Viola Davis
Encyclopedia
Viola Davis is an American actress.
Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
and a Drama Desk Award
for her role in King Hedley II
(2001). She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
for her role in the 2010 production of Fences. She won a second Drama Desk Award for Intimate Apparel
(2004). She recently acted as Aibileen Clark in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett
's book, The Help
. Her powerful performance is gaining her much critical acclaim as a dramatic actress.
Some of her notable films include Traffic
(2000), Antwone Fisher
(2002), Solaris
(2002) and The Help
(2011). Her eight-minute-long performance in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley
's Doubt
(2008) garnered several honors, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
.
when she was two months old. Davis has described herself as having "lived in abject poverty and dysfunction" during her childhood.
Davis credits in part her involvement in the arts at her Alma mater, Central Falls High School
, for her love of stage acting. Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College
, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the college. She was involved in the federal TRIO Upward Bound
and TRIO Student Support Services
programs. While Davis was a teenager, her talent was recognized by Bernard Masterson when, as director of Young People's School for the Performing Arts in Rhode Island, he awarded Davis a scholarship into that program.
She also attended the Juilliard School
for four years, characterizing the experience as a "hot mess".
for her portrayal of Tonya in King Hedley II
, a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy." She has also received two Drama Desk Award
s, for her work in King Hedley II and, in 2004, for her work in an off-Broadway
production of Intimate Apparel
by Lynn Nottage
.
Davis appears in numerous films, including three films directed by Steven Soderbergh
- Out of Sight
, Solaris
and Traffic
, as well as Syriana
, which Soderbergh produced. Viola is also the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the first scene in Ocean's Eleven
. She also gave brief performances in the films Kate & Leopold
and Antwone Fisher
. Her television work includes a recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
; a starring role in the short-lived Traveler
; and a special guest appearance in "Badge
", a Law & Order: Criminal Intent
episode.
In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaption to the Broadway
play, Doubt with Meryl Streep
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
, and Amy Adams
. She was nominated for several awards for this performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
.
On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
On June 13, 2010, Davis won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson
's Fences. She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after Phylicia Rashād
.
Davis played the role of Dr. Minerva in It's Kind of a Funny Story
, a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden
with Ryan Fleck
, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini
.
In August 2011, Davis joined Octavia Spencer
, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain
, and Bryce Dallas Howard
in DreamWorks
' production of The Help, in which she played the stalwart domestic, "Aibileen Clark." The film was directed by Tate Taylor, and produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus
, Michael Barnathan
, and Mark Radcliffe
. Her role has garnered her critical acclaim, and has started buzz for various awards nominations.
Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
This is a list of winners and nomination of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress. The award was first presented in 1947.-1940s:* 1947: Patricia Neal – Another Part of the Forest* 1949: Shirley Booth – Goodbye, My Fancy-1950s:...
and a Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for her role in King Hedley II
King Hedley II
King Hedley II is a play by American playwright August Wilson, the ninth in his ten-part series, The Pittsburgh Cycle. This is the ninth of the plays in Wilson's ten-play cycle, each from a different era...
(2001). She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
for her role in the 2010 production of Fences. She won a second Drama Desk Award for Intimate Apparel
Intimate Apparel
Intimate Apparel is a play written by Lynn Nottage. The play is a co-production and co-commission between Center Stage, Baltimore, Maryland, and South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California....
(2004). She recently acted as Aibileen Clark in the film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett
Kathryn Stockett
Kathryn Stockett is an American novelist. She is known for her 2009 debut novel, The Help, which is about African American maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the 1960s.-Career:...
's book, The Help
The Help
The Help is an American situation comedy television series which premiered on The WB on March 5, 2004. The show was a raunchy comedy that focused on the hard-lucked life of a beauty school dropout, who now must work for the wealthy and spoiled Ridgeway family. The rest of the hired help are also...
. Her powerful performance is gaining her much critical acclaim as a dramatic actress.
Some of her notable films include Traffic
Traffic (2000 film)
Traffic is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the...
(2000), Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher (film)
Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American drama film directed by Denzel Washington, marking his directorial debut. He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role , and ex-model Joy Bryant, as Fisher's girlfriend.The film is...
(2002), Solaris
Solaris (2002 film)
Solaris is a 2002 science fiction film and psychological drama directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney and Natascha McElhone...
(2002) and The Help
The Help (film)
The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s...
(2011). Her eight-minute-long performance in the film adaptation of John Patrick Shanley
John Patrick Shanley
John Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He also contributed articles on the performing arts to The New York Times among other publications.-Life and career:...
's Doubt
Doubt (play)
Doubt: A Parable is a 2004 play by John Patrick Shanley. Originally staged off-Broadway at the Manhattan Theatre Club on November 23, 2004, the production transferred to the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in March 2005 and closed on July 2, 2006 after 525 performances and 25 previews...
(2008) garnered several honors, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
.
Early life
Davis was born on her grandmother's farm in St. Matthews, South Carolina, the second youngest of six children. Her mother, Mae Alice, was a maid, factory worker, and homemaker, and her father, Dan Davis, was a horse trainer. Her family moved to Central Falls, Rhode IslandCentral Falls, Rhode Island
Central Falls is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 19,376 at the 2010 census. With an area of only , it is the smallest and most densely populated city in the smallest state, and the thirty-second most densely populated incorporated place in the United...
when she was two months old. Davis has described herself as having "lived in abject poverty and dysfunction" during her childhood.
Davis credits in part her involvement in the arts at her Alma mater, Central Falls High School
Central Falls High School
Central Falls High School is a high school in Central Falls, Rhode Island. It is a part of Central Falls School District.-History:In 2010 the school board voted to fire all of the teachers at the school...
, for her love of stage acting. Davis majored in theatre at Rhode Island College
Rhode Island College
Rhode Island College is a nationally ranked, coeducational, state-supported comprehensive college founded in 1854, located in Providence, Rhode Island, USA...
, graduating in 1988; in 2002 she received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from the college. She was involved in the federal TRIO Upward Bound
Upward Bound
Upward Bound is a federally funded educational program within the United States. The program is one of a cluster of programs referred to as TRIO, all of which owe their existence to the federal Higher Education Act of 1965. Upward Bound programs are implemented and monitored by the United States...
and TRIO Student Support Services
TRIO (program)
The Federal TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs in the United States designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are administered, funded, and implemented by the United States Department of Education...
programs. While Davis was a teenager, her talent was recognized by Bernard Masterson when, as director of Young People's School for the Performing Arts in Rhode Island, he awarded Davis a scholarship into that program.
She also attended the Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
for four years, characterizing the experience as a "hot mess".
Career
In 2001, she was awarded the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a PlayTony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
This is a list of winners and nomination of the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress. The award was first presented in 1947.-1940s:* 1947: Patricia Neal – Another Part of the Forest* 1949: Shirley Booth – Goodbye, My Fancy-1950s:...
for her portrayal of Tonya in King Hedley II
King Hedley II
King Hedley II is a play by American playwright August Wilson, the ninth in his ten-part series, The Pittsburgh Cycle. This is the ninth of the plays in Wilson's ten-play cycle, each from a different era...
, a "35-year-old mother fighting eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy." She has also received two Drama Desk Award
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
s, for her work in King Hedley II and, in 2004, for her work in an off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production of Intimate Apparel
Intimate Apparel
Intimate Apparel is a play written by Lynn Nottage. The play is a co-production and co-commission between Center Stage, Baltimore, Maryland, and South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California....
by Lynn Nottage
Lynn Nottage
Lynn Nottage is an American playwright whose work often deals with the lives of women of African descent, African Americans and women. She was born in Brooklyn and is a graduate of Brown University and the Yale School of Drama. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2005, and a MacArthur Genius...
.
Davis appears in numerous films, including three films directed by Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh
Steven Andrew Soderbergh is an American film producer, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, and an Academy Award-winning film director. He is best known for directing commercial Hollywood films like Erin Brockovich, Traffic, and the remake of Ocean's Eleven, but he has also directed smaller less...
- Out of Sight
Out of Sight
Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two...
, Solaris
Solaris (2002 film)
Solaris is a 2002 science fiction film and psychological drama directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney and Natascha McElhone...
and Traffic
Traffic (2000 film)
Traffic is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the...
, as well as Syriana
Syriana
Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil...
, which Soderbergh produced. Viola is also the uncredited voice of the parole board interrogator who questions Danny Ocean (George Clooney) in the first scene in Ocean's Eleven
Ocean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
. She also gave brief performances in the films Kate & Leopold
Kate & Leopold
Kate & Leopold is a 2001 romantic-comedy fantasy that tells a story of a duke who travels through time from New York in 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in the modern New York...
and Antwone Fisher
Antwone Fisher (film)
Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American drama film directed by Denzel Washington, marking his directorial debut. He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role , and ex-model Joy Bryant, as Fisher's girlfriend.The film is...
. Her television work includes a recurring role in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced...
; a starring role in the short-lived Traveler
Traveler (TV series)
Traveler is a short-lived American television series that ran from May 10, 2007 until July 18, 2007 on ABC in the United States. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television....
; and a special guest appearance in "Badge
Badge (Law & Order: Criminal Intent episode)
"Badge" is a first season episode of the television series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.-Plot summary:In this episode, Detectives Goren and Eames investigate the murder of a city auditor who appears to have killed his family and then himself....
", a Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama...
episode.
In 2008, Davis played Mrs. Miller in the film adaption to the Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
play, Doubt with Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
, and Amy Adams
Amy Adams
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theaters before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous...
. She was nominated for several awards for this performance, including a Golden Globe and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
.
On June 30, 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
On June 13, 2010, Davis won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
This is a list of the winners and nominations of Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. The award has been presented since 1947, and is for performance in new productions or revivals.-1940s:...
for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson
August Wilson
August Wilson was an American playwright whose work included a series of ten plays, The Pittsburgh Cycle, for which he received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama...
's Fences. She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after Phylicia Rashād
Phylicia Rashad
Phylicia Rashād is an American Tony Award winning actress and singer, best known for her role as Clair Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show....
.
Davis played the role of Dr. Minerva in It's Kind of a Funny Story
It's Kind of a Funny Story (film)
It's Kind of a Funny Story is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, an adaptation of Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel of the same name. The film stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, and Viola Davis...
, a coming-of-age film written and directed by Anna Boden
Anna Boden
Anna Boden is an American film director, cinematographer, editor, and screenwriter best known as the co-writer of the 2006 film Half Nelson. She is known for her collaborations with fellow filmmaker Ryan Fleck.- Life and career :...
with Ryan Fleck
Ryan Fleck
Ryan K. Fleck is an American film director, cinematographer, editor, and screenwriter best known for directing and writing the 2006 film Half Nelson and the 2008 film Sugar. He is known for his collaborations with fellow filmmaker Anna Boden.-Life and career:Fleck was born in Berkeley, California...
, adapted from the 2006 novel by Ned Vizzini
Ned Vizzini
Edison Price "Ned" Vizzini is an American writer who is the author of books for young adults. He is best known for his novel Be More Chill. He has been a columnist for the New York Press since his teens.-Life and career:...
.
In August 2011, Davis joined Octavia Spencer
Octavia Spencer
Octavia L. Spencer is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role on Ugly Betty as Constance Grady, the INS Agent turned stalker of Betty's father, Ignacio Suarez and in the 2011 movie The Help as Minny....
, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain
Jessica Chastain is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Jessica Chastain was born Jessica Howard in Northern California. She is one of five children. Her mother, Jerri, is a vegan chef, and her stepfather, Michael, is a firefighter. Chastain is also vegan herself. She took her...
, and Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard is an American film actress and daughter of director Ron Howard. She made her acting debut in her father's 1989 movie Parenthood and went on to have small roles in films and make stage appearances for the next several years...
in DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
' production of The Help, in which she played the stalwart domestic, "Aibileen Clark." The film was directed by Tate Taylor, and produced by Brunson Green, Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
, Michael Barnathan
Michael Barnathan
Michael Barnathan is a film producer who has produced and executive-produced films such as Used People, the first three Harry Potter films, Rent, Cheaper by the Dozen and Night at the Museum. He was also the producer for the 2010 film adaptation Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief of...
, and Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe
Mark Radcliffe is an English broadcaster who has worked in various roles for the BBC since the 1980s and remains one of Britain's most recognised DJs. He is currently a presenter on BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week alongside Stuart Maconie, called...
. Her role has garnered her critical acclaim, and has started buzz for various awards nominations.
Personal life
Davis has been married to actor Julius Tennon since June 2003. They have two children from Tennon's previous relationships and adopted an infant daughter in 2011.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Nurse | ||
| 1998 | Out of Sight Out of Sight Out of Sight is a 1998 American crime film. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and based on the novel of the same name by Elmore Leonard. It was the first of several collaborations between Soderbergh and star George Clooney. The film was released on June 26, 1998. It was nominated for two... |
Moselle | |
| 2000 | Traffic Traffic (2000 film) Traffic is a 2000 American crime drama film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Stephen Gaghan. It explores the illegal drug trade from a number of perspectives: a user, an enforcer, a politician and a trafficker. Their stories are edited together throughout the film, although some of the... |
Social Worker | |
| 2001 | Robin | ||
| 2001 | Kate & Leopold Kate & Leopold Kate & Leopold is a 2001 romantic-comedy fantasy that tells a story of a duke who travels through time from New York in 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in the modern New York... |
Policewoman | |
| 2002 | Far from Heaven Far from Heaven Far from Heaven is a 2002 drama film written and directed by Todd Haynes and starring Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert, and Patricia Clarkson.... |
Sybil | |
| 2002 | Antwone Fisher Antwone Fisher (film) Antwone Fisher is a 2002 American drama film directed by Denzel Washington, marking his directorial debut. He also stars in the film as the psychiatrist Jerome Davenport, alongside Hollywood newcomer Derek Luke, who plays the title role , and ex-model Joy Bryant, as Fisher's girlfriend.The film is... |
Eva May | Nominated — Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female |
| 2002 | Solaris Solaris (2002 film) Solaris is a 2002 science fiction film and psychological drama directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring George Clooney and Natascha McElhone... |
Gordon | Nominated — Black Reel Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards began in 2000 and were designed to annually recognize and celebrate the achievements of black people in feature, independent and television films... |
| 2005 | Get Rich or Die Tryin' | Grandma | |
| 2005 | Syriana Syriana Syriana is a 2005 geopolitical thriller film written and directed by Stephen Gaghan, and executive produced by George Clooney, who also stars in the film with an ensemble cast. Gaghan's screenplay is loosely adapted from Robert Baer's memoir See No Evil... |
CIA Chairwoman | uncredited |
| 2006 | Tonya Neely | ||
| 2006 | World Trade Center World Trade Center (film) World Trade Center is a 2006 American disaster-drama film directed by Oliver Stone and based on the September 11 attacks at the World Trade Center. It stars Nicolas Cage, Maria Bello, Michael Peña, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Michael Shannon. The film was shot from October 19, 2005 - February 10, 2006... |
Mother in hospital | |
| 2007 | Disturbia Disturbia (film) Disturbia is a 2007 American thriller film directed by D. J. Caruso and executive produced by Ivan Reitman. It is an updated version of Alfred Hitchcock's classic film Rear Window... |
Detective Parker | |
| 2008 | Nights in Rodanthe | Jean | |
| 2008 | Doubt | Mrs. Miller | |
| 2009 | Madea Goes to Jail | Ellen | |
| 2009 | State of Play State of Play (film) State of Play is a 2009 French-British-American political thriller film. It is an adaptation of the six-part British television serial of the same name which first aired on BBC One in 2003. The plot of the six-hour serial was condensed to fit a two-hour movie format, with the location changed to... |
Dr. Judith Franklin | |
| 2009 | Law Abiding Citizen Law Abiding Citizen Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man whose developed sociopathic tendencies drove him into killing while targeting not... |
Mayor April Henry | |
| 2010 | Knight & Day | Director George | |
| 2010 | Eat Pray Love | Delia | Nominated - Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress Black Reel Award: Best Supporting Actress Here are the winners & nominees for the Black Reel Award for Best Supporting Actress.* Taraji P. Henson, Viola Davis, Rosario Dawson, Kerry Washington, Gabrielle Union, Queen Latifah, Joy Bryant, Nia Long & Angela Bassett are currently tied for the most nominations with two each.*6... |
| 2010 | It's Kind of a Funny Story It's Kind of a Funny Story (film) It's Kind of a Funny Story is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, an adaptation of Ned Vizzini's 2006 novel of the same name. The film stars Keir Gilchrist, Zach Galifianakis, Emma Roberts, and Viola Davis... |
Dr. Minerva | |
| 2010 | Trust Trust (2010 film) Trust is a 2010 American drama film directed by David Schwimmer and based on a screenplay by Andy Bellin and Robert Festinger. It stars Clive Owen, Catherine Keener, Viola Davis, and Noah Emmerich.-Plot:... |
Gail Friedman | |
| 2011 | The Help The Help (film) The Help is a 2011 comedy-drama film adaptation of Kathryn Stockett's novel of the same name. The film is about a young white woman, Eugenia "Skeeter" Phelan, and her relationship with two black maids during Civil Rights era America in the early 1960s... |
Aibileen Clark | |
| 2011 | Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (film) Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is an upcoming 2011 American drama film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer, directed by Stephen Daldry and written by Eric Roth. It stars Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey... |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | NYPD Blue NYPD Blue NYPD Blue is an American television police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan... |
Woman | Episode: "Moby Greg" |
| 1996 | New York Undercover New York Undercover New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to... |
Mrs. Stapleton | Episode: "Smack is Back" |
| 1998 | Platoon Sgt. Fanning | ||
| 1998 | Grace & Glorie | Rosemary Allbright | |
| 2000 | Judging Amy Judging Amy Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly... |
Celeste | Episode: "Blast from the Past" |
| 2000 | City of Angels | Nurse Lynnette Peeler | 19 episodes |
| 2001 | Amy & Isabelle | Dottie | |
| 2001 | Providence Providence (TV series) Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr... |
Dr. Eleanor Weiss | Episode: "You Can Count On Me" |
| 2001 | Episode: "The Men from the Boys" | ||
| 2001 | Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each.... |
Margo Rodriguez | Episode: "Act Brave" |
| 2002 | Father Lefty | ||
| 2002 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 2001, as the second spin-off of Wolf's successful crime drama... |
Terry Randolph | Episode: "Badge" |
| 2002 | Dr. Georgia Davis | Episode: "Remembrance" | |
| 2002 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Attorney Campbell | Episode: "The Execution of Catherine Willows" |
| 2003 | Hack | Stevie Morgan | Episode: "Third Strike" |
| 2003 | Aisha Crenshaw | Episode: "We the People" | |
| 2004 | Century City | Hannah Crane | 9 episodes |
| 2005 | Jesse Stone: Stone Cold Stone Cold (Parker novel) Stone Cold is a crime novel by Robert B. Parker, the fourth in his Jesse Stone series.-Plot summary:A couple of middle-aged thrill killers, Brianna and Anthony Lincoln, are independently wealthy from a patent Anthony obtained for an optical scanner he invented while practicing medicine... |
Molly Crane | |
| 2005 | Threshold Threshold (TV series) Threshold was a science fiction drama television series that first aired on CBS in September 2005. Produced by Brannon Braga, David S. Goyer and David Heyman, the series focuses on a secret government project investigating the first contact with an extraterrestrial species.The series was first... |
Victoria Rossi | Episode: "Shock" |
| 2006 | Jesse Stone: Night Passage Night Passage (Parker novel) Night Passage is a crime novel by Robert B. Parker, the first in his Jesse Stone series.-Plot summary:After being fired from his job as an LA homicide detective for being drunk on the job, Jesse Stone is hired as chief of police for the small town of Paradise, Massachusetts... |
Molly Crane | |
| 2006 | Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise Death in Paradise (Parker novel) Death in Paradise is a crime novel by Robert B. Parker, the third in his Jesse Stone series. It was made into a film in 2006.-Plot summary:... |
Molly Crane | |
| 2006 | Without a Trace Without a Trace Without a Trace is an American television drama which originally ran on CBS from September 26, 2002 to May 19, 2009. The series was set in New York City and concerned a fictitious FBI Missing Persons Unit.-Premise:... |
Audrey Williams | Episode: "White Balance" |
| 2006 | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Diane Barrino | |
| 2007 | Fort Pit | ||
| 2007 | Jesse Stone: Sea Change Jesse Stone: Sea Change Jesse Stone: Sea Change is the fourth film in the Jesse Stone film series aired on the CBS television network. It stars Tom Selleck, Kathy Baker, and Sean Young. It is based on the character created by Robert B. Parker from the successful book series... |
Molly Crane | |
| 2007 | Traveler Traveler (TV series) Traveler is a short-lived American television series that ran from May 10, 2007 until July 18, 2007 on ABC in the United States. The series was produced by Warner Bros. Television.... |
Agent Jan Marlow | 8 episodes |
| 2008 | Brothers & Sisters | Ellen Snyder | Episode: "Double Negative" |
| 2008 | Dr. Charlene Barton | ||
| 2003–08 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is an American police procedural television drama series set in New York City, where it is also primarily produced... |
Donna Emmett | 7 episodes from 2003 until 2008 |
| 2009 | United States of Tara | Lynda P Frazier | Nominated - NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series The NAACP Image Award winners for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series:-Stats:*Most Wins**Terri J. Vaughn & Camille Winbush- 3 wins*Most Nominations**1. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Wendy Raquel Robinson- 5 nominations, 0 wins... |
Theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Seven Guitars Seven Guitars Seven Guitars is a 1995 play by American playwright, August Wilson. It focuses on seven African American characters in the year 1948. The play begins and ends after the funeral of one of the main characters, showing events leading to the funeral in flashbacks... |
Vera | Broadway Mar 28, 1996 - Sep 8, 1996 Theatre World Award Theatre World Award The Theatre World Award, first awarded for the 1945-46 season, is an American honor presented annually to actors and actresses in recognition of an outstanding New York City stage debut performance, either on Broadway or off-Broadway.-History:... Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... Nominated - Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play |
| 1997 | God's Heart | Eleanor | Off Broadway |
| 1998 | Pericles Pericles, Prince of Tyre Pericles, Prince of Tyre is a Jacobean play written at least in part by William Shakespeare and included in modern editions of his collected works despite questions over its authorship, as it was not included in the First Folio... |
2nd Fisherman/Lychorida/Bawd | Off Broadway |
| 1999 | Everybody's Ruby | Ruby McCollum | Off Broadway Nominated - Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
| The Vagina Monologues The Vagina Monologues The Vagina Monologues is an episodic play written by Eve Ensler which ran at the Off Broadway Westside Theatre after a limited run at AFRICA in 1996. Ensler originally starred in the production which was produced by David Stone, Nina Essman, Dan Markley, The Araca Group, Willa Shalit, Mike Skipper... |
Performer (Replacement) | Off Broadway | |
| 2001 | King Hedley II King Hedley II King Hedley II is a play by American playwright August Wilson, the ninth in his ten-part series, The Pittsburgh Cycle. This is the ninth of the plays in Wilson's ten-play cycle, each from a different era... |
Tonya | Broadway May 1, 2001 - Jul 1, 2001 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play |
| 2004 | Intimate Apparel Intimate Apparel Intimate Apparel is a play written by Lynn Nottage. The play is a co-production and co-commission between Center Stage, Baltimore, Maryland, and South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California.... |
Esther | Off Broadway Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play was first awarded at the 1974–1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... |
| 2010 | Fences | Rose | Broadway Revival Apr 26, 2010 - Jul 11, 2010 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play was first awarded at the 1974-1975 Drama Desk Awards and has been awarded every year since... Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play |