Davis spent her childhood in a one-room apartment in Central Falls, Rhode Island, having moved there when she was just two months old. Living in challenging circumstances, her family often faced poverty and hunger. Her father earned a living grooming horses, while her mother worked as a housekeeper and factory worker.

Did Viola Davis ever live in Rhode Island?

She accomplished the rare feat of winning the four major North American entertainment awards (EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). Davis was raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where her father found work as a horse groom at nearby racetracks and her mother took on domestic and factory jobs.

What city does Viola Davis live in?

An archway of fiddle-leaf fig trees stands at the entrance to the home of Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, whose abode in Los Angeles's Toluca Lake neighborhood has a European-style exterior adorned with lush greenery.

Where did Viola Davis grow up?

Davis was born on August 11, 1965, in Saint Matthews, South Carolina. She was raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island, where she grew up in poverty. As a child, Davis began acting in school productions and theater competitions.

What is Central Falls, RI famous for?

This area is known for a major battle during King Philip's War where, on March 26, 1676, hundreds of Narragansett Indians ambushed Captain Michael Pierce and his troops.

An Oscar preview: Viola Davis talks about growing up in Rhode Island

What is the smallest town in Rhode Island?

Welcome to the Town of New Shoreham, Rhode Island!

New Shoreham has the distinction of being the smallest town in the smallest state.

What is the smallest city in Rhode Island?

The smallest municipality by population is New Shoreham on Block Island, with 1,410 year-round residents.

Why did Viola Davis' family move to Rhode Island?

Her father, Dan Davis, was a horse groomer, and he and Davis's mother, Mae Alice Davis, moved the family to Central Falls when Viola was a baby “because two of the biggest racetracks in the country were in Rhode Island,” Davis writes.

What did Viola Davis do before acting?

After graduating from high school, Davis studied at Rhode Island College, majoring in theater and participating in the National Student Exchange before graduating in 1988. Next, she attended the Juilliard School for four years, and was a member of the school's Drama Division "Group 22" (1989–93).

Is Viola's daughter adopted?

Some fans have wondered if Genesis is Viola's biological child, but she isn't. Viola Davis and her husband, Julius Tennon, adopted Genesis in October 2011. They had been married for eight years at the time. Genesis came into the world on July 10, 2010, and was lovingly adopted by Viola and Julius in October 2011.

Does Viola Davis have an adopted child?

Davis and her husband Tennon adopted Genesis back in 2011 when she was only an infant. Davis is also the stepmother to Tennon's two other children. In a previous interview with SheKnows, Davis had an amazing answer when asked about balancing work and motherhood.

Did Viola Davis have a baby?

Actress Viola Davis is a proud mom to her daughter, Genesis Tennon, whom she shares with her husband, Julius Tennon.

Who was Viola Davis' first husband?

Julius Tennon: The Man Behind Viola Davis

Viola's husband, Julius Tennon, came into her life like an answered prayer. They first met in 1999 on the set of “City of Angels,” and their bond grew from strength to strength. Viola Davis and Julius Tennon got married in 2003 and adopted their daughter, Genesis, in 2011.

What singer lives in Rhode Island?

It is the house where she has spent more time. The Holiday House in Rhode Island is famous for hosting Taylor Swift's iconic 4th of July parties. Swift bought this coastal estate, which spans 12,000 square feet, has seven bedrooms, and nine bathrooms in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, for a sum of 17.75m dollars.

When did Viola Davis attend Rhode Island College?

Davis also has supported Rhode Island College, her alma mater. She earned her undergraduate degree in theater at RIC in 1988 and received an honorary doctorate degree in fine arts in 2002.

Did Debra Messing live in Rhode Island?

When Messing was three, she moved with her parents and her older brother, Brett, to East Greenwich, Rhode Island. While Messing's parents encouraged her dream of becoming an actress, they also urged her to complete a liberal arts education before deciding on acting as a career.

Who raised Viola Davis?

Her grandparents were sharecroppers who raised 11 children in a single-room house. Mae Alice and Dan Davis, her parents, moved Viola and two of her older siblings to Rhode Island soon after Davis's birth, so that her father could find a better job.

What movie made Viola Davis famous?

After a decade of bit parts, many of them within the gainful employ of Steven Soderbergh's production company, Viola Davis broke into the mainstream with a movie-stealing turn – and from Meryl Streep! – in 2008's Catholic Church child abuse drama Doubt.

How did Viola Davis go to college?

Davis attended Rhode Island College in Providence in 1988 on a full scholarship and majored in theatre. She later graduated from the prestigious Julliard School of Art in New York City after four years of study.

How did Viola Davis find her husband?

Viola Davis found the man of her dreams in Julius Tennon. The couple met in 1999 on the set of City of Angels and immediately connected. For the How to Get Away with Murder actress, Tennon was quite literally an answer to her prayers.

What was Viola Davis's famous quote?

There's no prerequisites to worthiness. You're born worthy, and I think that's a message a lot of women need to hear.

Is Viola Davis older than her husband?

Viola Davis married Julius Tennon, who is 12 years her senior, in 2003 and have been going strong ever since.

What is the poorest city in Rhode Island?

What famous person is from Rhode Island?

A Rhode Island native, 75-year-old actor James Woods still lives in his home state. Oscar-nominated actor and conservative firebrand James Woods graduated from Pilgrim High School in Warwick and lives in Exeter.

What is the abandoned city in Rhode Island?

Hanton City (known locally as Lost City) is a colonial-era ghost town in Smithfield, Rhode Island near Hanton City Trail.