Viola Davis

It’s nearly impossible to have a conversation about contemporary actors and artists without mentioning the sublime greatness that is Viola Davis. Not only is she just one award shy of securing EGOT status, but she also has consistently starred in and championed projects and stories that are impactful to the culture, but she's largely done so through her production banner JuVee Productions. The most recent example of this? 2022's critically-acclaimed film, The Woman King, which Davis starred in and also produced. Released in September, Davis played General Nanisca, the leader of an army of women warriors defending the kingdom of Dahomey who must convince her nation’s king to fight back against the Europeans coming to take over Africa. In addition to putting in a dominant performance in one of 2022's most buzzworthy films, Davis also released her memoir, Finding Me, earlier this year. The book not only landed her a number-one spot on both the New York Times and Amazon bestsellers lists, it also garnered Davis her first-ever Grammy nomination for Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling Recording. Oh, and did we also mention that Davis was the recipient of the prestigious Cannes Women in Motion Award at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival? Wow, what a year it's been for one the culture's most revered class acts.