Viola Davis

Viola Davis is an American actor and producer known for her work across theater, film, and television. She has won Tony, Emmy, Academy, and Grammy awards and is the CEO and co-founder of JuVee Productions.

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About Viola Davis

Profile information current to 2026-08-22.

United States · Actor, Producer, Memoirist · 1 affiliation

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Known for: Theater performance; Film performance; Television performance; Film and television production; Memoir writing and spoken-word recording
Country: United States

Actor
Producer
Memoirist

At a glance

Davis has built a performing career spanning theater, film, and television.
Her Tony, Emmy, Academy, and Grammy wins place her among performers who have achieved EGOT status.
Her 2015 Emmy made her the first African American woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
As of August 2026, JuVee Productions listed Davis as its CEO and co-founder.
Davis published the memoir Finding Me in 2022 and won a Grammy for its spoken-word recording in 2023.

Education and training

Davis was born in St. Matthews, South Carolina, and has an August 11 birthday, according to the Television Academy. She earned an undergraduate degree in theater from Rhode Island College in 1988 and later graduated from the Juilliard School.

Stage and screen achievements

Davis won Tony Awards for King Hedley II in 2001 and Fences in 2010. In 2015, she won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for playing Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder, becoming the first African American woman to win that category. She received the Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for the film adaptation of Fences in 2017.

Production and writing

Davis and Julius Tennon founded JuVee Productions, where the company listed Davis as CEO and co-founder as of August 2026. Her work also extends to memoir: Finding Me was released in 2022, and its spoken-word recording earned her a Grammy in 2023, completing her set of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony wins.

Later recognition

The Television Academy inducted Davis into its Hall of Fame in 2025. In 2026, she received the Chairman's Award at the NAACP Image Awards.

Affiliations

JuVee Productions CEO and co-founder present

Timeline

1988 Earned an undergraduate theater degree from Rhode Island College.
2001 Won a Tony Award for Featured Actress in a Play for King Hedley II.
2010 Won a Tony Award for Actress in a Play for Fences.
2015 Won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for How to Get Away with Murder.
2017-02-26 Won the Academy Award for Actress in a Supporting Role for Fences at the 89th Academy Awards.
2022-04-26 Released the memoir Finding Me.
2023 Won a Grammy for Finding Me, completing EGOT status.
2025 Was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
2026 Received the NAACP Image Awards Chairman's Award.

Additional verified details

Current context

JuVee Productions lists Viola Davis as its CEO and co-founder. This is a company self-description and should be rechecked if the profile is used after the stated as-of date.

Biographical facts

The Television Academy identifies Davis's birthplace as St. Matthews, South Carolina, and lists her birthday as August 11.
Davis earned an undergraduate degree in theater from Rhode Island College in 1988.
The Television Academy describes Davis as a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Following her 2015 Emmy win, the Television Academy identified Davis as the first African American woman to win Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Davis has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards, including a 2023 Grammy for Finding Me in the spoken-word album category.
JuVee Productions states that it was founded by Davis and Julius Tennon.