Five other notable roles of ‘Fences’ star Viola Davis

Viola Davis, star of “Fences,” opposite Denzel Washington in theaters now, is no stranger to Hollywood. And she’s got the resume to prove it. As the industry sings her praises for the role of Rose Maxson in August Wilson’s theatrical adaptation of his Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the same name, we revisit five other roles of the St. Matthews, S.C. born, Julliard-educated actress.

“Doubt,” 2008

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As Mrs. Miller, Davis steals the show in a seven-minute scene opposite Meryl Streep in this film adaptation of the Broadway play “Doubt: A Parable.” The role, as the mother of a boy caught up in a school sex abuse scandal, landed her her first Oscar nomination.

“Won’t Back Down,” 2012

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In “Won’t Back Down,” Davis plays a teacher at a failing, inner city school who imagines better for her students, teaming up with Maggie Gyllenhaal, who plays the mother of one of the pupils, for reform. Though the picture opened to mixed reviews, Davis won the NAACP’s best actress Image Award.

“How to Get Away With Murder,” 2014

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Annalise Keating is not a woman to be messed with. But she is the woman you want on your side in a courtroom. The television role — also of note, her recurring spot on “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” starting in 2003 — won Davis an Emmy in 2015, the first time a black woman was named best lead actress in a drama.

“Blackhat,” 2015

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A cybercrime action drama, “Blackhat” stars Davis as a government agent charged with monitoring a furloughed convict who’s supposed to save the country. The role for Davis, one similar to her turn in this year’s “Suicide Squad,” is small, but mighty.

“The Help,” 2011

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As the humble maid Aibileen Clark during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, Davis wows with emotional depth and nuance. Her work opposite Emma Stone and Octavia Spencer earned her a second Oscar nomination and cemented her as one of Hollywood’s elite.

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