Viola Davis Is Harvard’s ‘Pudding’ Woman Of The Year

Viola Davis was named Woman of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals. The Hasty Pudding Theatricals, known informally simply as ‘The Pudding,’ is a theatrical student society at Harvard University, known for its burlesque crossdressing musicals. Some of America’s most prominent luminaries were first made famous by wearing drag on the Pudding stage, such as actress Rashida Jones, Stockard Channing, and Jack Lemmon. Previous Hasty Pudding Award winners include Kerry Washington, Katharine Hepburn and Octavia Spencer. Viola Davis Is Harvard’s ‘Pudding’ Woman Of The Year

“Viola has inspired our company with her incredible grit and determination, and we cannot wait to celebrate her successes, strong character and wonderful talent,” said Jessica Moore, the group’s president, in a statement.

Davis will be honored April 22 in an online ceremony that will include a roast, a discussion and a speech from Davis as she is presented with her ceremonial pudding pot. Because of the pandemic, the event will not include its traditional parade through the streets of Cambridge. Viola Davis Is Harvard’s ‘Pudding’ Woman Of The Year

“We’re very excited to honor Viola Davis as our 71st Woman of the Year because of her immense impact in Hollywood, especially in such a historic and difficult year for the arts,” said Natalie Needle, the event coordinator and producer.

In March, Davis became the Oscars’ most nominated Black female actor ever when she landed her fourth nomination, this one for her lead role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

The film, based on an August Wilson play, is set around a recording session in 1920s Chicago as a blues band awaits the arrival of Ma Rainey. The movie also includes the final performance from actor Chadwick Boseman, who died last year of cancer.

Davis won an Academy Award for her appearance in the 2016 film “Fences,” a role she originated in a 2001 Broadway revival that landed her a Tony Award. The Oscar win made her the first Black woman to win an Oscar, Emmy and Tony for acting.

She won her Emmy in 2015 for her role in “How To Get Away With Murder,” and she has another Tony win for her role in “King Hedley II.”

The Hasty Pudding award has been handed out annually since 1951 to people who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment. In 1979, Paris Barclay was awarded the Hasty Pudding Award as the first African-American and openly gay President of the Directors Guild of America. He directed music videos for stars like Janet Jackson, LL Cool Jay, and Bob Dylan and directed over 120 episodes for major television shows like Glee, The West Wing, and Lost; Earned two Emmy Awards for NYPD Blue before becoming the executive producer of FX’s highest rated series ever, Sons of Anarchy.