Viola Davis earned rave reviews and could be collecting another Oscar nomination for her performance in the dramatic film The Help, and now the Santa Barbara International Film Festival has just announced Davis will be presented with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award on Friday, January 27, 2012. Past recipients of the Outstanding Performer Award include James Franco (2011), Colin Firth (2010), Penelope Cruz (2009), Angelina Jolie (2008), Helen Mirren (2007), Heath Ledger (2006), Kate Winslet (2005) and Charlize Theron (2004).
SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling announced the honor, stating, “It’s hard to imagine another performance this year that pierces your heart the way Viola does as Aibileen.”
The 27th edition of the Festival runs January 26 – February 5, 2012.
More on Viola Davis [Courtesy of SBIFF]:
Davis captivated audiences and critics alike last summer with her portrayal of African-American housemaid “Aibileen Clark.” Set in Jackson, Mississippi, during the 1960s, The Help chronicles the relationship between three different and extraordinary women who build an unlikely friendship around a secret writing project that breaks societal rules and puts them all at risk. Deeply moving, filled with humor, hope and heart, The Help is a timeless and universal story about the ability to create change.
In 2008’s Doubt, Davis rendered audiences heartbroken with her performance as a troubled mother, forced to make a difficult decision to secure a future for her young son. Garnering wide critical acclaim, Davis’ work in the film solidified her as one of Hollywood’s most talented actors, and earned her nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe® and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actress. Davis first landed on the big screen as a social worker in the Academy Award® nominated film Traffic. Shortly thereafter in 2002, Davis appeared in pivotal roles in Steven Soderbergh’s sci-fi drama, Solaris, opposite George Clooney, Far From Heaven, opposite Julianne Moore and Antwone Fisher which garnered Davis and Independent Spirit Award for “Best Supporting Actress.”
Demonstrating great versatility in her craft, Davis played a grandmother in 2005’s Get Rich or Die Trying and a community activist in The Architect (2006). A stream of projects followed including roles in Tyler Perry’s comedy Madea Goes to Jail, and dramatic roles in State of Play, Law Abiding Citizen, Nights in Rodanthe and It’s Kind of a Funny Story. Proving once again to hold her own amongst the Hollywood elite, Davis appeared alongside Julia Roberts in the big screen version of the bestselling novel Eat Pray Love (2010). Later this year, Davis will be seen in the highly anticipated Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close with Tom Hanks and Sandra Bullock. In March 2012, Davis stars in Won’t Back Down alongside Maggie Gyllenhaal and Holly Hunter.
