From humble beginnings, actress Viola Davis, the second of six children, worked her way up through abject poverty and dozens of bit parts in movies and TV, some of them uncredited (like “unnamed CIA Chairwoman” in Syriana), to become one of Hollywood’s most distinguished and sought after actresses. Born August 11, 1965 on her grandmother’s farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina, Viola is now getting some very good roles.
Her mother, Mae Alice, was a maid, factory worker and homemaker, and her father was a horse trainer. When Viola was just two months old, the family moved to Central Falls, Rhode Island, where her love of acting began.
Probably best known for her portrayal of Aibileen Clark, a maid and nanny in Civil Rights era America during the early 1960s, in last year’s The Help, a role for which she has been nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award, and also for her performance as Mrs. Muller in 2008’s Doubt, Viola says she was a freshman in high school when she first saw acting as her way out of poverty.
A representative from The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York had visited her school, and when he asked how many of the students wanted to become actors, Viola and every one of her classmates raised their hand. Then, as the man explained how difficult the life of an actor could be, and the hardships that struggling actors often face, half of the hands went down, then more of them, until Viola’s was the only hand still raised.
“When you haven’t had enough to eat,” she says of that moment, “when your electricity and heat is cut off, you’re not afraid anymore when someone tells you life is going to be hard. The fear factor was minimized for me. My dreams were bigger than the fear.”
Lucky for us, she found her niche. 🙂
I love the idea of dreaming bigger than the fear. I think I’ll have to add that into my rotation of daily mantras.
Good luck at the Oscars, V!
Loading ...Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
i loved her as Aibileen in The Help. 🙂
Hi Nina,
Me too! I’m rooting for her at the Oscars this weekend.
Happy hump day.
She lovely in all the pictures, but some of hairstyles look like wigs (or maybe they are?). I like number 7!
They all are! She recently did a shoot for LA Times Mag. with her natural hair: http://www.tomandlorenzo.com/2012/02/viola-davis-for-la-times-magazine.html. Love her!
Hi, Jennifer. Thank you for the link to this shoot. She looks so happy in these pics.
Isn’t Viola wonderful? I have not see The Help, but love her. There are a couple of shorts of her with natural hair that are fantastic too! I think she was recently on the cover of the LA Times mag with natural hair.
Hi Ava,
She is. I’m glad she’s finally getting some powerhouse roles. I listened to her talk about her start in the business in a really interesting interview on NPR last week. She’s been in more than 50 shows and movies, but most of the parts were very small. Not anymore, though.
I love 6, and she looked beautiful wearing her natural hair in an LA times article (I believe that was the source)
Thanks for posting! I love Viola!
She rocks out loud! *throws glitta*
Haha! JenJ, I’m gonna borrow that: *throws glitta*. 🙂 Thanks in advance.
I adore Viola. She can do no wrong in my eyes. I am loving her #2 look. It looks more natural.
-Shakiyla
I love me some Viola Davis, she is so smart and classy and a stunning actor to boot BUT what is up with those lacefronts gurlfraynd??! Their all rather horrendous-her natural hair looks soooo much better imo.
I voted number 7, but I loved number 6, too. 🙂 She’s beautiful either way!
I think all those wigs and weaves do her no justice. They age her and just don’t work well with her beautiful face.
Her natural hair is gorgeous and just suits her so much better.
It was a toss up between 1 and 6 for me, but #1 won!
I hope she wins the Oscar too, another strong amazing woman i knew is named Viola,
She was my grandmother and would’ve been 89 today. I have a tattoo on my wrist “Vi” so I remember her everyday. Happy Birthday.
i LOVE her natural hair and had unknowingly mimicked that exact same style and color!