Hollywood and moviegoers are eagerly anticipating the 84th Academy Awards taking place Sunday, Feb. 26.
Films such as “Money Ball,” “The Artist,” and “Hugo” have been on everyone’s radar, but none more than “The Help” featuring African-American actors Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer.
Before you grab snacks and get settled in front of the TV, read about Davis and Spencer’s rise to stardom.
Viola Davis
Viola Davis, a native of South Carolina, was introduced to acting during her time with Upward Bound, a program for low-income children. She went on to graduate from the prestigious Juilliard School.
Making her feature-film debut in 1996 as a nurse in “The Substance of Fire,” she followed that with several TV movies and guest-star appearances on shows such as “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue” and “City of Angels.”
Davis’ transition into film began with “Out of Sight,” “Traffic,” and “Solaris.” In 2002 she also starred in Denzel Washington’s directorial debut, “Antwone Fisher.”
It wasn’t until 2008 that she landed a small but crucial role in film adaptation of “Doubt” starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. This role garnered her Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Hollywood Foreign Press, the Screen Actors Guild, and the Academy. Her popularity skyrocketed with films such as “State of Play,” “Knight and Day” and “Eat Pray Love.”
In 2009, Davis was inducted into The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Also, in 2010, she won her second Tony Award for her role as Rose Maxson in a revival of August Wilson’s “Fences.” She is the second African-American woman to win the award, after actress Phylicia Rashad.
Davis’ most recent box office hit was the 2011 big screen adaptation of Kathryn Sockett’s novel The Help where she played the courageous housekeeper, Aibileen Clark. For the film, she has been honored with Best Actress nominations from the Academy, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, the Broadcast Film Critics Association, the Golden Globes, and the Screen Actors Guild.
Octavia Spencer
Born and raised in Alabama, Octavia Spencer was very much interested in performing, but was encouraged by her mother to do something more practical. After graduating from Auburn University, she worked behind the camera.
In 1995, Spencer landed her first on-screen role in the “A Time to Kill.” During that time, she made such an impression on actress Sandra Bullock, she hired Spencer to work on the short film “Making Sandwiches.”
Spencer moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career and appeared in the 1996 comedy “The Sixth Man.” Disappointed because much of her performance was deleted from the final cut, she began taking acting classes to improve her skill.
She then began getting small film and TV roles on shows such as “ER,” “The X-Files” and “City of Angels.” More small roles on film soon followed, including her memorable part in “Bad Santa” starring Billy Bob Thornton. Spencer gave another scene-stealing performance in the comedy series “Ugly Betty.”
In 2009, Entertainment Weekly named her one of The 25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood, calling her “sassy, smart and wise beyond her years.” Her career breakthrough came when she met Kathryn Stockett, author of The Help through a mutual friend. The book went on to become a best-seller. There was pressure to cast a well-known actress in the role of Minny, but Spencer won over the doubters and plays the feisty housekeeper who works for the town’s social outcast. For her performance, Spencer received warm reviews and netted several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award. She’s in the running for a supporting role Oscar.
