Viola Davis and Julius Tennon Prove That Those Who Work Together, Stay Together

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Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's love story will truly have you thinking that movie magic might just be real. Like, all it took for these two actors to fall in love was a chance meeting and a casual exchange that involved a bagel and a business card. Well, it was probably a little more complicated than that, but, still, it was the start of a great love story.

In the 20 years since, these two powerhouses have managed to both cement their A-lister statuses and simultaneously strengthen their relationship by being each other's biggest supporters both on and off the screen. So if you’re curious about the famous couple and wanna review absolutely every single detail of their relationship timeline, here's everything you need to know—starting with their *chef's kiss* first encounter.

1999

Viola and Julius first met on the set of the CBS medical drama City of Angels. In a later interview with People in 2022, Viola recalled meeting her longtime husband and taking a liking to him during her time on the series—specifically while Julius was *checks notes* eating a bagel.

"He was like, 'Hey,' because we had just did a scene," she noted. "The only thing I thought was, 'He's good-looking. He's really good-looking.'"

Everyone looks good with a bagel in their hands: confirmed.

June 2003

In just a few short years, these two fell in love and tied the knot. Viola later revealed details about the special day days. "The first time we got married with 15 people in our condo. It wasn’t big enough," the actor recalled in a 2016 interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live! "So, three months later, we went to Rhode Island with about 100 people."

Truly the only thing that could be better than one wedding is two...or maybe three?

2011

Clearly, the couple that works together stays together, because back in 2011, the creatives co-founded JuVee Productions, which " develops and produces independent film, television, theater, VR, and digital content across all spaces of narrative entertainment" and emphasizes "producing narratives from a diverse range of emerging and established voices alike," per the company's website.

And, yes, JuVee has totally produced tons of projects that Viola has starred in, including The First Lady and The Woman King. The more you know!

August 2011

The couple decided to adopt a child together and discussed the salient family step during an interview on the red carpet for the premiere of The Help.

"We are about to adopt a baby," Viola gushed to E! News (per People) at the time, and even added that the baby would be adopted "domestically."

October 10, 2011

During a speech in honor of Viola at an ELLE Women in Hollywood event, the actor's friend and The Help costar Octavia Spencer revealed that she had become a mom to baby Genesis "like, two days ago." Later on in the night, Viola herself confirmed the exciting news via her own speech.

Love to see it!

January 2015

Viola and Julius attended the Sundance Film Festival, including the premiere of Lila & Eve—a thriller that they both starred in and produced via JuVee Productions. These two = *major* power couple.

February 2016

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, Viola opened up a bit about how she and Julius have kept the spark alive over the years.

"It’s about the everyday," she said. "I think that, that’s what people forget when they fall in love with someone and it’s exciting." She continued, "You have to get back to the everyday—the taking the garbage out, the cooking, the cleaning—and it’s something that I think really works with me and my husband."

And clearly, she took the words she said to heart because she and her husband renewed their vows shortly thereafter on a romantic holiday after almost 13 years of marriage. And if that wasn't already iconic enough, trust that the guest list was.

Just some of the famous faces in attendance? Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King, Viola's How to Get Away with Murder co-starAlfred Enoch, and the couple's daughter Genesis. Viola even shared a pic from the special day on her social media and added a John Updike quote in the caption that read, "We are most alive when we’re in love."

I'm not crying, you are!

January 5, 2017

Viola had the most *chef's kiss* support system when she received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame: that of her "handsome husband" and "beautiful daughter"—both of whom she thanked during her speech. Also there was her Doubt co-star Meryl Streep, who gave a moving speech in her honor.

September 2017

During Julius' season 4 guest role on Viola's hit show, How to Get Away With Murder, the real-life couple shared an intimate scene onscreen, which the actor opened up about during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

"Well, it feels safe," she explained when recalling the experience of shooting those scenes with her husband. "He had to take my panties off at one point, and then I had to keep resetting them—you know, because you gotta keep doing the scene over and over again. But I forgot to reset them once. And so we got to the point, and he went to go and pull them off. And [he went], 'V, you forgot to put your panties back on!'"

Clearly, what happens on set doesn't always stay on set. 😂

October 2, 2020

The couple welcomed a new family member into their home during the pandemic: a puppy named Bailey! "Found the cure for the Covid blues," Viola even captioned a sweet video of the dog getting used to its new surroundings. "Meet our newest family member....BAILEY."

And if that adorable pup content wasn’t cute enough, the actor then went on to document its first-ever photoshoot, which took place when Bailey was ready for a nap (v relatable, IMO).

February 14, 2021

Viola shared a touching Instagram pic of herself and Julius smiling while Genesis made a heart sign with her hands in between them.

"My heart!! THIS is what I live for!!" the Oscar winner gushed in her caption. "It gives my life meaning and I am forever grateful that they grace my life. Love you G and J...forever and beyond. Happy Valentine's Day!!! 💘"

March 29, 2021

Viola posed with Genesis for the cover of W Magazine, and, yes, Julius also made an appearance in the feature's accompanying photo essay, which was directed by the iconic Regina King.

The project was titled Black Americana: A Photo Essay on Love and Pain and depicted a happy family enjoying a day together before receiving a devastating phone call the following morning.

"I don't think any of us are particularly happy with the state of America, but we still embrace the fact that we are Black Americans, even with all of the things that have happened in history," Regina mused when discussing the photo essay's inspiration.

"There's a life beyond the tragedy, there's life even within the tragedy, and there was a life before the tragedy. That you can be experiencing moments of joy when tragedy comes in and invades your life, and then it melts into something else—we understand that about life in general, but not always with Black folks in it. This is the first time I've ever done a photo shoot like this," added Viola.

June 2021

The actor shared a 🥺❤️ pic of her and Julius embracing in a car to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary alongside the caption, "Happy 18th Anniversary to the love of my life!! Love you Julius❤ 📷@photodre."

June 11, 2022

During a producers' conference panel moderated by actor Yvette Nicole Brown, the couple discussed their hopes for the entertainment industry to become a kinder place to work, per Deadline.

According to the outlet, Julius noted, "We really have to think more about how this work-life balance works out. Where we can, we need to find a way to make those hours less to make productivity go up. Productivity is going to go up when you’re rested."

Viola echoed her husband's sentiments. "We meet each other exhausted," she said. "When you're under stress, you start screaming at people, and you only scream at people you think are beneath you. You scream at the PA, the makeup artist, the people who are sacrificing just as much as you to be there." Plus, the actor shared that her exhaustion has been further compounded by "50 million micro-aggressions going on for me as a Black woman in this room that I have to address."

"When you create the sacred space where people can share and you can hear the other voices, that’s when things can shift. That’s when you can service the mother who says, 'Listen, I haven’t seen my kid in the last two months. I’m having health issues. I’ve got to go to my doctor’s appointment,'" she added.

December 29, 2022

During an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the longtime couple shared more deets about their first date, which was at *drumroll, pls* Crocodile Cafe in Santa Monica! Viola also gushed that one of the first things she liked about her eventual husband was his "Texas hospitality."

"He drove me to the front curb and he shook my hand. He said I was beautiful and that he’d had such a beautiful time," the celeb recalled. "And he stayed there until I got to the door of my apartment. He was such a gentleman."

Hope you're taking notes, people!

January 5, 2023

The duo opened up their home to Architectural Digest and shared tons of details about the personal touches that made their space unique. "It’s good to have furniture that tells stories, things with history," Julius noted while describing the vintage pieces and auction finds that were peppered around the Los Angeles property.

February 5, 2023

When Viola became an EGOT winner upon receiving the Grammy for Best Audiobook, Narration, and Storytelling Recording for her memoir Finding Me, the actor thanked Julius and Genesis. "You are my life and my joy, the best chapter in my book," she gushed. "Thank you!"

Finding Me

$15.94 at amazon.com

March 30, 2023

Viola and Julius made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in honor of their forthcoming 20th wedding anniversary and recalled how they first met on the set of City of Angels.

"I noticed her and I said, 'Hey, how ya doin.' Then, later on, we went to the set. I passed blood to her, and I [thought], 'This seems like a pretty nice lady. At the end of the day, I'm going to give her my card,'" Julius began before adding, "That's what I did. I gave you my card only because my mom told me, my mom said: 'If you want to meet a girl, don't ask for her phone number, give her your card. If she's interested, she'll call you.' She promptly called me a month later."

Viola then noted that she only waited that long because she had "bad credit" and no car at the time. "No one wants to meet a 34-year-old woman on a bus with bad credit," she explained. "So, I was trying to get my stuff together, and then I was like, 'You know what, it's going to take too long to get the credit right.'"

May 1, 2023

The couple made a stylish appearance at the Met Gala while I watched said stylish appearance in my PJs from the comfort of my living room couch.

June 21, 2023

In honor of their 20-year marriage milestone, Viola penned a touching post about Julius on Instagram with a caption that read, "20 years of connection. We've seen the loss of family members and held each other up. We've had accolades, triumphs, joy, grief, exhaustion and still I feel your grip. Through the fire and brimstone of life we have held on...together.....to each other....understanding no matter what, the promise is to not let go. To the end my love.....Happy 20th Anniversary!!!"

November 8, 2024

Viola and Julius expanded their partnership with the creation of the Davis/Tennon foundation. Based in Rhode Island (Viola's home-state), the foundation aims to "foster connections between individuals and community-based organizations across Rhode Island to address critical social issues." Viola wanted to give back to her community, saying in a statement as reported by Rhode Island Monthly, "I grew up in Central Falls. It is the place I call home, and it is where my dreams took shape, and it also carries memories of the brutal aspects of poverty." She continued, "Within that community holds so many people who have the vision, ability, and talent to shift the world, and within me is the ability to give them the tools to do so. More than awards, it is my legacy."

Truly wishing these two nothing but the absolute best!

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