Solaris and Traffic, as well as Syriana, which Soderbergh produced. Viola is also the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the first scene in Ocean's Eleven.[citation needed] She also gave brief performances in the films Kate & Leopold and Antwone Fisher. Her television work includes a recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; a starring role in the short-lived Traveler;[citation needed] and a special guest appearance in "Badge", a Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode.
In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaption to the Broadway play, Doubt with Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. She was nominated for several awards for this performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.[citation needed]
On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[citation needed]
On June 13, 2010, Davis won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson's Fences.[citation needed] She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after Phylicia Rashād.
Davis played the role of Dr. Minerva in It's Kind of a Funny Story, a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden with Ryan Fleck, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini.[7]
[edit]Personal life

Davis has been married to actor Julius Tennon since June 2003. They have two children from Tennon's previous relationships.[8]
[edit]Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1996 The Substance of Fire Nurse
1998 Out of Sight Moselle
2000 Traffic Social Worker
2001 The Shrink Is In Robin
2001 Kate & Leopold Policewoman
2002 Far from Heaven Sybil
2002 Antwone Fisher Eva May Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female
2002 Solaris Gordon Nominated — Black Reel Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
2005 Get Rich or Die Tryin' Grandma
2005 Syriana CIA Chairwoman uncredited
2006 The Architect Tonya Neely
2006 World Trade Center Mother in hospital
2007 Disturbia Detective Parker
2008 Nights in Rodanthe Jean
2008 Doubt Mrs. Miller
African American Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
National Board of Review of Motion Pictures Award for Breakthrough Performance by an Actress
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
Nominated — Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture
Nominated — Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role - Motion Picture
Nominated — Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
2009 Madea Goes to Jail Ellen
2009 State of Play Dr. Judith Franklin
2009 Law Abiding Citizen Mayor April Henry
2010 Knight & Day Director George
2010 Eat Pray Love Delia Nominated - Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress
2010 It's Kind of a Funny Story Dr. Minerva
2010 Trust Gail Friedman
2011 The Help Aibileen Clark
2011 Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
[edit]Television

Year Title Role Notes
1996 NYPD Blue Woman Episode: "Moby Greg"
1996 New York Undercover Mrs. Stapleton Episode: "Smack is Back"
1998 The Pentagon Wars Platoon Sgt. Fanning
1998 Grace & Glorie Rosemary Allbright
2000 Judging Amy Celeste Episode: "Blast from the Past"
2000 City of Angels Nurse Lynnette Peeler 19 episodes
2001 Amy & Isabelle Dottie
2001 Providence Dr. Eleanor Weiss Episode: "You Can Count On Me"
2001 The Guardian Episode: "The Men from the Boys"
2001 Third Watch Margo Rodriguez Episode: "Act Brave"
2002 Father Lefty
2002 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Terry Randolph Episode: "Badge"
2002 The Division Dr. Georgia Davis Episode: "Remembrance"
2002 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Attorney Campbell Episode: "The Execution of Catherine Willows"
2003 Hack Stevie Morgan Episode: "Third Strike"
2003 The Practice Aisha Crenshaw Episode: "We the People"
2004 Century City Hannah Crane 9 episodes
2005 Jesse Stone: Stone Cold Molly Crane
2005 Threshold Victoria Rossi Episode: "Shock"
2006 Jesse Stone: Night Passage Molly Crane
2006 Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise Molly Crane
2006 Without a Trace Audrey Williams Episode: "White Balance"
2006 Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story Diane Barrino
2007 Fort Pit
2007 Jesse Stone: Sea Change Molly Crane
2007 Traveler Agent Jan Marlow 8 episodes
2008 Brothers & Sisters Ellen Snyder Episode: "Double Negative"
2008 The Andromeda Strain Dr. Charlene Barton
2003–08 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Donna Emmett 7 episodes from 2003 until 2008
2009 United States of Tara Lynda P Frazier Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
[edit]Theatre Credits

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Seven Guitars Vera Broadway
Mar 28, 1996 - Sep 8, 1996
Theatre World Award
Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Nominated - Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
1997 God's Heart Eleanor Off Broadway
1998 Pericles 2nd Fisherman/Lychorida/Bawd Off Broadway
1999 Everybody's Ruby Ruby McCollum Off Broadway
Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
The Vagina Monologues Performer (Replacement) Off Broadway
2001 King Hedley II Tonya Broadway
May 1, 2001 - Jul 1, 2001
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play
2004 Intimate Apparel Esther Off Broadway
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play
2010 Fences Rose Broadway Revival
Apr 26, 2010 - Jul 11, 2010
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play

Reference from Wikipedia.com