Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in Saint Matthews, SC. She and her family eventually moved to Central Falls, RI where she grew up. Her father worked as a horse groom, and her mother worked domestic and factory jobs. 

She began acting in high school and continued at Rhode Island College, eventually earning a degree in theatre in 1988. After graduation, she continued her education at the famed Juilliard School of Performing Arts in New York City. Her Broadway debut came when she starred in August Wilson's tragic comedy Seven Guitars in 1996.

She began starring in small roles on TV, including that of a serial killer on Law & Order, for which she received criticism among the African American community. In 2008, however, she starred in Doubt, proving that she could hold her own against big Hollywood stars.

She then returned to Broadway to star opposite Denzel Washington, for which they both won Tony Awards. She would later appear in the 2016 film version.

One of her most notable works came in the form of a domestic worker, similar to the ones her mother worked,  in The Help. In the film, Davis plays Aibileen, a maid who is interviewed by a young White writer named Skeeter for a book that aims to shed light on “the help” and the people that they work for. The role brought her significant praise, although she would later come to regret participation in the film.

In 2014, Davis started playing Professor Annalise Keating in How to Get Away With Murder. The role would win her an Emmy in 2015, making her the first African American actress to win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Her acceptance speech went viral stating, "The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity. You cannot win an Emmy for roles that are simply not there. So here’s to all the writers, the awesome people that are Ben Sherwood, Paul Lee, Peter Nowalk, Shonda Rhimes, people who have redefined what it means to be beautiful, to be sexy, to be a leading woman, to be Black, and to the Taraji P. Hensons, the Kerry Washingtons, the Halle Berrys, the Nicole Beharies, the Meagan Goods, to Gabrielle Union: Thank you for taking us over that line. Thank you to the Television Academy."

Viola Davis has been known to add a structured and regal perspective to all of her roles. She also started to produce works in addition to acting. As of today, Viola Davis has been nominated for a total of 309 awards and has won an impressive total of 139.

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Biography

 Kassidy Garland has had a great appreciation for reading and writing since she was young. She graduated from West Chester University in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English & Women and Gender Studies. With a concentration in creative writing, Kassidy has 5 years of experience writing blogs, articles, and for social media. Kassidy is also pursuing a Master’s degree in IT with a concentration in Web Development. Based out of Philadelphia, Kassidy loves to write about a number of topics and looks forward to sharing her passion with those at FunTimes Magazine. 

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