Viola Davis wins supporting actress Oscar for ‘Fences’
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Viola Davis was considered something of an Oscar shoo-in the moment it was announced she would be reprising her Tony Award-winning role in the film adaptation of “Fences.”
Davis made good on that potential Sunday, winning the supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of Rose Maxson, a devoted housewife living in the shadow of her husband, played in the film (as he did opposite Davis on Broadway) by Denzel Washington.
It was her first Oscar win, coming on her third nomination.
Following a standing ovation, Davis saluted Washington, who directed the movie, and “Fences” playwright August Wilson for “exhuming the lives of ordinary people.”
“I became an artist, and thank God I did, because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life,” Davis said.
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