Origins & Early Life

Viola Davis ( vy-OH-lə; born August 11, 1965) 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).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Davis received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globe awards in 2025. A graduate of Juilliard, Davis began her career in Central Falls, Rhode Island, appearing in small stage productions. She made her Broadway debut in the August Wilson play Seven Guitars (1996) for which she earned her first Tony nomination. She would later win two Tony Awards, both for Wilson plays.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Her first win was for Best Featured Actress in a Play playing the character Tonya, a woman grappling with trauma and loss in King Hedley II (2001), followed by her second win for Best Actress in a Play playing Rose Maxson, a working class mother in Fences (2010). She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for reprising her role in the 2016 film adaptation of Fences. She was Oscar-nominated for playing a complex mother in Doubt (2008), a 1960s housemaid in The Help (2011...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Albert Schweitzer — Contemporary (Died in 1965) (1965): German polymath renowned for theology, music, and 'Reverence for Life'
• Bashar al-Assad — Contemporary (Born in 1965) (1965): Former President of Syria, known for his authoritarian rule and role in the Syrian Civil War.
• Ben Stiller — Contemporary (Born in 1965) (1965): Versatile American actor, comedian, and filmmaker known for sharp wit and slapstick humor.
• Alex Haley — Shared historical date (08-11 · Born) (1921): Pioneering author of 'Roots,' who brought Black American genealogy to global prominence.
• Andrew Carnegie — Shared historical date (08-11 · Died) (1919): Scottish-American industrialist who pioneered the American steel industry and became a major philanthropist.
• Björk — Historical peer (Born in 1965) (1965): Icelandic pioneer celebrated for her eclectic voice and boundary-pushing musical artistry.
• Charlie Sheen — Historical peer (Born in 1965) (1965): American actor known for roles in film and television, achieving significant stardom.
• Adam Yauch — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Founding member of Beastie Boys; influential rapper, filmmaker, and Tibetan activist.
• Alfred F. Young — Historical peer (Died in 2012) (2012): Pioneering American historian of the Revolution and working-class social history.
• Alexei Abrikosov (physicist) — Historical peer (Died in 2017) (2017): Pioneering theoretical physicist known for low-temperature condensed matter physics.
• 1965 Historical Timeline & Archive — Explore world events and figures from 1965
• August 11 (08-11) On This Day — Historical birthdays and events on August 11