Viola Davis’ Cecil B. DeMille Award Speech

You won't need any help to understand why Viola Davis received this standing ovation.

The EGOT winner delivered a powerful speech while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award speech ahead of the 2025 Golden Globes, hosted by Nikki Glaser on January 5. At the Golden Gala on January 3, Davis common a touching message about his journey from childhood to stardom.

“I was born into a life that just didn't make sense. I didn't fit in,” Davis, 59, said. “I was born into abject poverty. I was mischievous. I was imaginative. I was rowdy. But I was so poor. I grew up in a house full of alcoholism and rage, infested with rats everywhere . Toilets that never worked.”

THE Help The star turned to her imagination for escape.

“What I had was magic. I was curious. I could teleport, I could take myself out of this worthless world and get relief from it every now and then,” she continued . “I could go somewhere where I could belly laugh. Where I could have fun. The greatest magic was that I could see people.”