Viola Davis Net Worth
Viola Davis is an American actress and producer with a net worth of $25 million. She achieved EGOT status across entertainment by winning an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and two Tony Awards. Her fortune derives from leading roles in How to Get Away with Murder, studio film contracts, and commercial deals with L’Oréal Paris.
| Full Name | Viola Davis |
|---|---|
| Net Worth | $25 million |
| Born | August 11, 1965 |
| Age | 61 |
| Birthplace | St. Matthews, South Carolina, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer, Author |
| Source of Wealth | Television Roles, Feature Films, Brand Endorsements, JuVee Productions |
| Annual Earnings | $5 million |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
| Spouse / Partner | Julius Tennon |
| Children | 1 |
| Last Updated | October 13, 2026 |
| Social Profiles |
Who Is Viola Davis?
Viola Davis was born on August 11, 1965, on the Singleton Plantation in St. Matthews, South Carolina, to parents Dan Davis and Mary Alice Davis. Her family relocated to Central Falls, Rhode Island, during her infancy, where she grew up in severe financial poverty. Davis attended Central Falls High School before earning a bachelor’s degree in theater from Rhode Island College in Providence in 1988, followed by four years of classical drama study at The Juilliard School in New York City from 1989 through 1993.
Davis began her professional acting stage career in New York, winning her first Tony Award in June 2001 for her performance in August Wilson’s King Hedley II. In June 2003, she married actor Julius Tennon, and the couple co-founded the production company JuVee Productions in Los Angeles in 2011. Outside of Hollywood productions, Davis serves as an ambassador for the hunger-relief organization Hunger Is, directing philanthropic resources to low-income public schools across Rhode Island.
How Did Viola Davis Build Her Fortune?
Davis gained widespread critical attention in 2008 for her eight-minute scene opposite Meryl Streep in Doubt, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. In June 2010, she won her second Tony Award for the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s Fences. Her performance as Aibileen Clark in the August 2011 DreamWorks feature The Help generated $216 million at the worldwide box office, securing Davis her second Academy Award nomination and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
From September 2014 to May 2020, Davis starred as defense attorney Annalise Keating in the ABC drama series How to Get Away with Murder, earning $250,000 per episode across 90 episodes. In 2015, she became the first Black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. Davis reprised her stage role in Denzel Washington’s 2016 film adaptation of Fences, winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in February 2017. In 2020, Forbes ranked Davis as the tenth highest-paid actress in the world with annual earnings of $15.5 million.
In September 2021, Davis signed a global brand ambassadorship with L’Oréal Paris. She completed EGOT status in February 2023 when the audio version of her memoir, Finding Me, won the Grammy Award for Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording. Through JuVee Productions, Davis produced and starred in Sony Pictures’ The Woman King in September 2022 and portrayed Dr. Volumnia Gaul in Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes in November 2023, while developing projects with Amazon Studios into 2026.
How Does Viola Davis Make Money?
Viola Davis generated her fortune from network television lead contracts, major studio film salaries, production company distributions, book royalties, and global commercial endorsements. Her earnings accelerated significantly following the critical success of How to Get Away with Murder.
| Income Source | Estimated Amount | Share of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Network Television Base Salaries | $25 million | |
| Major Studio Feature Films | $22 million | |
| Commercial Endorsements & Brand Deals | $10 million | |
| Production Equity & JuVee Productions Payouts | $6 million | |
| Publishing Advances, Audio Royalties & Theater | $4 million | |
| Total Career Earnings | $67 million | 100% |
ⓘAll figures are estimates compiled from publicly available information and are reviewed and updated regularly by the NetWorthTRP research team.
Viola Davis Net Worth Over the Years
Viola Davis expanded her net worth from 2021 to 2026 through continuous studio film salaries, high-paying corporate endorsement campaigns, and multi-platform producer fees. Her wealth reached $25 million following major commercial film releases and audio publishing profits.
| Year | Estimated Net Worth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $18 Million | Forbes top-earning actress ranking following How to Get Away with Murder series finale |
| 2022 | $20 Million | Lead acting and producer compensation for Sony Pictures' The Woman King |
| 2023 | $22 Million | Commercial revenue from L'Oréal Paris and memoir sales following Grammy Award win |
| 2024 | $23 Million | Box office salary for The Hunger Games prequel and Amazon Studios development contracts |
| 2025 | $24 Million | Syndication residuals from ABC and expanded voice roles for Warner Bros. Discovery |
| 2026 | $25 Million | Continuous streaming distributions and brand ambassadorship contract renewals |
Viola Davis's Houses, Cars & Assets
Viola Davis maintains a luxury real estate portfolio in Southern California alongside production equity and liquid capital reserves. Her primary residential asset centers on a renovated 7,500-square-foot estate in Toluca Lake acquired with husband Julius Tennon in 2016.
| Type | Description | Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|
| Property | Toluca Lake 7,500-square-foot residence and St. Matthews ancestral estate | $8.5 million |
| Business | JuVee Productions intellectual property slate, development rights, and cash reserves | $4.0 million |
| Vehicle | Personal vehicle collection including Tesla Model S and Mercedes-Benz S-Class | $0.5 million |
| Investments | Diversified equities, municipal bonds, and institutional cash accounts | $10.0 million |
ⓘAll figures are estimates compiled from publicly available information and are reviewed and updated regularly by the NetWorthTRP research team.
Viola Davis's Personal Life
Viola Davis married former college football player and actor Julius Tennon on June 23, 2003. In October 2011, the couple adopted one daughter as an infant. Davis and Tennon reside in Toluca Lake, California, where they purchased a five-bedroom European-style estate for $5.7 million in September 2016. In September 2020, Davis purchased the plantation house in St. Matthews, South Carolina, where she was born, preserving the property as a family historical memorial. Her April 2022 memoir, Finding Me, published by HarperOne, detailed her childhood in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and spent multiple weeks atop national bestseller charts.
Viola Davis vs Kerry Washington: Net Worth Comparison
Comparing Viola Davis to Shondaland contemporary Kerry Washington demonstrates how sustained network television headline salaries, combined with producer credits and major beauty sponsorships, built parallel wealth bases for two leading dramatic actresses.
 Viola Davis |  Kerry Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Net Worth | $25 million | $50 million |
| Age | 61 | 49 |
| Nationality | American | American |
| Occupation | Actress, Producer, Author | Actress, Producer, Director |
| Source of Wealth | Television Roles, Feature Films, Brand Endorsements, JuVee Productions | Television & Film Acting, Television Production, Brand Endorsements, Literary Publishing |
Viola Davis Net Worth: Frequently Asked Questions
How much did Viola Davis earn per episode for How to Get Away with Murder?
During her six-season tenure playing Annalise Keating on ABC, Davis earned $250,000 per episode. Across 90 total episodes from September 2014 to May 2020, her direct production salary totaled $22.5 million before backend royalties and award bonuses.
When did Viola Davis earn the EGOT title?
Davis achieved EGOT status on February 5, 2023, at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles when the narration of her memoir Finding Me won Best Audio Book, Narration & Storytelling Recording. She previously won Tony Awards in 2001 and 2010, an Emmy Award in 2015, and an Academy Award in 2017.
How much did Viola Davis make for starring in The Woman King?
For her starring role as General Nanisca in the 2022 Sony Pictures historical epic The Woman King, Davis received an upfront acting salary of $2 million. She and husband Julius Tennon also collected executive producer fees through JuVee Productions after the film grossed $94 million worldwide.
What is the value of Viola Davis's home in Toluca Lake?
In September 2016, Davis and husband Julius Tennon purchased a 7,500-square-foot European-style mansion in Toluca Lake, California, for $5.7 million. Following extensive renovations showcased by Architectural Digest in January 2023, the five-bedroom property is valued at $8.5 million.
What was Viola Davis's highest single-year earnings reported by Forbes?
Forbes named Davis the tenth highest-paid actress in the world in October 2020, reporting annual earnings of $15.5 million between June 2019 and June 2020. That total was driven by the final season of How to Get Away with Murder and her lead role in Netflix's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Sources: Forbes, AfroTech, Wikipedia, Architectural Digest — Last updated October 13, 2026
Net worth figures are estimates based on publicly available information, including reported earnings, endorsements and asset values. Actual net worth may differ and is not independently verified or audited.
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