Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
Entertainment
James Reed

Viola Davis makes history as first African-American actress to score three Oscar nominations

"Thank you to the Academy for recognizing this extraordinary, important film and my work in it. Thank you, Denzel, for being at the helm!"

That's Viola Davis' rather humble reaction to her Oscar nomination this morning for supporting actress for her performance in "Fences."

But she deserves more than the standard congratulations. Davis is now the first African-American actress to score three Academy Award nominations. Whoopi Goldberg previously held the record, having been nominated in 1986 for "The Color Purple" (actress) and finally winning for 1991's "Ghost" (supporting actress).

Davis was nominated in 2009 for her performance in "Doubt" and again in 2012 for "The Help." If her recent Golden Globe win for supporting actress is any indication, the third time might be the Oscar charm.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.