Viola Davis net worth is a topic many fans want to know about. She is one of the most respected actresses in Hollywood. With powerful performances in movies and TV shows, she has won major awards, including an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony. Her talent and hard work have helped her build a strong career.
So, let’s take a closer look at how she made her money and what helped her build her wealth.
Viola Davis in Brief
| Full Name | Viola Davis |
| Date of Birth | August 11, 1965 |
| Place of Birth | St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer |
| Height | 5 feet 5 inches (165 cm) |
| Weight | 154 lbs (70 kg) |
| Spouse | Julius Tennon (m. 2003) |
| Children | Genesis Tennon |
| Net Worth | $25 million |
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What Viola Davis Net Worth?
Viola Davis is an American actress and film producer with an estimated net worth of $25 million. She earned her wealth through acting in films, television, and theater. She is one of the highest-paid Black actresses in Hollywood and has made millions from her talent and hard work.
For her role as Annalise Keating in How to Get Away with Murder, Davis reportedly earned $250,000 per episode. Since the show had six seasons, this added up to a huge paycheck. She also made millions from starring in hit films like The Help and Fences, which won her an Academy Award.
Davis is also a producer, author, and brand ambassador, which helps grow her fortune.
Early Life
Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina, to Mae Alice and Dan Davis. She grew up on her grandmother’s farm. Her father was a horse trainer, and her mother worked as a maid, factory worker, and homemaker. Viola is the second youngest of six children, with four sisters and one brother. Her parents later moved with Viola and two of her older siblings to Central Falls, Rhode Island. They left the other siblings with their grandparents.
Viola’s mother was also an activist during the Civil Rights Movement. When Viola was only two years old, she was taken to jail with her mother after a protest. Viola has said that she grew up in poor and difficult conditions, including living in apartments that were rat-infested and falling apart. Viola is also related to actor Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage in the Marvel series.
Viola Davis went to Central Falls High School, where she discovered her love for acting. She was involved in arts programs and got support through federal programs like TRIO Upward Bound. While studying at the Young People’s School for the Performing Arts in Rhode Island, a director named Bernard Masterson noticed her talent.
After high school, Viola attended Rhode Island College and studied theater. She later transferred to the Juilliard School in New York City, where she spent four years learning and developing her craft.
Career
Viola Davis started her career in 1992 with her first professional stage role in As You Like It. She played Denis alongside Elizabeth McGovern in an off-Broadway production. In 1996, she made her Broadway debut in Seven Guitars by August Wilson. She received praise for her performance as Vera, and the play opened at the Walter Kerr Theatre.
In 1996, Davis also worked in her first film, The Substance of Fire, earning $518 for one day of work. She appeared in small roles on TV in shows like NYPD Blue and New York Undercover. In 1998, she had a minor part in Out of Sight, a film directed by Steven Soderbergh.
Her film career grew in the 2000s with roles in Solaris, Traffic, and Syriana. She also appeared in Ocean’s Eleven as an uncredited voice and in Kate & Leopold. In 2001, she starred in King Hedley II, a play by August Wilson, and won her first Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
In 2008, she played Mrs. Miller in Doubt, a role praised by critics. Roger Ebert called her performance the emotional heart of the film. She earned several nominations, including an Academy Award. The next year, Davis returned to Broadway in Fences, a play by August Wilson, and won her second Tony Award in 2010 for her role as Rose Maxson.
Viola Davis gained worldwide recognition in 2011 for her role in The Help as Aibileen Clark. She received two Screen Actors Guild Awards and her second Academy Award nomination. In 2014, she starred in How to Get Away with Murder as Annalise Keating. She made history by becoming the first African-American woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
In 2016, Davis played Amanda Waller in Suicide Squad. That same year, she returned to Fences, the film adaptation of the play, and won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Viola Davis is a famous actress known for her roles in movies and TV shows. In 2017, she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame from her friend and co-star, Meryl Streep. Davis said it was like her life flashing before her eyes and thanked God for her blessings.
She was also named to Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People” list for the second time. Meryl Streep wrote about how Davis is an amazing artist and a strong voice in the culture. In March 2017, Davis won the Artist of the Year Award at Harvard University.
That same year, Davis announced she would write the sequel to the famous children’s book Corduroy. The new book, Corduroy Takes a Bow, was published in 2018. Davis shared how special the book was to her and her daughter.
In 2018, Davis appeared in a documentary series called Two-Sides, about police brutality against African-Americans. She also starred in a special episode of How to Get Away with Murder and Scandal, where she got an Emmy nomination. In the movie Widows, Davis starred with Cynthia Erivo and Liam Neeson. Her performance was praised by critics, and she received a nomination for Best Actress at the British Academy Film Awards.
In 2020, Davis worked as an executive producer on Giving Voice, a documentary about students competing in the August Wilson monologue competition. She also starred in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom with Chadwick Boseman. Her acting earned her a Screen Actors Guild Award and two Academy Award nominations. She became the most-nominated Black actress in Academy Award history.
In 2021, Davis returned as Amanda Waller in The Suicide Squad. She also starred in The Unforgivable with Sandra Bullock and appeared in Peacemaker and Black Adam. Davis also played Michelle Obama in the Showtime drama The First Lady, which premiered in 2022. Despite some criticism for her portrayal, she stood by her choice.
Viola Davis starred in The Woman King in 2022, a film based on the true story of a female military unit in The Kingdom of Dahomey. She also narrated Disney’s Candlelight Processional. In 2022, it was announced that Davis would play Dr. Volumnia Gaul in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
In 2024, Viola Davis was honored with a Barbie doll to celebrate International Women’s Day. Later that year, she voiced the villain in Kung Fu Panda 4 and returned as Amanda Waller in the animated series Creature Commandos.
Personal life
Viola Davis married actor Julius Tennon in June 2003. They have a daughter named Genesis, whom they adopted in 2011. Viola is also a stepmother to Julius’s two children from his previous relationships.
Philanthropy
Viola Davis has been very active in helping her community. In 2011, she gave money to the public library in Central Falls, Rhode Island, to stop it from closing due to lack of funds. She also helped her old high school, Central Falls High School, by donating money for the school’s theater program in 2018.
Since 2014, Viola Davis has worked with the Hunger Is campaign to fight childhood hunger in America. She has spoken about her own struggles with hunger, sharing that she often had to rummage through garbage cans and steal food. Davis wants to completely end childhood hunger in the U.S., saying that every child should have a chance at the American dream.
In 2017, Davis started the $30K in 30 Days Project to help feed those in need. She gave a $1,000 grant to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to help those who are hungry in her home state.
Viola Davis has also worked with Vaseline on the Vaseline Healing Project. In 2016, she attended the opening of a free health center in Central Falls that helps people who suffer from skin issues because of poverty. She also spoke at the 2018 Women’s March in Los Angeles.
Real Estate
In 2016, Viola Davis bought a fancy house in Toluca Lake for $5.7 million. The house is big with 7,500 square feet of space. It has a formal dining room with a glass door that leads to a wine cellar that holds 600 bottles. The house also has a private movie theater with a 4K projector. Outside, there are fountains, a pool, a BBQ, and a fire pit. The house also has a 3-car garage.
In 2017, Viola Davis sold her home in Granada Hills, Los Angeles for $1.15 million. The house had five bedrooms and five bathrooms. She had bought the house in 2005 for $1.7 million. It’s not clear why she lost so much money, but she might have been ready to move into her new, bigger house in Toluca Lake.