Viola Davis Makes History As First Black Woman To Win An Oscar, Emmy And Tony (Watch Her Speech)
Actress Viola Davis made history tonight as she became the first black actor to ever receive an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony all for acting roles.
And as expected the 51 year old actress gave a remarkable speech that has again left millions across the globe in awe of her talent and orating skills.
The actress won her first Academy Award on Sunday night, after nabbing the Best Supporting Actress gong for Fences.
The mother of one broke down in tears as she opened her speech, with a metaphor about a graveyard.
‘There’s one place that all the people with the greatest potential are gathered — and that’s the graveyard,’ she began through tears.
‘People ask me all the time, what kind of stories do you want to tell? And i say, “Exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories,'” she said.
‘We are the only profession to celebrate what it means to live a life. So here’s to [Fences playwright/screenwriter] August Wilson, who exhumed — and exalted — ordinary people.‘
She went on to thank your costar and director: ‘And captain, my captain Denzel Washington. Thank you for putting two entities in the driving seat: August and God. and they served you well.’
Viola had tears in her eyes as she said: ‘I became an artist, and thank God I did, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life.’
It was also a crowning achievement as she became the first black actor to ever receive an Oscar, Emmy, and a Tony all for acting roles.
The official set length of time for an Oscars speech is 45 seconds, but the actress went well over three minutes.
Viola was previously nominated for Doubt (2008) and The Help (2011).
Prior to now Whoopi Goldberg was regarded as the only Woman to have won all three awards including a Grammy but won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show Host for her role on The View which she shared the award with her then co-hosts Joy Behar, Sherri Shepherd, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, and Barbara Walters.
Davis on the other hand won an Emmy for her acting in the remarkable series “how to get away with murder”.
Watch her speech below:
