Viola Davis: from poor childhood to EGOT status

The talented American actress, Viola Davis, lived an incredible story of personal and professional overcoming. From a very poor background, she was considered, by Time magazine, one of the 100 most influential people on the planet, in 2012 and in 2017.

In 2023, she even reached the level of 'EGOT' that only very few stars in the entertainment industry achieve. It's like winning all Grand Slams in tennis. Viola Davis has won the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards.

In addition to being a wonderful artist, Viola fights for the rights of black women and gives them much-needed representation in the film and entertainment industry.

Davis was born on August 11, 1965, on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina. She is the second youngest of six children.

When she was just two months old, her family left country life and moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island. There, her mother, Alice, worked as a maid, factory worker, and housewife. Her father, Dan Davis, was a horse trainer.

Viola's childhood was extremely difficult. In several interviews, the actress described that she lived in conditions of extreme poverty. She even lived in rat-infested apartments.

(In the photo, Davis with her daughter Genesis Tennon)

On the Brazilian TV show, 'Entrevista com Pedro Bial', Viola revealed that she was extremely shy and anxious. She said that it was really amazing that she was there on that day, thinking back on her past.

Viola found in the world of theater an opportunity to live with other characters and to invent other worlds. As a child, she played acting with her sister.

It was in high school, as a teenager, that Viola found her true passion for acting. Her talent was recognized by Bernard Masterson, director of the School of Performing Arts for Young People in Massachusetts. He offered her a scholarship to do theater over the summer break. Viola was only 15 years old.

After finishing college in 1988, determined to pursue her dream, Viola moved to New York to study at the famous Juilliard School of Arts. While there, she starred in her first professional stage role: an Off-Broadway production of William Shakespeare's 'As You Like It' at the Delacorte Theatre.

In 1996, Viola made her Broadway debut as Vera Dotson in 'Seven Guitars' opposite Keith David. In addition to being highly praised for her performance, she received her first Tony Award nomination.

Her first film appearance was in 1996, in the drama 'The Substance of Fire', where she played a nurse, alongside Tony Goldwyn and Timothy Hutton. Despite a lot of work, Viola still hadn't received the recognition on screen that she deserved.

Years later, in 2001, came her first prominent roles, in the films 'Kate & Leopold' (2001), in which she co-starred with Hugh Jackman and Meg Ryan, and 'Far from Heaven' (2002). She also participated in the television series, 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit', on NBC.

But she never left the theater. So much so that, in 2001, she was awarded the Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress, for her performance in the play 'King Hedley II', as a 35-year-old mother who fights for the right to have an abortion.

In 2008, Davis starred as Mrs. Miller, in the film adaptation of the Broadway play, Doubt, opposite Meryl Streep (pictured), Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Amy Adams. With this work, she was nominated for several awards, including the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Her career continued to grow. More and more, the actress demonstrated that she would be an icon in the world of acting. Versatile, she knows how to act wonderfully in theater, cinema, and television.

Viola won her first television award with the drama series, 'How to Get Away With Murder'. Thus, she entered history as the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series.

In 2016, her career was definitely consecrated. With the American film, directed by Denzel Washington, 'Fences', Viola Davis reached the top awards: Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, and SAG: Best Supporting Actress stole the scene from the year!

Undoubtedly, Viola was born to shine. In January 2017, she received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and in March, she was named Artist of the Year by Harvard University.

Viola is one of the most important current artists of today. In addition to her career as an actress, she fights for the representation of black women in leadership roles, protagonism, and success.

Viola wrote a book about her overcoming story, which was published in the USA in July 2022. On The View program, she defined her work as an attempt to find meaning in life, to tell everyone who she really is.

"After reading the first paragraph, I knew this was a book I wanted to share with the world," host Oprah Winfrey (photo) said in a statement. In 'Finding Me', the original title, Viola tells her life story, in first person.

And it's the book that gave Viola Davis EGOT status. She already had an Oscar, an Emmy, and two Tony Awards. And then, in 2023, she also got a Grammy for reading her audiobook 'Finding Me'. As NPR states, Davis is "only the third Black woman to claim EGOT status and the 18th person to receive the honor overall."

When making her 2022 film, 'The Woman King', she told Pedro Bial that Black women can star in a worldwide box office success. She also said that a box office success doesn't need a white man or woman in the narrative.

In the same interview, Viola talks about the importance of black representation in cinema. She reveals that she has heard from spectators of color that, through her roles, they feel valued and represented.

'The Woman King' broke box office records in the US. According to Variety magazine, it grossed $19 million in its first weekend alone. According to The New York Times "the historical drama, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, and starring Viola Davis, did at least 25% better than analysts expected".

She's not only successful in her professional career. Viola Davis married fellow actor Julius Tennon in 2003. Since then, whenever he can, he accompanies her in her busy schedule!

Viola and Julius have a daughter, born in 2010, named Genesis Tennon. She has been part of the family since 2011 when she was adopted.

Viola Davis is one of the most celebrated black actresses today. In her speeches and interviews, she always makes a point of reminding us how the world could be a better place. She's a big asset for Hollywood and we will certainly hear more from her!