Far From Heaven
Viola Davis played the maid of a homemaker played by Julianne Moore in this period piece back in 2002. The film is known for exploring a variety of social issues including racism, sexuality and gender in 1950s Connecticut.
Solaris
George Clooney stars alongside Davis in the science fiction drama based on the novel of the same name. Steven Soderbergh was the director, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor in the film, which he credited himself for under pseudonyms.
Doubt
The actress had her film breakthrough in 2008 for her role in the period drama as the mother of the only black student at a parish school. For her part, she got her first Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress.
Eat Pray Love
Davis played the best friend of Julia Roberts' character in this 2010 romantic comedy. The film was a huge box-office hit, grossing $204.6 million.
The Help
The South Carolina native earned her second Academy Award nomination for her role as a maid in the period film, this time for Best Actress. The critically acclaimed drama focused on a journalist attempting to expose the racism maids experienced in the South during the 1960s.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Davis had a supporting role in this 2011 Oscar nominee for Best Picture. The film centers around a boy with Asperger syndrome who struggles to come to terms with his father's death during 9/11.
Won't Back Down
Two determined mothers try to transform their children's failing inner-city school in this 2012 film. The movie is loosely based on the events surrounding the use of the parent trigger law in Los Angeles, California in 2010.
Prisoners
Based on the short story The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, the star plays a mom who's daughter goes missing in this 2013 thriller film. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 86th Academy Awards.
Ender's Game
The 2013 adaptation of the 1985 novel of the same name starred Davis alongside Asa Butterfield. Since the novel's release, the author had many opportunities to license the rights, but instead waited until he could have more creative control.
How to Get Away with Murder
In perhaps her most iconic role, Davis stars as Annalise Keating, a law professor at a prestigious university who gets entwined in a murder plot. For her part, the star became the first black woman to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series is now in its fifth season.
Get On Up
This 2014 film explores the life of singer James Brown. It features an ensemble cast including Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis and Dan Aykroyd. One of the movie's producers was Mick Jagger, founding member of the Rolling Stones.
Lila & Eve
Power duo Davis and Jennifer Lopez teamed up for this crime drama about women who lost their children to murder. This marked the second time the pair worked together, the first being for the comedy Out of Sight in 1998.
Custody
This courtroom drama centers around a custody case, with Davis playing the judge. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016 and was later released to the public on Lifetime.
Suicide Squad
This DC film features an impressive ensemble cast including Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie. To prepare for her role as a ruthless government official, Davis read the book Confessions of a Psychopath. The film became the first DC movie to win an Oscar, winning for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Fences
Oscar winner! The actress finally won Hollywood's most coveted award for her performance in the widely acclaimed film. The movie struggled to be made for over a decade due to the writer's insistence on having an African-American director, but was finally released in 2016.
Scandal
The crossover we all were waiting for! Two Shondaland dramas—Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder—came together during the last season of the former. For her performance in the episode, Davis is up for this year's Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.