Viola Davis

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BIRTHDAY

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RECENT CREDITS

Tyler Perry's Madea Goes to Jail (FILM) Feb. 20, 2009

Doubt (FILM) Dec. 12, 2008

Nights in Rodanthe (FILM) Sep. 26, 2008

Disturbia (FILM) Apr. 13, 2007

The Architect (FILM) Dec. 1, 2006

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BIOGRAPHY

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A graduate of the Juilliard School, Viola Davis built an exceptional background in theater productions and has continued to perform on-stage throughout her television and film career. Making her feature-film debut in 1996 as a nurse in The Substance of Fire, she followed that up with several TV movies and guest-star appearances on dramatic series like Law & Order and NYPD Blue. She went on to play another nurse in City of Angels, a hospital drama with a predominately African-American cast that didn't last long on CBS. She began collaborating with Steven Soderbergh for Out of Sight, and went on to star in two of the director's next few films, Traffic and Solaris. In 2001, she appeared in Kate and Leopold and in Oprah Winfrey's television presentation of Amy & Isabelle. The next year she played parts in both Far From Heaven and Denzel Washington's directorial debut, Antwone Fisher.

Davis continued to work steadily in a variety of notable projects including Steven Soderbergh's Solaris, Syriana, and played a notable part in the television movie biopic of American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino. However, in 2008 she landed the small but crucial role of the mother in John Patrick Shanley's adaptation of his award-winning play Doubt. Although her screen time is minimal, her indelible performance garnered her Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy.

~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

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Headlines

Michelle Williams at the 2009 Film Independent's Spirit Awards. Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, CA. 02-21-09

Stars Invited To Join Oscars Organization

Jul. 1, 2009

Heath Ledger's ex-girlfriend Michelle Williams, Casey Affleck and Emily Blunt are among the 134 stars and filmmakers who have been invited to become members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- the organization behind the Oscars.

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81st Annual Academy Award Nominations and Winners!

Posted: Jan. 22, 2009

The Year's Top Five Oscar Controversies

Posted: Feb. 22, 2009

Oscars 2009: Meet the Nominees You've Never Heard Of

Posted: Feb. 13, 2009

Girls Gone Styled at the Screen Actors Guild Awards

Posted: Jan. 26, 2009

2008 Oscar Watch: Predicting the Noms

Posted: Jan. 20, 2009

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