Viola Davis gets EGOT after winning Grammy for narration of her audiobook

Viola Davis can do absolutely anything. The acclaimed actress of ‘The King Woman’ accumulates awards everywhere and finally reaches the precious goal of so many in Hollywood: the EGOT. The feat was possible thanks to her autobiographical book, “Finding Me,” whose audiobook narration, done by herself, earned her her first Grammy.

‘Finding Me’ is the autobiography of the actress told by her own punch, letter and voice. Davis’ Story, Chosen as Best Book of 2022 by Harper’s Bazaar, Earned Actress Win the last of the initials that were missing to complete the EGOT. This title rewards the multidisciplinarity of artists who have been able to satisfy cinema, theatre, television and the ears. Barbra Streisand, Audrey Hepburn, Mike Nichols or Alan Menken are just some of the 18 members who have achieved this recognition.

With the Grammy, Davis finally get the last of the statues to complete the EGOT: Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys. The first of Davis’s breakthroughs was in 2001, when she won the first of two Tony Awards to her credit, this one for Best Actress in a Play in “King Hedley II.” Fourteen years later, in 2015, the American took the “E” in her title, winning her long-awaited Emmy for “How to Defend a Murderer.” In 2017, with her fourth Academy Award nomination (two for the lead role and two more for the supporting role), Davis won the ‘Uncle Oscar’ for her portrayal of Rose Maxson in ‘Fences’.

His EGOT reaches 57 years and with his most personal story: “I wrote this book to honor 6-year-old Viola, to honor her, her life, her joys, her traumas, her everything.”, said the actress as she collected the Grammy. The actress did not forget at that moment what a great feat she had accomplished: “It was a great ride […] EGOT only!‘ she said enthusiastically.

Viola Davis, the third black woman to get the EGOT

Among the 18 people who reached the plenary session, seven are women, such as Rita Moreno (‘West Side Story’) or Helen Hayes (‘Anastasia’). Of these seven performers, three are black: Jennifer Hudson, Whoopi Goldberg and Davis.

Goldberg was the first of three to complete this race. Nobody thought when the actress went up to collect the Grammy in 1986 that 16 years later she would be able to finish the medal table with her Oscar, Emmy and Tony in 2002 after doing incredible works like ‘Sister Act (A nun of care)’ or “In the depths of the ocean”. Hudson was the second of them to achieve this feat. The Oscar she won for her role in ‘Dreamgirls’ in 2007 marked the beginning of a career that ended in 2022 with her Tony win as producer of the musical ‘Strange Loop’.

Goldberg, Hudson and Davis make up the trident representing the black community in a list dominated by men, mostly white. Let’s just hope that more actors of any ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or gender reach the end of the EGOT career and continue to add references to be like the trio of actresses, mirror and representation for the most stratified minorities.