Today in TV History: Viola Davis, Future Queen of Awards, Was Born

Of all the great things about television, the greatest is that it’s on every single day. TV history is being made, day in and day out, in ways big and small. In an effort to better appreciate this history, we’re taking a look back, every day, at one particular TV milestone. 

IMPORTANT DATE IN TV HISTORY: August 11, 1965

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT: It really wasn’t until Viola Davis was well into her 40s that we all started appreciating her, as she started to get the kinds of roles that fit her talent level. She would get the odd opportunity to shine from the margins (watch Todd Haynes’ Far From Heaven again; or the Soderbergh/Clooney Solaris remake, for that matter). In 2008, Davis nabbed a supporting role in the film version of Doubt; it amounted to one scene’s worth of work, but it was a shattering scene, where Davis accomplished the feat of pulling eyeballs away from Meryl Streep. Literally every single eyeball. She got an Oscar nomination for the performance and probably should have won the damn thing. (There’s an argument to be made that Viola Davis should by all rights have two Oscars in her possession right now.)

It’s in Davis’ television resumé, however, where the true story of her journeywoman status gets told. Between the years 1996 and 2008, Davis appeared on seemingly every police or legal procedural show in existence. A short list of the shows where she guest starred reads like a history of middlebrow TV.

• New York Undercover
• Judging Amy
• City of Angels
• The Guardian
• Third Watch
• Law & Order: Criminal Intent
• The Division
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
• Hack
• The Practice
• Century City
• Without a Trace
• Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

That SVU stint was actually seven episodes as defense attorney Donna Emmett. It wasn’t until her guest run on United States of Tara, as an artist who interacts meaningfully with both Tara (Toni Collette) and Kate (Brie Larson), that Davis began to get actual roles. Of course, How to Get Away with Murder was on the horizon, and with that came the great age of Viola Davis: Award Winner.

Not counting theater awards (she’s won two Tonys), Davis has racked up an impressive array of awards. Of particular note: three (3) separate National Board of Review honors for being a part of the year’s best ensemble cast (for Doubt, The Help, and Prisoners). But it was that Emmy Award speech last year that so moved audiences, and honestly made the best possible case that she should win an Oscar as soon as possible.

Happy birthday, Viola Davis. Thanks for sticking it through that episode of The Guardian to have given us that moment right up there.

[Where to stream How to Get Away with Murder]