(REUTERS) — Viola Davis received the 2,596th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Thursday (January 05). The Oscar-nominated actress was on hand for the unveiling and was visibly moved by the honor.
“The only thing I could think of is, the little girl from Central Falls,” said Davis. “The only picture I have of myself as a kid in kindergarten is with a little seersucker and an expression that’s not really a smile not really a frown just something. But every time I look at the little girl, I always thought, oh it’s a cute outfit but she was always hungry. She was always shy. She was always kind of in the background. But inside she had big dreams bursting and the only thing I could think about is that saying, what the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls the butterfly.”
Last month, Davis received a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actress for her turn in “Fences” – a role that garnered her a Tony in 2010 and is expected to earn her a third Academy Award nomination when they’re announced on January 24. Her previous Oscar nods were for her work in 2011’s “The Help” and 2008’s “Doubt.” Her co-star in that film, Meryl Streep, spoke about Davis at the ceremony.
“Viola Davis is possessed. She is. She’s possessed of a blazing, incandescent talent. She is arguably the most immediate responsive artist I have ever worked with. She’s so alive she glistens,” said Streep.
Before becoming a film star, Davis was already a celebrated theater actress. She made her Broadway debut in 1996 and won her first Tony in 2001 for “King Hedley II.”