Viola Davis

Viola Davis is an American actress and film producer. She is known for her powerful performances across stage and screen, and has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards, achieving EGOT status. Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina, and grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island. She studied theater at Rhode Island College and later at the Juilliard School. Davis began her acting career in regional theater and made her Broadway debut in 1996. She gained widespread recognition for her role in the film 'Doubt' (2008), followed by acclaimed performances in 'The Help' (2011) and 'Fences' (2016), for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. On television, she made history as the first African American woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role in 'How to Get Away with Murder.' Davis is also a producer and co-founder of JuVee Productions, and an advocate for social justice and equality for women of color.