Viola Davis has made a name for herself, over the years, rising above adversity and overcoming a traumatic childhood. Despite her exposure to poverty and violence, her determination to be more never let her circumstances define her. Now, she uses her voice and platform to speak out against the disadvantages and inequality faced by Black women in Hollywood and beyond.
Driven by a passion for acting, the award-winning actress and philanthropist attended Juilliard, defying the odds as a young girl who grew up impoverished in Rhode Island. Davis made history as the first Black woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress, an Academy Award, and two Tony Awards, becoming the first Black actress to attain the Triple Crown of Acting. These accolades, among others, underscore her resilience and demonstrate her constant commitment to excel not only as a woman but as a Black woman continuously breaking barriers in her industry.
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Allowing her past to light the way to a positive future full of success, powered by determination and grit, she was named TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in both 2012 and 2017. While Davis consistently speaks on the injustices that Black women face in Hollywood, she has voiced her own struggles, including feeling confident, yet unable to walk into any room she wants and land a role.
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“I arrived in Hollywood having hopes and dreams for my career, but never quite having ownership or agency,” Davis once shared in an interview with The Guardian.
Despite lacking full control over her acting roles, she continues to persevere and show remarkable determination while succeeding in an industry where obstacles are common. Her journey is a true testament to not allowing your past to dictate your future and comes with a handful of lessons we can all learn from. With every role, every award, and every word birthed from a place of optimism, she deserves to be celebrated.
5 Things We Can Learn From Viola Davis’ Resilience:
1. You find your voice when you find your why.
Viola Davis speaks on owning your story and what happens when you don’t.
2. Be yourself and don't allow other people's labels define you.
Viola Davis shares her growth as an actress over the years, emphasizing that at 50+ years old, she wants to be liberated from the labels and others things the world taught her about herself.
3. Untreated trauma will surface in other aspects of life if not addressed.
Viola Davis sits down with Tina Brown at the Women in the World Conference to speak on the struggles she faced in her childhood and how it helps her navigate the injustices she faces in the entertainment industry.
4. Success and complacency can't coexist.
Viola Davis sits down during the 2022 Cannes Festival to talk about what has fueled her success.
5. Prayer changes things.
Viola Davis sits down with Jennifer Hudson, sharing details on her new memoir, praying for her husband, and the resilience and effort she had to put into the daily training she did to prepare for her film, “Woman King.”
