WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.399 The deep dive is back, and today we are turning 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:05.580 the journey of an artist whose success wasn't 00:00:05.580 --> 00:00:10.320 merely achieved. It was earned through a continuous, 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:13.259 decades -long effort to redefine the boundaries 00:00:13.259 --> 00:00:15.919 of American performance. We are diving into the 00:00:15.919 --> 00:00:19.300 architecture of an icon, the actress and producer. 00:00:19.760 --> 00:00:21.879 Viola Davis. It's such an essential exploration 00:00:21.879 --> 00:00:24.839 for you because when we talk about success in 00:00:24.839 --> 00:00:26.460 the entertainment industry, we often talk about 00:00:26.460 --> 00:00:28.839 stars. But Davis is something else. Something 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:32.399 more. She's a monument. She is consistently recognized 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:35.740 critically and institutionally as one of the 00:00:35.740 --> 00:00:37.960 greatest actors of her generation. Full stop. 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:40.000 I mean, we're talking about consensus greatness 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:42.079 here. The New York Times didn't just mention 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.280 her in passing. Oh, not at all. They ranked her 00:00:44.280 --> 00:00:46.920 ninth on their 2020 list of the greatest actors 00:00:46.920 --> 00:00:49.950 of the entire 21st century. She is shaping the 00:00:49.950 --> 00:00:52.810 canon in real time. Absolutely. But what makes 00:00:52.810 --> 00:00:54.909 this deep dive so critical is understanding the 00:00:54.909 --> 00:00:57.250 sheer statistical impossibility of her achievement 00:00:57.250 --> 00:00:59.570 set. I mean, she belongs to one of the rarest 00:00:59.570 --> 00:01:01.770 clubs in competitive performance history. OK, 00:01:01.869 --> 00:01:04.390 let's unpack this for a second. She's an EGOT 00:01:04.390 --> 00:01:08.609 winner, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony. That's a club 00:01:08.609 --> 00:01:11.790 that even today only includes, what, 18 people 00:01:11.790 --> 00:01:14.150 who have won all four competitively? 18 people. 00:01:14.290 --> 00:01:16.750 That's it. But the sources point out she has 00:01:16.750 --> 00:01:19.590 achieved something even more specific, even rarer 00:01:19.590 --> 00:01:21.510 than that. Right. This is the key distinction. 00:01:21.750 --> 00:01:24.879 That's right. Davis is one of only three performers 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:27.920 in history, alongside the absolute legends Helen 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:30.739 Hayes and Rita Moreno, to achieve both the Triple 00:01:30.739 --> 00:01:33.519 Crown of Acting and the EGOTY status. So for 00:01:33.519 --> 00:01:35.060 you listening, if you're unfamiliar with the 00:01:35.060 --> 00:01:37.079 nuance, the Triple Crown of Acting means winning 00:01:37.079 --> 00:01:39.400 a competitive Emmy, Oscar, and Tony specifically 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:42.439 for acting roles. The EGOTY just adds the Grammys, 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:44.640 which can be for anything. Exactly. So to be 00:01:44.640 --> 00:01:46.859 one of only three people to hold both titles, 00:01:46.939 --> 00:01:48.959 meaning all four awards were won competitively 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:50.799 and the first three were specifically for acting, 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:53.840 that is just a... stunning convergence of talent 00:01:53.840 --> 00:01:56.420 and opportunity. It speaks to her total mastery 00:01:56.420 --> 00:01:59.579 of every single medium, stage, screen, and sound. 00:01:59.780 --> 00:02:02.799 And it's not just the awards. Her influence extends 00:02:02.799 --> 00:02:05.260 so far beyond the trophy shelf. Well, look at 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:07.000 Time magazine. They named her one of the 100 00:02:07.000 --> 00:02:09.159 most influential people in the world. And not 00:02:09.159 --> 00:02:12.139 just once. Not once, but twice. In 2012 and then 00:02:12.139 --> 00:02:14.879 again in 2017. That tells you that her impact 00:02:14.879 --> 00:02:18.500 is cultural and, frankly, political, not just 00:02:18.500 --> 00:02:21.360 artistic. So that really sets the scale for our 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:24.599 deep dive today. Our mission is to trace the 00:02:24.599 --> 00:02:27.300 trajectory of that success. We're not just listing 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:29.560 the awards. That would be easy. Right. We are 00:02:29.560 --> 00:02:32.439 focusing on the incredible tension and contrast 00:02:32.439 --> 00:02:35.819 built into her story from her profoundly difficult 00:02:35.819 --> 00:02:38.460 roots in South Carolina and Rhode Island through 00:02:38.460 --> 00:02:43.319 a rigorous but. critically questioned classical 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:45.900 training. And ultimately analyzing the specific 00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:48.860 barrier -breaking roles that secured these history 00:02:48.860 --> 00:02:51.439 -making titles. Exactly. We need to understand 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.439 how the woman born on the Singleton Plantation 00:02:53.439 --> 00:02:56.199 evolved into a figure who, as Meryl Streep said, 00:02:56.419 --> 00:02:59.000 carved a place on the Mount Rushmore of 21st 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:01.219 century acting. See, if we truly want to understand 00:03:01.219 --> 00:03:03.419 the fire and the depth that Viola Davis brings 00:03:03.419 --> 00:03:05.439 to her roles, we have to start at the very beginning. 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:07.740 You have to. Because her life is just defined 00:03:07.740 --> 00:03:11.500 by these profound contrasts, Viola Davis was 00:03:11.500 --> 00:03:15.539 born August 11, 1965, and the physical location 00:03:15.539 --> 00:03:18.259 of her birth immediately injects this incredible 00:03:18.259 --> 00:03:20.939 historical weight into her narrative. Where exactly 00:03:20.939 --> 00:03:23.219 was she born? She was born in St. Matthew, South 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:25.879 Carolina, specifically on her grandmother's farm. 00:03:25.960 --> 00:03:29.199 And that farm was situated on the Singleton Plantation. 00:03:29.199 --> 00:03:32.539 Wow. That detail right there is a historical 00:03:32.539 --> 00:03:35.620 lightning rod. To be born on land that was once 00:03:35.620 --> 00:03:38.219 the site of enslaved labor. Yeah. And then to 00:03:38.219 --> 00:03:40.659 become this universally recognized cultural titan. 00:03:41.060 --> 00:03:44.039 That juxtaposition is almost impossible to grasp. 00:03:44.219 --> 00:03:46.539 It speaks volumes about the arc of American history 00:03:46.539 --> 00:03:49.620 in just one lifetime. Precisely. However, the 00:03:49.620 --> 00:03:51.439 years that followed presented a different but 00:03:51.439 --> 00:03:53.719 equally challenging form of struggle. Her family 00:03:53.719 --> 00:03:55.840 moved north and she was raised in Central Falls, 00:03:56.020 --> 00:03:57.960 Rhode Island. In conditions that she is described 00:03:57.960 --> 00:04:00.819 with brutal honesty. Oh, she's incredibly candid. 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:02.620 She calls it abject poverty and dysfunction. 00:04:03.319 --> 00:04:05.379 And when she speaks about her childhood, the 00:04:05.379 --> 00:04:08.280 material is just unflinching. She wasn't just 00:04:08.280 --> 00:04:10.680 poor. She describes living in environments that 00:04:10.680 --> 00:04:14.319 were actively hostile to human dignity. She recalls 00:04:14.319 --> 00:04:16.860 apartments that were rat infested and condemned. 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:19.839 So the material conditions of her upbringing 00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:22.540 were incredibly harsh, placing this immense pressure 00:04:22.540 --> 00:04:25.279 on the family. What did her parents do? Her father 00:04:25.279 --> 00:04:27.279 worked as a horse trainer and her mother held 00:04:27.279 --> 00:04:30.300 multiple demanding jobs, a maid, a factory worker, 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:32.980 a homemaker, just to support their large family. 00:04:33.500 --> 00:04:36.300 Davis is the second youngest of six children. 00:04:36.420 --> 00:04:39.220 Six kids. Six kids. And this environment wasn't 00:04:39.220 --> 00:04:41.560 just about material deprivation. It was also 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:44.160 defined by a deep -seated awareness of social 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.240 injustice. And that awareness came directly from 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:49.199 her mother, right? It links her personal story 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:52.240 to the broader struggle for civil rights. Absolutely. 00:04:52.750 --> 00:04:54.870 Her mother was an activist during the civil rights 00:04:54.870 --> 00:04:57.529 movement, and Davis recalls a moment that is 00:04:57.529 --> 00:05:00.329 just it's almost unbelievable in its early introduction 00:05:00.329 --> 00:05:02.569 to political struggle. This is a story about 00:05:02.569 --> 00:05:06.000 being in jail. Yes. She recalls being taken to 00:05:06.000 --> 00:05:07.839 jail with her mother when she was only two years 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:09.800 old after her mother was arrested during a civil 00:05:09.800 --> 00:05:12.439 rights protest. Two years old? Think about the 00:05:12.439 --> 00:05:15.199 consciousness that moment instills, that the 00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:18.060 fight for human dignity isn't some academic concept, 00:05:18.279 --> 00:05:21.379 but a lived, immediate reality from your earliest 00:05:21.379 --> 00:05:24.199 memories. So, okay, we have this environment 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:26.819 of extreme poverty, political awareness, and 00:05:26.819 --> 00:05:30.699 struggle. The question then becomes... How does 00:05:30.699 --> 00:05:33.980 that harsh reality translate into the delicate, 00:05:34.100 --> 00:05:36.879 rarefied air of classical performance training? 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:40.160 Where did the path to the arts even begin? Well, 00:05:40.199 --> 00:05:42.120 the initial path started locally, and it was 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:44.500 facilitated by some really crucial support programs. 00:05:44.740 --> 00:05:47.360 She attended Central Falls High School, and she 00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:49.120 credits her involvement in the arts there for 00:05:49.120 --> 00:05:51.540 igniting her passion for stage acting. So she 00:05:51.540 --> 00:05:53.920 found an outlet. She did, and she wasn't relying 00:05:53.920 --> 00:05:56.660 solely on raw talent. She was involved in the 00:05:56.660 --> 00:05:59.959 federal TRIO programs Upward Bound and TRIO Student 00:05:59.959 --> 00:06:02.339 Support Services. And these are programs specifically 00:06:02.339 --> 00:06:04.560 designed to help students from disadvantaged 00:06:04.560 --> 00:06:06.660 backgrounds, right, to get them on the path to 00:06:06.660 --> 00:06:09.269 college. Exactly. They helped them navigate that 00:06:09.269 --> 00:06:12.009 high stakes journey. That support created the 00:06:12.009 --> 00:06:14.750 pipeline for her. She first graduated from Rhode 00:06:14.750 --> 00:06:17.449 Island College with a B .A. in theater in 1988, 00:06:17.829 --> 00:06:20.529 which was a necessary foundational step. And 00:06:20.529 --> 00:06:23.410 then came the big one, the institution that defines 00:06:23.410 --> 00:06:26.389 elite American acting, the Juilliard School. 00:06:26.839 --> 00:06:29.120 That's the pivot point. She spent four intense 00:06:29.120 --> 00:06:31.860 years at Juilliard, graduating as a member of 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:36.120 the drama division group 22 from 89 to 93. And 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:38.519 Juilliard is where you receive that kind of formal 00:06:38.519 --> 00:06:41.819 technical rigor that prepares you for Shakespeare, 00:06:42.120 --> 00:06:45.259 for Chekhov, for the giants of the Western canon. 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:47.220 But this is also where we encounter one of the 00:06:47.220 --> 00:06:50.040 key, most fascinating insights she revealed much, 00:06:50.120 --> 00:06:53.019 much later in a 2025 interview. A really searing 00:06:53.019 --> 00:06:56.990 critique of that very education. Real time unpacking 00:06:56.990 --> 00:06:59.009 this because it's one of the most powerful and 00:06:59.009 --> 00:07:00.889 potentially controversial statements she has 00:07:00.889 --> 00:07:03.189 ever made about her career. She felt that her 00:07:03.189 --> 00:07:05.269 rigorous training there primarily equipped her 00:07:05.269 --> 00:07:08.029 to be a better white actress. It is a stunning 00:07:08.029 --> 00:07:10.750 statement, but it's rooted in a deep, critical 00:07:10.750 --> 00:07:14.069 analysis of theatrical tradition and, frankly, 00:07:14.250 --> 00:07:17.410 systemic expectations. Her point wasn't that 00:07:17.410 --> 00:07:20.149 the training was bad. No. She acknowledged the 00:07:20.149 --> 00:07:22.709 technical benefits. Right. But that the curriculum's 00:07:22.709 --> 00:07:25.610 foundational repertoire predisposes the actor 00:07:25.610 --> 00:07:28.689 for a very specific type of role and a very specific 00:07:28.689 --> 00:07:31.850 cultural voice. She felt perfectly trained for 00:07:31.850 --> 00:07:35.069 classic roles from Shakespeare, Chekhov, O 'Neill, 00:07:35.089 --> 00:07:37.089 and Strindberg. So what's the problem with that? 00:07:37.420 --> 00:07:39.120 For her identity and for the types of stories 00:07:39.120 --> 00:07:41.339 she felt she needed to tell. Because, she argued, 00:07:41.519 --> 00:07:44.040 that formal technical training denies the human 00:07:44.040 --> 00:07:47.100 being behind all that. Wow. It prioritizes technique 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:50.480 over inherent lived experience. She observed 00:07:50.480 --> 00:07:53.100 that as a black actress in the industry, the 00:07:53.100 --> 00:07:55.600 metric for success and for range often required 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:58.959 her to consistently perform white work. The implication 00:07:58.959 --> 00:08:01.720 being that black actors are required to adapt 00:08:01.720 --> 00:08:04.680 to a white cultural framework to prove their 00:08:04.680 --> 00:08:07.360 versatility. Yes. Whereas white actors are often 00:08:07.360 --> 00:08:10.000 just centered in that framework naturally. Exactly. 00:08:10.000 --> 00:08:12.579 And the source material provides a clear, really 00:08:12.579 --> 00:08:15.500 resonant example of this artistic disconnect. 00:08:15.819 --> 00:08:18.019 She specifically mentioned Tennessee Williams. 00:08:18.339 --> 00:08:20.180 What did she say about him? She said she could 00:08:20.180 --> 00:08:21.939 do the best that I can with Tennessee Williams, 00:08:22.139 --> 00:08:26.129 but he writes for fragile white women. It's not 00:08:26.129 --> 00:08:28.569 me. She's not criticizing the beauty of his writing. 00:08:28.709 --> 00:08:30.829 No, of course not. She's criticizing the professional 00:08:30.829 --> 00:08:33.190 requirement that she contorts herself to fit 00:08:33.190 --> 00:08:35.230 narratives that are fundamentally foreign to 00:08:35.230 --> 00:08:37.470 her own life experience. This isn't just about 00:08:37.470 --> 00:08:40.750 race. It's about authenticity and the soul of 00:08:40.750 --> 00:08:43.789 the performance. This critique moves beyond just 00:08:43.789 --> 00:08:46.649 personal frustration, then. It becomes this structural 00:08:46.649 --> 00:08:49.590 condemnation of the drama curriculum itself. 00:08:49.710 --> 00:08:52.090 It does. And here is where the thread connects 00:08:52.090 --> 00:08:54.470 directly to the greatest triumphs of her career. 00:08:54.970 --> 00:08:58.389 She opined that crucial black playwrights, specifically 00:08:58.389 --> 00:09:01.470 August Wilson and Lorraine Hansberry, who documented 00:09:01.470 --> 00:09:04.149 the complex, profound realities of black American 00:09:04.149 --> 00:09:07.389 life, are often not studied in the same foundational, 00:09:07.509 --> 00:09:10.289 rigorous way as O 'Neill or Shakespeare in these 00:09:10.289 --> 00:09:13.029 elite institutions. So the work that spoke directly 00:09:13.029 --> 00:09:15.789 to her soul, to her experience of poverty and 00:09:15.789 --> 00:09:18.730 struggle, was marginalized in her classical education. 00:09:19.169 --> 00:09:22.750 That's it. So she is basically saying, I was 00:09:22.750 --> 00:09:25.330 given the tools of a master craftsman. but I 00:09:25.330 --> 00:09:27.370 was only shown how to apply them to houses I 00:09:27.370 --> 00:09:30.309 couldn't live in. That created a deficit, a hunger 00:09:30.309 --> 00:09:33.230 for material that actually resonated. That deficit 00:09:33.230 --> 00:09:35.870 becomes the driving force of her entire stage 00:09:35.870 --> 00:09:38.820 career. She left Juilliard with world -class 00:09:38.820 --> 00:09:41.379 technique, but her professional necessity was 00:09:41.379 --> 00:09:44.019 to find the stories, the August Wilson stories, 00:09:44.220 --> 00:09:47.059 that truly allowed her to leverage her lived 00:09:47.059 --> 00:09:49.860 truth and not just her technical prowess. It's 00:09:49.860 --> 00:09:52.100 a remarkable piece of self -reflection from someone 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:54.340 at the absolute pinnacle of her field. To essentially 00:09:54.340 --> 00:09:56.559 say, the thing that made me famous was the thing 00:09:56.559 --> 00:09:59.330 my school told me wasn't classical enough. So 00:09:59.330 --> 00:10:02.149 the moment Davis steps out of that academic environment 00:10:02.149 --> 00:10:04.549 and onto the professional stage, the narrative 00:10:04.549 --> 00:10:07.049 tension we just discussed, it resolves itself 00:10:07.049 --> 00:10:09.830 with just astonishing clarity. It really does. 00:10:10.049 --> 00:10:12.929 The work she felt was missing. The work of August 00:10:12.929 --> 00:10:15.509 Wilson immediately becomes the defining material 00:10:15.509 --> 00:10:18.129 of her theatrical life. That immediate synergy 00:10:18.129 --> 00:10:21.250 is what's so fascinating here. Her first professional 00:10:21.250 --> 00:10:24.110 stage role was actually Shakespeare in 1992. 00:10:24.570 --> 00:10:27.210 She played Dennis in an off -Broadway production 00:10:27.210 --> 00:10:29.690 of As You Like It. Okay, so she starts with the 00:10:29.690 --> 00:10:31.769 classics. But when she made her Broadway debut 00:10:31.769 --> 00:10:34.909 in 1996, it was in an original August Wilson 00:10:34.909 --> 00:10:37.570 play, Seven Guitars, where she played the character 00:10:37.570 --> 00:10:40.519 Vera. And the critical praise she received for 00:10:40.519 --> 00:10:42.840 Seven Guitars wasn't just, you know, polite applause. 00:10:43.019 --> 00:10:45.799 Yeah. It was a realization that this material, 00:10:45.960 --> 00:10:49.220 rooted in the black experience, allowed her talent 00:10:49.220 --> 00:10:52.480 to fully bloom on the grandest stage. It established 00:10:52.480 --> 00:10:55.259 her voice. It showed that the classical training 00:10:55.259 --> 00:10:57.519 served her well. But it was the material that 00:10:57.519 --> 00:10:59.679 reflected her reality that made her undeniable. 00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:01.840 Right. We should also pause for a brief moment 00:11:01.840 --> 00:11:04.159 of Hollywood reality check, though. While she 00:11:04.159 --> 00:11:06.179 was establishing herself on stage, she gained 00:11:06.179 --> 00:11:09.500 her crucial SAG card in 1996 for playing a nurse 00:11:09.500 --> 00:11:11.700 who hands a vial of blood to Timothy Hutton in 00:11:11.700 --> 00:11:14.360 The Substance of Fire. The classic one day, one 00:11:14.360 --> 00:11:16.519 line role that every actor chasing that union 00:11:16.519 --> 00:11:19.389 status knows so well. And the source material 00:11:19.389 --> 00:11:24.769 confirms the compensation, $518. $518, exactly. 00:11:25.190 --> 00:11:27.789 It's a fun anecdote, but it shows the hustle, 00:11:27.870 --> 00:11:30.509 the sheer variety of work required to survive 00:11:30.509 --> 00:11:32.850 in the industry, even as her artistic soul was 00:11:32.850 --> 00:11:35.610 being nourished by August Wilson's poetry on 00:11:35.610 --> 00:11:37.950 Broadway. Okay, now let's talk about the accolades. 00:11:38.049 --> 00:11:40.190 This is where her journey to the Triple Crown 00:11:40.190 --> 00:11:42.950 begins. She earns her first competitive Tony 00:11:42.950 --> 00:11:46.539 Award in 2001. That Tony was for best featured 00:11:46.539 --> 00:11:49.340 actress in a play. And crucially, the play was 00:11:49.340 --> 00:11:52.360 another August Wilson masterpiece. King Hedley 00:11:52.360 --> 00:11:55.419 II. Another Wilson play. And this was a challenging, 00:11:55.580 --> 00:11:58.879 profoundly weighty role. She played Tanya, a 00:11:58.879 --> 00:12:01.139 35 -year -old mother embroiled in the complex 00:12:01.139 --> 00:12:04.240 struggles of poverty and survival, fighting fiercely 00:12:04.240 --> 00:12:07.019 and eloquently for the right to abort a pregnancy. 00:12:07.379 --> 00:12:09.600 The character of Tanya is just a vehicle for 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:12.379 such powerful social commentary, showcasing desperation 00:12:12.379 --> 00:12:15.230 and strength in equal measure. It is. This performance 00:12:15.230 --> 00:12:17.590 directly contradicts that idea of the fragile 00:12:17.590 --> 00:12:20.450 white woman roles she talked about in her Juilliard 00:12:20.450 --> 00:12:23.669 critique. This was pure, unadulterated human 00:12:23.669 --> 00:12:26.690 resilience. And it gave her an opportunity to 00:12:26.690 --> 00:12:29.529 put that sophisticated classical technique, the 00:12:29.529 --> 00:12:32.330 breath control, the voice projection, the ability 00:12:32.330 --> 00:12:35.490 to sustain dramatic tension into a story that 00:12:35.490 --> 00:12:39.230 mattered deeply to her. That 2001 Tony win didn't 00:12:39.230 --> 00:12:41.570 just mark the start of her Triple Crown. It validated 00:12:41.570 --> 00:12:44.409 her artistic core. It proved that stories of 00:12:44.409 --> 00:12:47.149 black American struggle are universal dramatic 00:12:47.149 --> 00:12:50.049 material. Worthy of the highest classical honors. 00:12:50.289 --> 00:12:52.750 Absolutely. And the connection to August Wilson 00:12:52.750 --> 00:12:55.970 just deepens almost a decade later when she wins 00:12:55.970 --> 00:12:59.009 her second competitive Tony. In 2010. In 2010, 00:12:59.110 --> 00:13:00.970 she returned to Wilson's world for the revival 00:13:00.970 --> 00:13:03.830 of Fences. This time, she wasn't in a supporting 00:13:03.830 --> 00:13:06.330 role. She won Best Performance by a leading actress 00:13:06.330 --> 00:13:08.750 in a play for playing Rose Maxim. Starring opposite 00:13:08.750 --> 00:13:11.549 Denzel Washington. Who was also directing. This 00:13:11.549 --> 00:13:13.870 performance just solidified her position as a 00:13:13.870 --> 00:13:16.309 generational stage talent. I remember the critical 00:13:16.309 --> 00:13:18.490 reaction to that performance. It was immediate 00:13:18.490 --> 00:13:20.970 and it was overwhelming. Ben Brantley, the legendary 00:13:20.970 --> 00:13:23.269 theater critic for The New York Times, called 00:13:23.269 --> 00:13:26.649 her performance extraordinary. He didn't just 00:13:26.649 --> 00:13:29.450 praise it. He practically prophesied her future, 00:13:29.669 --> 00:13:31.990 suggesting that she would pick up another Tony. 00:13:32.149 --> 00:13:35.269 And of course she did. She did. This victory 00:13:35.269 --> 00:13:38.169 was a defining career moment, distinguishing 00:13:38.169 --> 00:13:40.669 her as an actor who can carry the central emotional 00:13:40.669 --> 00:13:44.009 weight of a monumental drama. So if we just pause 00:13:44.009 --> 00:13:45.610 here and connect the dots back to everything 00:13:45.610 --> 00:13:49.279 we've talked about. The picture is undeniable. 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:52.120 It's crystal clear. Her two competitive Tony 00:13:52.120 --> 00:13:55.000 Awards, the foundation of her eventual triple 00:13:55.000 --> 00:13:57.440 crown achievement, were secured through performances 00:13:57.440 --> 00:14:00.440 and works written exclusively by August Wilson. 00:14:00.700 --> 00:14:03.059 The exact type of Black American playwright she 00:14:03.059 --> 00:14:05.500 noted was neglected in her formal drama training. 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:08.340 It's a profound irony, isn't it? The establishment 00:14:08.340 --> 00:14:11.379 defined excellence one way, based on a Eurocentric 00:14:11.379 --> 00:14:14.149 canon. But her greatest, most critically acclaimed 00:14:14.149 --> 00:14:16.990 state's work was rooted in a deep humanist tradition 00:14:16.990 --> 00:14:19.129 that she had to seek out for herself. She found 00:14:19.129 --> 00:14:21.450 her voice and it was the voice of August Wilson. 00:14:21.590 --> 00:14:24.409 It's just an incredible synergy. The actor who 00:14:24.409 --> 00:14:27.169 challenged the curriculum. proved the marginalized 00:14:27.169 --> 00:14:29.750 work was the source of her own classical greatness. 00:14:29.970 --> 00:14:32.570 So while she was cementing this legendary status 00:14:32.570 --> 00:14:35.350 on Broadway, her career trajectory in film and 00:14:35.350 --> 00:14:38.250 television was a slower, more deliberate ascent. 00:14:38.250 --> 00:14:42.289 It was defined by small, powerful roles that 00:14:42.289 --> 00:14:45.330 eventually led to domination. Her early film 00:14:45.330 --> 00:14:47.929 career showcases a really interesting pattern 00:14:47.929 --> 00:14:50.429 of collaboration. She worked frequently with 00:14:50.429 --> 00:14:52.440 director Steven Soderbergh. right around the 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:54.460 turn of the millennium. She did. She appeared 00:14:54.460 --> 00:14:57.399 in films like Solaris and the critically acclaimed 00:14:57.399 --> 00:15:00.179 ensemble Drama Traffic. Right. And for an absolute 00:15:00.179 --> 00:15:02.179 piece of trivia that highlights how ubiquitous 00:15:02.179 --> 00:15:04.899 she was becoming, she provided the uncredited 00:15:04.899 --> 00:15:07.179 voice of the parole board interrogator in the 00:15:07.179 --> 00:15:10.240 iconic opening scene of Ocean's Eleven in 2001. 00:15:10.639 --> 00:15:12.419 Which Soderbergh produced. Which he produced. 00:15:12.820 --> 00:15:15.159 She also had small parts in films like Kate and 00:15:15.159 --> 00:15:17.840 Leopold and Aunt Wone Fisher, often playing nurses, 00:15:18.019 --> 00:15:20.580 officers, or authoritative figures, those roles 00:15:20.580 --> 00:15:23.570 that typically go unnoticed. But the moment that 00:15:23.570 --> 00:15:26.909 truly forced Hollywood to pause and take notice 00:15:26.909 --> 00:15:30.750 of her cinematic power was the 2008 film Adaptation 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:33.429 of Doubt. Ah, yes. This is a perfect example 00:15:33.429 --> 00:15:35.870 of how a limited performance delivered with absolute 00:15:35.870 --> 00:15:38.730 precision can just eclipse an entire film. That 00:15:38.730 --> 00:15:41.629 role as Mrs. Miller was a cinematic explosion. 00:15:41.950 --> 00:15:44.850 It earned her her first Academy Award nomination 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:47.629 for Best Supporting Actress. The source material 00:15:47.629 --> 00:15:49.649 for the film was already critically acclaimed, 00:15:49.669 --> 00:15:52.320 but Davis's performance, which consists of just 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.320 a few intense scenes, gave the film its emotional 00:15:55.320 --> 00:15:57.980 core. This is the kind of performance that becomes 00:15:57.980 --> 00:16:00.799 legendary precisely because of its brevity. It 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:04.019 does. The late great film critic Roger Ebert 00:16:04.019 --> 00:16:06.440 summed it up perfectly. He stated that her performance 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:08.740 lasts about 10 minutes, but it is the emotional 00:16:08.740 --> 00:16:11.000 heart and soul of doubt. Wow. And he didn't stop 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.440 there. He specifically praised her scene with 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:15.759 Meryl Streep, describing it as a confrontation 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:18.600 of two equals that generates terrifying power. 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:21.789 Two equals. I mean, the recognition of that performance, 00:16:22.009 --> 00:16:24.649 an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and SAG nominations, 00:16:25.029 --> 00:16:27.350 it wasn't just an acknowledgement of her talent. 00:16:27.570 --> 00:16:30.190 It was a signal to casting directors everywhere 00:16:30.190 --> 00:16:33.470 that she could deliver maximum impact with minimal 00:16:33.470 --> 00:16:35.750 screen time. It established her as a genuine 00:16:35.750 --> 00:16:37.840 cinematic heavyweight. It was the inflection 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:40.759 point, really. It was. After decades of grinding 00:16:40.759 --> 00:16:44.659 on stage and taking smaller roles, Doubt catapulted 00:16:44.659 --> 00:16:46.879 her into the conversation as a bankable cinematic 00:16:46.879 --> 00:16:50.100 force. But after conquering the stage and establishing 00:16:50.100 --> 00:16:53.259 this brief but unforgettable power on film, she 00:16:53.259 --> 00:16:55.799 made a fascinating pivot into the world of long 00:16:55.799 --> 00:16:58.720 -form episodic television. That pivot ushered 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.919 in the How to Get Away with Murder era, which 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:03.879 began in 2014. And this was a massive undertaking. 00:17:04.430 --> 00:17:06.970 A network legal drama, executive produced by 00:17:06.970 --> 00:17:09.630 Shonda Rhimes, a titan of modern television. 00:17:09.829 --> 00:17:12.329 Starring as the formidable and deeply complicated 00:17:12.329 --> 00:17:14.869 criminal defense attorney and professor, Annalise 00:17:14.869 --> 00:17:17.349 Keating was a monumental shift from the stage. 00:17:17.549 --> 00:17:20.410 She committed to six seasons of demanding weekly 00:17:20.410 --> 00:17:22.769 character work. And the power of the show wasn't 00:17:22.769 --> 00:17:25.519 just in the plot twists. No, it was in Davis's 00:17:25.519 --> 00:17:28.059 ability to maintain the high wire tension and 00:17:28.059 --> 00:17:30.680 the emotional vulnerability of Keating week after 00:17:30.680 --> 00:17:32.640 week after week. And this is where the Emmy achievement 00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:35.460 comes in, which secured the second component 00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:37.759 of her Triple Crown. That Emmy win in September 00:17:37.759 --> 00:17:41.400 2015 was genuinely historic. Davis became the 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:44.160 first African -American actress to win the Primetime 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:46.880 Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a 00:17:46.880 --> 00:17:49.960 Drama Series. The first. Think about that for 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:52.809 a moment. decades into television history and 00:17:52.809 --> 00:17:54.690 she was the first to achieve this particular 00:17:54.690 --> 00:17:57.509 competitive honor in the lead drama category 00:17:57.509 --> 00:18:00.589 so this completion of the emmy requirement following 00:18:00.589 --> 00:18:03.589 her two competitive tony's left only the oscars 00:18:03.589 --> 00:18:06.789 standing between her and the triple crown But 00:18:06.789 --> 00:18:09.190 let's just pause on the significance of the HTGA 00:18:09.190 --> 00:18:12.190 -WM run itself. It wasn't just about one win. 00:18:12.390 --> 00:18:14.490 Not at all. It was about sustained excellence 00:18:14.490 --> 00:18:17.369 and the breaking of barriers regarding the portrayal 00:18:17.369 --> 00:18:20.269 of complex, messy, and commanding black female 00:18:20.269 --> 00:18:23.029 leads in network television. Yeah, Annalise Keating 00:18:23.029 --> 00:18:25.670 was not a simple hero. Not at all. She was deeply 00:18:25.670 --> 00:18:29.650 flawed, powerful, and often ruthless. And Davis 00:18:29.650 --> 00:18:32.029 just inhabited that complexity, earning two consecutive 00:18:32.029 --> 00:18:34.150 Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance 00:18:34.150 --> 00:18:37.650 by a Female Actor in a Drama Series in 2014 and 00:18:37.650 --> 00:18:40.609 2015. And that consecutive recognition from her 00:18:40.609 --> 00:18:43.849 peers, the SAG Award, is such a potent indicator 00:18:43.849 --> 00:18:46.190 of how highly her work was regarded within the 00:18:46.190 --> 00:18:48.950 industry itself. Exactly. She received another 00:18:48.950 --> 00:18:51.710 Primetime Emmy nomination in 2016 for the role, 00:18:51.849 --> 00:19:01.180 confirming that the performance was not So her 00:19:01.180 --> 00:19:03.819 tenure as Annalise Keating really elevated the 00:19:03.819 --> 00:19:06.579 show, elevated the Shondaland brand, and more 00:19:06.579 --> 00:19:08.480 importantly, elevated the conversation around 00:19:08.480 --> 00:19:10.880 representation and character depth in television. 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:13.700 So she is two -thirds of the way to the Triple 00:19:13.700 --> 00:19:15.980 Crown Tony -secured, Emmy -secured television 00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:18.480 dominance established. And the final hurdle, 00:19:18.619 --> 00:19:21.200 the Oscar, was cleared by returning to the material 00:19:21.200 --> 00:19:23.680 that defined her stage mastery. August Wilson. 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:25.920 It's a beautiful narrative symmetry, isn't it? 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:29.160 The fences double dip. In 2016, she reprised 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.240 her Tony -winning role as Rose Maxson for the 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:34.180 film adaptation. Again, with Denzel Washington. 00:19:34.440 --> 00:19:37.180 Once again, directed by and co -starring Denzel 00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:39.579 Washington. The performance had already been 00:19:39.579 --> 00:19:42.859 road tested and perfected on Broadway, but transferring 00:19:42.859 --> 00:19:45.339 that nuanced stage performance to the intimacy 00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:48.619 of film required a complete retuning of her acting 00:19:48.619 --> 00:19:50.640 instrument. And the awards community responded 00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:53.700 by crowning her unequivocally. She swept the 00:19:53.700 --> 00:19:56.160 supporting actress category for the 2016 film 00:19:56.160 --> 00:19:59.000 year. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.740 Actress, the Golden Globe, the Screen Actors 00:20:01.740 --> 00:20:05.240 Guild Award, and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:08.799 Role. It was a clean sweep. Oscar win was the 00:20:08.799 --> 00:20:10.839 final piece that completed the triple crown of 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:13.299 acting? It was. This made her the first Black 00:20:13.299 --> 00:20:15.799 performer in history to achieve the triple crown 00:20:15.799 --> 00:20:19.279 of acting. The Tony in 2001, the Emmy in 2015, 00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:23.460 the Oscar in 2017 for the 2016 film. That is 00:20:23.460 --> 00:20:25.740 not just an award. It's a permanent marker in 00:20:25.740 --> 00:20:27.559 performance history. And that Oscar nomination 00:20:27.559 --> 00:20:30.279 wasn't just a win. It was another milestone in 00:20:30.279 --> 00:20:32.480 her record -breaking nomination history. The 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:35.400 2016 nomination for Fences was her third overall. 00:20:36.009 --> 00:20:38.210 This made her the first black actress in history 00:20:38.210 --> 00:20:41.589 to reach three Academy Award nominations. She 00:20:41.589 --> 00:20:44.029 was consistently setting precedents simply by 00:20:44.029 --> 00:20:46.230 showing up and delivering monumental performances. 00:20:46.609 --> 00:20:50.170 Now, we absolutely must discuss the other major 00:20:50.170 --> 00:20:52.930 film role that brought her profound recognition, 00:20:53.089 --> 00:20:56.329 but also caused her deep personal conflict. Yes. 00:20:56.450 --> 00:20:59.430 Her second Oscar nomination in 2011 for The Help, 00:20:59.589 --> 00:21:02.799 where she played Abilene Clark. This is such 00:21:02.799 --> 00:21:05.059 a critical point that speaks to her artistic 00:21:05.059 --> 00:21:07.519 integrity. It is perhaps the most compelling 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:10.279 insight into her professional ethics. Because 00:21:10.279 --> 00:21:12.380 despite earning a Best Actress in a Leading Role 00:21:12.380 --> 00:21:14.759 nomination, a career highlight for most actors, 00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:17.839 Davis later expressed profound professional regret 00:21:17.839 --> 00:21:20.299 overtaking the role. Why? What was the core of 00:21:20.299 --> 00:21:22.099 her regret regarding a film that brought her 00:21:22.099 --> 00:21:24.420 such immense visibility and critical acclaim? 00:21:24.799 --> 00:21:27.000 She stated quite powerfully that she felt she 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:29.220 had betrayed herself. The source material highlights 00:21:29.220 --> 00:21:30.960 that her issue was not with her collaborators, 00:21:31.220 --> 00:21:34.700 whom she admired greatly. It was with the narrative 00:21:34.700 --> 00:21:37.670 itself. She felt the story and the portrayal 00:21:37.670 --> 00:21:40.309 were not truthful about the actual lives, experiences 00:21:40.309 --> 00:21:43.450 and agency of the black characters. She felt 00:21:43.450 --> 00:21:46.170 the film centered the white perspective rather 00:21:46.170 --> 00:21:49.269 than providing a deep, complex depiction of the 00:21:49.269 --> 00:21:51.410 lives of black domestic workers in the South. 00:21:51.509 --> 00:21:53.869 That is a fascinating conflict. It highlights 00:21:53.869 --> 00:21:56.789 the tension between maximizing a career opportunity 00:21:56.789 --> 00:21:59.910 and maintaining your artistic conscience. And 00:21:59.910 --> 00:22:02.490 she chose integrity over celebration. And that 00:22:02.490 --> 00:22:05.319 decision. To speak publicly about regretting 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:07.359 a role that delivered her a massive platform, 00:22:07.660 --> 00:22:10.460 it just underscores her commitment to authenticity, 00:22:10.819 --> 00:22:13.640 echoing her earlier critique of Juilliard. She's 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:15.619 not willing to just be a technically brilliant 00:22:15.619 --> 00:22:17.920 performer. The story has to serve a greater truth. 00:22:18.039 --> 00:22:20.180 It has to, and that commitment to narrative truth 00:22:20.180 --> 00:22:22.539 continued to drive her record -breaking milestones 00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:25.180 into the next decade. Okay, so what came next? 00:22:25.380 --> 00:22:27.779 In 2020, she demonstrated her continuing power 00:22:27.779 --> 00:22:30.200 by receiving her fourth Academy Award nomination, 00:22:30.519 --> 00:22:33.000 this time for Best Actress in a Leading Role. 00:22:33.000 --> 00:22:35.980 playing the fiery blues icon in Mara Rainey's 00:22:35.980 --> 00:22:38.119 Black Bottom. And this single nomination broke 00:22:38.119 --> 00:22:41.359 two major records instantly. It did. She became 00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:43.640 the most nominated black actress in the history 00:22:43.640 --> 00:22:46.380 of the Academy Awards, surpassing her own record. 00:22:46.440 --> 00:22:49.400 And, crucially, she became the first black actress 00:22:49.400 --> 00:22:51.759 to be nominated for Best Actress more than once. 00:22:51.980 --> 00:22:54.609 That latter record is staggering. It confirms 00:22:54.609 --> 00:22:57.130 her place in the absolute upper echelon of cinematic 00:22:57.130 --> 00:22:59.809 leads, shattering a ceiling that had existed 00:22:59.809 --> 00:23:03.109 for decades. And she also won the SAG Award for 00:23:03.109 --> 00:23:05.829 Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in 00:23:05.829 --> 00:23:08.490 a Leading Role from Marini, once again earning 00:23:08.490 --> 00:23:11.390 that crucial recognition from her peers. Outside 00:23:11.390 --> 00:23:13.970 of these deep, complex dramas, though, her modern 00:23:13.970 --> 00:23:16.400 filmography shows her adaptability. I mean, she 00:23:16.400 --> 00:23:18.819 can move seamlessly between high art and high 00:23:18.819 --> 00:23:21.819 octane global franchises. She has become a staple 00:23:21.819 --> 00:23:24.839 of the DC Universe as the cold, amoral government 00:23:24.839 --> 00:23:27.480 operative Amanda Waller. She's played the character 00:23:27.480 --> 00:23:31.339 across major titles, Suicide Squad in 2016, The 00:23:31.339 --> 00:23:34.619 Suicide Squad in 2021, and Black Adam in 2022. 00:23:35.059 --> 00:23:37.140 And she's still doing it. Still doing it. She 00:23:37.140 --> 00:23:39.140 also reprised the voice role in the animated 00:23:39.140 --> 00:23:42.339 series Creature Commandos in 2024 and is confirmed 00:23:42.339 --> 00:23:45.180 to return in the rebooted DC Universe. This longevity 00:23:45.420 --> 00:23:47.720 in a major cinematic universe really speaks to 00:23:47.720 --> 00:23:50.319 her cultural relevance. But she balances that 00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:54.400 massive franchise work with demanding, prestige, 00:23:54.579 --> 00:23:57.200 dramatic roles, like in Steve McQueen's heist 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:00.859 Thriller Widows in 2018. That film was a masterclass 00:24:00.859 --> 00:24:04.220 in tension and leadership. Eric Cohn, a noted 00:24:04.220 --> 00:24:06.700 film critic, emphasized that the film largely 00:24:06.700 --> 00:24:09.460 belongs to Davis. The actress has never been 00:24:09.460 --> 00:24:12.430 more commanding. And then, in 2022... The Woman 00:24:12.430 --> 00:24:15.190 King. Yes, she starred in and championed the 00:24:15.190 --> 00:24:17.349 historical action film The Woman King, playing 00:24:17.349 --> 00:24:19.789 General Naniska, the leader of the all -female 00:24:19.789 --> 00:24:22.829 military unit, the Agoge. This was a physical, 00:24:22.970 --> 00:24:25.750 emotional, and powerful commitment to bringing 00:24:25.750 --> 00:24:28.930 a marginalized historical narrative to the blockbuster 00:24:28.930 --> 00:24:31.390 stage. And speaking of bringing history to life, 00:24:31.529 --> 00:24:33.750 she also tackled the daunting task of playing 00:24:33.750 --> 00:24:36.190 former First Lady Michelle Obama in the 2022 00:24:36.190 --> 00:24:39.089 series The First Lady. That is a role that comes 00:24:39.089 --> 00:24:41.329 with an intense amount of public scrutiny. It 00:24:41.329 --> 00:24:43.730 certainly did. The portrayal drew criticism on 00:24:43.730 --> 00:24:45.670 social media, especially concerning specific 00:24:45.670 --> 00:24:49.150 mannerisms. But Davis, true to form, responded 00:24:49.150 --> 00:24:51.390 by doubling down on her commitment to artistic 00:24:51.390 --> 00:24:53.809 choice. Right. She didn't apologize for it. No. 00:24:54.109 --> 00:24:56.769 She called the disapproval incredibly hurtful, 00:24:56.809 --> 00:24:59.829 but defended her process, emphasizing that it 00:24:59.829 --> 00:25:03.349 is my job as a leader to make bold choices. It 00:25:03.349 --> 00:25:05.630 shows that even when portraying a beloved public 00:25:05.630 --> 00:25:08.150 figure, she prioritizes courageous interpretation 00:25:08.150 --> 00:25:10.990 over pleasing every single critic. So we have 00:25:10.990 --> 00:25:12.769 charted the Triple Crown, the Tony, the Emmy, 00:25:12.869 --> 00:25:15.809 the Oscar. We now arrive at the final exclusive 00:25:15.809 --> 00:25:18.750 component that places her name alongside the 00:25:18.750 --> 00:25:21.509 absolute titans of performance. Yeah. The competitive 00:25:21.509 --> 00:25:24.819 Grammy. The G in EPO. What was the last piece 00:25:24.819 --> 00:25:27.099 of the EGOT puzzle and how did she secure it? 00:25:27.180 --> 00:25:29.339 The final piece was the Grammy Award, and she 00:25:29.339 --> 00:25:32.640 achieved it in February 2023. She won the award 00:25:32.640 --> 00:25:35.259 for Best Audiobook Narration and Storytelling 00:25:35.259 --> 00:25:37.519 Recording. And the material was? The material 00:25:37.519 --> 00:25:40.900 was her 2022 memoir, Finding Me. That's a highly 00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:43.680 specific but a really fitting category. The EGOT 00:25:43.680 --> 00:25:46.539 requires a competitive win, and this award acknowledges 00:25:46.539 --> 00:25:48.940 her ability to perform narrative, not just dialogue 00:25:48.940 --> 00:25:52.079 or song. It's such a key distinction. The EGOT 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:54.420 is often completed through musical scores or 00:25:54.420 --> 00:25:56.960 non -competitive awards, but Davis completed 00:25:56.960 --> 00:25:59.599 hers with a competitive win for narrative storytelling, 00:25:59.980 --> 00:26:03.220 cementing her power as an unparalleled communicator. 00:26:03.339 --> 00:26:06.279 So the moment that trophy was lifted, the architecture 00:26:06.279 --> 00:26:08.640 was complete. It was complete. She became the 00:26:08.640 --> 00:26:11.640 18th person in history to achieve full competitive 00:26:11.640 --> 00:26:15.849 EGOT status. And the memoir itself finding me 00:26:15.849 --> 00:26:19.349 is inextricably linked to her literary and production 00:26:19.349 --> 00:26:22.279 endeavors. Absolutely. Beyond the memoir, she 00:26:22.279 --> 00:26:24.460 also ventured into children's literature, writing 00:26:24.460 --> 00:26:26.799 the sequel to the classic picture book Corduroy, 00:26:26.980 --> 00:26:29.720 titled Corduroy Takes a Bow, which was published 00:26:29.720 --> 00:26:32.500 in 2018. I didn't know that. Yeah. She noted 00:26:32.500 --> 00:26:34.559 that the beloved bear had always held a special 00:26:34.559 --> 00:26:37.019 place in her life, first when she read the original 00:26:37.019 --> 00:26:39.059 as a child and then reading it to her adopted 00:26:39.059 --> 00:26:42.000 daughter, Genesis. And her life extends significantly 00:26:42.000 --> 00:26:44.460 beyond her own performance and writing. She is 00:26:44.460 --> 00:26:47.059 a powerhouse producer through Juvie Productions. 00:26:47.079 --> 00:26:49.539 Which she co -founded with her husband, actor 00:26:49.539 --> 00:26:54.880 Julius Ten. And Juvie Productions is such a critical 00:26:54.880 --> 00:26:57.880 component of her legacy. It serves as a platform 00:26:57.880 --> 00:27:01.019 to tell the exact kind of complex, truthful stories 00:27:01.019 --> 00:27:03.420 she felt were missing from her classical education. 00:27:03.819 --> 00:27:06.380 Their work ranges across film, television, and 00:27:06.380 --> 00:27:09.539 digital content. Significantly, in December 2024, 00:27:09.940 --> 00:27:12.160 the company received the inaugural Faith and 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:15.220 Spirituality in Entertainment Honor. This signals 00:27:15.220 --> 00:27:17.799 a very clear mandate that their focus is not 00:27:17.799 --> 00:27:20.990 solely on commercial success. No. but on producing 00:27:20.990 --> 00:27:24.089 content that reflects deep human values, perhaps 00:27:24.089 --> 00:27:26.309 tying back to the spiritual resilience required 00:27:26.309 --> 00:27:29.069 to endure her childhood. Which brings us full 00:27:29.069 --> 00:27:31.859 circle to her foundations. That rigorous and 00:27:31.859 --> 00:27:34.579 often traumatic childhood, defined by poverty 00:27:34.579 --> 00:27:37.480 and early activism, directly informs her profound 00:27:37.480 --> 00:27:39.819 dedication to activism and philanthropy today. 00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:42.519 That link is powerfully personal. Since 2014, 00:27:42.839 --> 00:27:44.859 she has collaborated extensively with the Hunger 00:27:44.859 --> 00:27:47.279 Is campaign, aiming to eradicate childhood hunger 00:27:47.279 --> 00:27:49.779 across the country. And this isn't just a celebrity 00:27:49.779 --> 00:27:52.099 endorsement. No, she uses her own lived history 00:27:52.099 --> 00:27:54.799 as the fuel for this campaign. And her recollection 00:27:54.799 --> 00:27:57.920 of that childhood hunger is truly stark, detailing 00:27:57.920 --> 00:28:00.279 the desperate measures she had to take just to 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:02.900 survive. She was extremely candid about the daily 00:28:02.900 --> 00:28:05.539 struggle, saying, I grew up in abject poverty. 00:28:05.680 --> 00:28:07.619 I did everything that you could possibly imagine 00:28:07.619 --> 00:28:10.579 to get food. I rummaged in the garbage cans I 00:28:10.579 --> 00:28:13.039 stole from the local store constantly. She doesn't 00:28:13.039 --> 00:28:15.519 couch the language. She describes the reality 00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:18.160 of survival for a hungry child, which makes her 00:28:18.160 --> 00:28:21.099 commitment to eradication, not just awareness, 00:28:21.400 --> 00:28:25.369 a profound personal. mandate. She views eradicating 00:28:25.369 --> 00:28:27.890 hunger as essential to giving every child a fair 00:28:27.890 --> 00:28:30.049 chance at the American dream. And her philanthropy 00:28:30.049 --> 00:28:33.019 isn't just global or national. She has continually 00:28:33.019 --> 00:28:36.099 reinvested in Central Falls, Rhode Island, the 00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:38.099 very place where she experienced those challenging 00:28:38.099 --> 00:28:40.440 conditions. Her local support is unwavering. 00:28:40.480 --> 00:28:42.920 When her hometown public library in Central Falls 00:28:42.920 --> 00:28:45.900 was facing closure in 2011, she donated funds 00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:49.339 to keep it open. Wow. In 2018, she donated funds 00:28:49.339 --> 00:28:51.819 directly to her alma mater, Central Falls High 00:28:51.819 --> 00:28:54.140 School, specifically for its theater program, 00:28:54.480 --> 00:28:56.900 ensuring the next generation has access to the 00:28:56.900 --> 00:28:59.769 arts that saved her life. And that focus on dignity 00:28:59.769 --> 00:29:02.390 and health also extends to her partnership with 00:29:02.390 --> 00:29:04.430 Vaseline. Right. She partnered with Vaseline 00:29:04.430 --> 00:29:07.009 to promote the Vaseline Healing Project, which 00:29:07.009 --> 00:29:09.190 provides dermatological care to those affected 00:29:09.190 --> 00:29:11.950 by poverty globally. This project understands 00:29:11.950 --> 00:29:14.970 that health care must include basic dignity. 00:29:15.210 --> 00:29:17.289 And it connects back to her hometown. It does. 00:29:18.049 --> 00:29:20.490 Reflecting her local commitment, this partnership 00:29:20.490 --> 00:29:23.269 included sponsoring a free community health center 00:29:23.269 --> 00:29:26.210 in Central Falls in 2016, providing essential 00:29:26.210 --> 00:29:28.930 medical services. where she grew up. And her 00:29:28.930 --> 00:29:31.549 activism, much like her mother's, has directly 00:29:31.549 --> 00:29:34.130 confronted systemic issues of injustice. That 00:29:34.130 --> 00:29:38.069 lineage of activism is so clear. In 2018, she 00:29:38.069 --> 00:29:40.630 served as executive producer for Two Sides, a 00:29:40.630 --> 00:29:43.069 documentary series that specifically explored 00:29:43.069 --> 00:29:45.109 police brutality towards the African -American 00:29:45.109 --> 00:29:47.630 community. So it's not abstract for her. No. 00:29:47.950 --> 00:29:50.809 Whether through her production company, her presence 00:29:50.809 --> 00:29:52.990 at events like the Women's March in Los Angeles 00:29:52.990 --> 00:29:56.309 or her public advocacy on hunger, she is relentlessly 00:29:56.309 --> 00:29:58.789 using the power of her position to affect social 00:29:58.789 --> 00:30:02.049 change. The activism she witnessed as a two year 00:30:02.049 --> 00:30:04.930 old child in the back of a jail cell is now manifested 00:30:04.930 --> 00:30:07.509 in her status as a global producer and advocate. 00:30:07.890 --> 00:30:10.769 So we have journeyed through an unparalleled 00:30:10.769 --> 00:30:13.869 career. From being born on a plantation in South 00:30:13.869 --> 00:30:16.470 Carolina and enduring years of poverty in Rhode 00:30:16.470 --> 00:30:19.549 Island, to achieving total dominance across stage, 00:30:19.750 --> 00:30:22.230 film, television, and narrative recording. It's 00:30:22.230 --> 00:30:24.190 incredible. It is the definition of the American 00:30:24.190 --> 00:30:27.869 dream, built not on luck, but on profound, unrelenting 00:30:27.869 --> 00:30:30.109 talent and commitment to truth. And her success 00:30:30.109 --> 00:30:32.829 isn't just measured by the EGOT, it's measured 00:30:32.829 --> 00:30:35.130 by the ceilings she shattered. She holds the 00:30:35.130 --> 00:30:37.630 record for most film wins for an actress at the 00:30:37.630 --> 00:30:40.569 Screen Actors Guild Awards. Six overall. Six 00:30:40.569 --> 00:30:44.109 overall SAG wins. She is the most awarded African 00:30:44.109 --> 00:30:47.170 -American performer in that history. Her fourth 00:30:47.170 --> 00:30:49.950 Oscar nomination made her the first actress of 00:30:49.950 --> 00:30:52.670 color to achieve four nominations and the first 00:30:52.670 --> 00:30:54.869 black actress to be nominated for Best Actress 00:30:54.869 --> 00:30:58.029 more than once. She has continuously redefined 00:30:58.029 --> 00:30:59.789 what high achievement looks like in the industry. 00:30:59.990 --> 00:31:02.769 And the scope of her impact is perhaps best summarized 00:31:02.769 --> 00:31:05.529 by her peer, Meryl Streep, when Davis received 00:31:05.529 --> 00:31:09.759 her Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2017. Streep 00:31:09.759 --> 00:31:11.700 didn't just praise the acting, she praised the 00:31:11.700 --> 00:31:14.119 whole person. Streep stated that Davis has carved 00:31:14.119 --> 00:31:16.140 a place for herself on the Mount Rushmore of 00:31:16.140 --> 00:31:19.099 the 21st century. And critically, Streep pointed 00:31:19.099 --> 00:31:21.519 out that Davis's importance is marked not just 00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:24.319 by her unassailable, undeniable, deep and rich 00:31:24.319 --> 00:31:26.440 and true gifts as an artist. By her character. 00:31:26.720 --> 00:31:29.599 But by her willingness to speak about it and 00:31:29.599 --> 00:31:32.099 take on responsibility for it. It is the integration 00:31:32.099 --> 00:31:34.500 of the art and the activism that defines her. 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:37.039 So what does this all mean for you, the learner? 00:31:37.470 --> 00:31:39.829 Watching the world of performance evolve, we 00:31:39.829 --> 00:31:42.569 discussed how Viola Davis felt her rigorous Juilliard 00:31:42.569 --> 00:31:44.950 training prepared her for the world of classical 00:31:44.950 --> 00:31:48.329 white -centric drama. Yet we know without a doubt 00:31:48.329 --> 00:31:51.309 that her most fundamental and career -defining 00:31:51.309 --> 00:31:54.710 accolades, her two competitive Tony wins and 00:31:54.710 --> 00:31:57.890 her Oscar win for the same role, are rooted in 00:31:57.890 --> 00:32:00.710 the profound specificity of Black American life 00:32:00.710 --> 00:32:03.430 as captured by August Wilson. It is a stunning 00:32:03.430 --> 00:32:06.019 professional realization. The material she felt 00:32:06.019 --> 00:32:08.240 was marginalized was the wellspring of her universal 00:32:08.240 --> 00:32:11.119 glory. She has proved that the work focused on 00:32:11.119 --> 00:32:13.079 the specific struggles and triumphs of Black 00:32:13.079 --> 00:32:16.039 America is not niche, but deeply classically 00:32:16.039 --> 00:32:18.619 universal. So now that she has achieved every 00:32:18.619 --> 00:32:21.640 possible mainstream accolade, establishing her 00:32:21.640 --> 00:32:25.440 power as definitive and universal, how will Viola 00:32:25.440 --> 00:32:27.819 Davis's established power challenge the fundamental 00:32:27.819 --> 00:32:30.170 assumptions about classical theater? and what 00:32:30.170 --> 00:32:32.349 truly defines universal dramatic excellence in 00:32:32.349 --> 00:32:34.390 the next generation of performers and playwrights. 00:32:34.390 --> 00:32:36.710 Her legacy ensures that the answer will be far 00:32:36.710 --> 00:32:38.309 broader than what was taught on her textbooks. 00:32:38.690 --> 00:32:40.910 That is a provocative thought for you to mull 00:32:40.910 --> 00:32:42.430 over until our next deep dive.