Viola Davis has been acting since 1988 but did not become famous immediately.
She got her start in local theater productions, and then in 1996, Davis made her Broadway debut in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars . That role earned her a Tony Award nomination and boosted her reputation in the film industry, but her big break came almost a decade later in Doubt .
What makes Davis such a good actress is her ability to play various roles. She plays parts that can be loving, serious, cold, or emotional, and she does every one of them with fantastic emphasis.
Top 3: Viola Davis
Viola Davis stars in The Help, a movie about the civil rights movement. Image courtesy of Dream Works Pictures.
The Help
The Help is set in the 1960s amid the civil rights movement in Jackson, Miss. The movie is about an aspiring author, Skeeter Phelan, played by Emma Stone, who wants to write about the experiences of African American maids and their opinions about the white families that they work for.
Phelan starts by interviewing Aibileen Clark, played by Davis. Clark works for Elizebeth Leefolt and raises her daughter, who is emotionally neglected by Leefolt.
At first, Clark says it is too dangerous to be writing a book about personal experiences because someone could blow their cover. Hence, they decide to recruit a few more maids who are comfortable sharing their experiences and they begin secretly drafting the book.
The movie is meant to shed light on the injustices people of color faced even after slavery had ended and the violence toward black people during the civil rights movement.
Davis taps into her character with great depth. She shows raw emotion during more intense scenes, like when Clark is sharing the story about her son who died because of negligence by his foreman after an on-the-job accident. Davis’s emotions seem so realistic, it doesn't even feel like watching a film.
Fences is a movie about racism in America. Image via Paramount Pictures.
Fences
Fences is a story about a lower-class African-American father, Troy Maxson who is trying to raise his family in the 1950s while coming to terms with the events of his life and that his son may turn out to be more successful than he is.
Davis plays the role of Maxson's wife, Rose. She wants her son to flourish and be a successful football player, but her husband is jealous because he used to be a baseball player but never made it into the major leagues.
Rose hides her feelings about this for some time, but she eventually blows up at her husband in an emotional speech given by Davis. The role was later nominated for various awards and won an Oscar.
Davis does an exceptional job at interpreting her role, bringing her character to life, and making such emotional scenes seem real.
Troop Zero is a movie about Girl Scouts who visit NASA. Image Via Amazon Studios.
Troop Zero
Troop Zero is a film based on a group of misfit girls who struggle to be included in a Girl Scouts group. They want to become scouts to be able to go to an upcoming festival where they could win an award to go to NASA.
Davis acts as a mother figure in this film, which delivers the important message not to leave somebody out because they look or act differently. She agrees to become the scout leader for the girls after they decide to start their own group.
Davis does an excellent job at acting as their guide throughout the film and not letting the group become discouraged when their plan is thrown off. Davis is good at changing herself based on the varying roles. Although most of her roles are more serious, she does an exceptional job at acting as a warm parental figure toward the kids.
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