The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
Joining a group of just 17 other entertainers, Viola Davis earned the coveted title of EGOT winner Sunday night at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Winning a Grammy for the audiobook of her memoir, “Finding Me,” Davis became the 18th EGOT winner in history and only the third Black woman to win Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
Published in 2022, “Finding Me” is Davis’ life story, from her childhood in Rhode Island to the stage in New York and eventually the big screen. In the description of the book, Davis writes, “I wrote this for anyone running through life untethered, desperate and clawing their way through murky memories, trying to get to some form of self-love. For anyone who needs reminding that a life worth living can only be born from radical honesty and the courage to shed facades and be . . . you.”
Davis said she wrote the book to honor her 6-year-old self, saying in her acceptance speech that, “It has been such a journey.” She also thanked her husband, actor Julius Tennon, and daughter Genesis, calling them “the best chapter in my book.”
You can watch her full acceptance speech below:
Davis’ other awards that led to her EGOT status include an Academy Award for best supporting actress in 2017 for the film “Fences,” an Emmy in 2015 for the show “How to Get Away with Murder,” and two Tony Awards, for “King Hedley II” in 2021 and the Broadway production of “Fences” in 2010. Davis’ Emmy award also marked the first time a Black woman won the lead drama actress award.
The first time anyone won all four awards to earn EGOT status was in 1962, when composer and producer Richard Rodgers won an Emmy after previously winning an Oscar in 1946, Tony in 1950 and Grammy in 1960. The now 18 EGOT winners include other famous names like Audrey Hepburn, John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jennifer Hudson and Whoopi Goldberg.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Check out Simplemost for additional stories.
