Viola Davis has made Oscars history with her Oscar nomination for Best Actress.
Davis, who has been nominated for her role as Ma Rainey in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, is now the most nominated Black actress in the history of the Oscars. As IndieWire reports, Davis now has four Oscar nominations to her name. Among those nominations, she has one win for her role in Fences.
Davis talked about being the most nominated Black actress to Variety, according to IndieWire. She said she felt her status exemplified “the lack of opportunities and access to opportunities people of color have had in this business,” adding that many white actresses, including those younger than her, have already been nominated more times than her due to the amount of opportunities given to them.
As Black Film and TV reports, it is the first time in almost fifty years that more than 1 Black actress has been nominated in the category, as Golden Globe winner Andra Day is also nominated for The United States vs. Billie Holiday.
You can view our full list of Oscar nominations, as well as the Black films that are nominated this year here.
