“I didn't see myself any different from my white counterparts in school. I just didn't! I thought I could do what they did. And what I didn't do well, I thought people were going to give me the opportunity to do well, because maybe they saw my talent, so they would give me a chance. I had no idea that they would see me completely different.”

American actress and film producer

Viola Davis is an American actress and film producer. She is known for work on stage and screen, and for earning both the Triple Crown of Acting and EGOT honors. Time named her among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2012 and 2017. Her reputation rests on a body of performances that has drawn major recognition across film, television, and theatre. In 2020, The New York Times placed her ninth on its list of the greatest actors of the 21st century. In 2025, she received the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globe awards.