Davis grew up in Central Falls, Rhode Island and majored in theater at Rhode Island College. She made several appearances on the Trinity Rep stage following her 1988 graduation, including: Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Mattie Campbell), Red Noses (Company), Measure for Measure (Isabella), and A Christmas Carol (Solicitor/Christmas Present/Mrs. Dilber). Other stage appearances include Tony Award-winning turns as Tonya in King Hedley II (2001) and as Rose Maxson in Fences (2010) on Broadway, as well as a Drama Desk-Award winning performance in Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel Off Broadway (2004). The Help marks Davis's second Academy Award nomination, as she was previously nominated in the Best Actress in a Supporting Role category for Doubt in 2009. Other notable films include Traffic (2000), Solaris (2002), and Syriana (2005).
The Help also received nominations for Best Picture and Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Winners of the 84th Annual Academy Awards will be announced Sunday, February 26. A full list of nominees can be found at www.oscars.org.
PHOTO CAPTION: (L to R) Viola Davis as Mattie Campbell and Barbara Meek as Bertha Holly in JOE TURNER'S COME AND GONE by AUGUST WILSON, directed by Israel Hicks as part of the 1988-1989 season at Trinity Rep, Providence, Rhode Island. Photo by MARK MORELLI.
ABOUT TRINITY REPERTORY COMPANY
Since its founding in 1963, Trinity Repertory Company has been one of the most respected regional theaters in the country. Featuring the last permanent resident acting company in America, Trinity Rep presents a balance of world premiere, contemporary, and classic works for an estimated annual audience of approximately 120,000. In its 47-year history, the theater has produced 58 world premieres, mounted national and international tours, and, through its MFA program, trained hundreds of new actors and directors. This season marks the 45th year of Project Discovery, Trinity Rep's pioneering educational outreach program. Last season, Trinity Rep's educational programs reached nearly 15,000 Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut students through matinees as well as in-school residencies and workshops. Brown University/Trinity Rep offers professional training for actors and directors in a three-year MFA program. Trinity Rep's 48th Season will present seven subscription productions alongside holiday productions of A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. The 2011-2012 Season continues with The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare; the world premieres of Sparrow Grass by Curt Columbus, Love Alone by Deborah Salem Smith, and The Mourners' Bench by George Brant and closes with Marc Camoletti's Boeing-Boeing, translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans. For more information or to subscribe, call the box office at (401) 351-4242 or visit Trinity Rep's website at www.trinityrep.com.