African American actress Viola Davis was born in St. Matthews, South California on August 11, 1965. Her parents instilled the importance of education when she was still young, so despite her busy work schedule, she was able to take weekend classes and tutorials. Davis' work is mostly concentrated on theatre and television. She was given a Tony Award in 2001 for her performance in the Broadway production of King Hedley II. Her television credits include NYPD Blue and Judging Amy. Davis also appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film Traffic. Agent Jan "Naj" Marlow is played by Viola Davis on ABC's drama series Traveler.