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89th Annual Academy Awards - Press Room

Source: Frazer Harrison / Getty

Viola Davis is an American actress and producer who has become one of the most respected and acclaimed performers of her generation. Born in South Carolina in 1965, Davis grew up in poverty and experienced racism and discrimination from a young age. Despite the challenges she faced, she developed a love for acting and went on to study theater at Rhode Island College and the Juilliard School.

Davis began her acting career on stage, appearing in numerous productions on and off-Broadway, as well as in regional theaters across the United States. In 2008, she made her feature film debut in the drama “Doubt,” for which she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress.

Davis’ breakthrough role came in 2011, when she starred in the drama “The Help,” for which she received critical acclaim and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She later went on to star in a number of other films, including “Fences,” “Widows,” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

In addition to her film work, Davis has also become known for her work on television. She starred in the hit ABC series “How to Get Away with Murder,” for which she won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, and has also appeared in shows like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” and “United States of Tara.”

Throughout her career, Davis has been a vocal advocate for racial and gender equality, using her platform to speak out against racism and discrimination in Hollywood and beyond. She has also been a strong supporter of numerous charitable organizations, including Hunger Is, which aims to end childhood hunger in America.