Who Is Viola Davis’s Husband, Julius Tennon? Everything You Need to Know

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Published Jan 6, 2023

If there’s one thing that's excited us most about the return of the Golden Globes, it’s been having Viola Davis up for Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama award thanks to her intense performance in The Woman King.

And while we’re always cheering on the 55-year-old actress from the comfort of our couch during award shows, there’s a certain someone who is also always lending his love and support—her hubby of 19 years.

So, who is Viola Davis’s husband, Julius Tennon? Keep reading for everything we know.

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1. Who Is Viola Davis’s Husband, Julius Tennon?

Like his wife, Tennon is also an actor and producer.

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Tennon has an extensive background in theater and has even worked in the TV and film industry. (Criminal Minds fans might recognize him as the villain Carl Buford). The 69-year-old also was quite the athlete growing up. And according to Bustle, the former football player made history in theater when he “was offered a full scholarship to the University of Tulsa, and became the first African-American student to graduate from the school's theater program.”

In 2011, he and Davis founded the production company JuVee Productions together.

2. How Did He Meet Viola?

In short, Davis prayed for him and he appeared. Literally.

“I was the loneliest woman in the world, and someone said, ‘You should just pray for a husband,’” she told Page Six back in 2013. According to the TV star, she was looking for a “Black man from the South who looked like a football player, who already had children, who maybe had been married before.” Three weeks later, the two met on the set of the CBS show City Of Angels. And he checked off the majority of her boxes.

When appearing on an episode of OWN’s Black Love, Tennon revealed that he decided to approach the actress after he overheard her talking about not knowing anyone. And about a month later, the two went on their first date.

“I was terrified, because he told me exactly who he was―he was absolutely honest about his past,” Davis revealed in the same episode. “And then he brought me home, and he just said, ‘You are a very beautiful and nice woman, and it was a pleasure spending time with you.’ And he shook my hand.”

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3. Where Did They Go on Their First Date?

Apparently, Tennon really showed off his “Texas” hospitality on his first date with Davis. The How to Get Away with Murder alum told the Los Angeles Times that their first romantic outing was to the Crocodile Cafe in Santa Monica. “You said you loved the bread basket!” Davis explained. And Tennon responded, “Oh, yeah...the bread was fresh and good.”

Davis said she remembers him driving her home in his car, and she added, “And 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...and he stayed there until I got to the door of my apartment. He was such a gentleman.”

4. When Did They Get Married?

The couple tied the knot in 2003 in a intimate ceremony (with 15 guests) in their shared condo, then celebrated with a crowd of 100 in Rhode Island, according to E! News.

In 2016, Davis and Tennon recommitted their love in a vow renewal ceremony, and even shared a glimpse of the ceremony on her Instagram. “‘We are most alive when we're in love.’ -John Updike,” she captioned the post.

5. Do They Have Any Children?

They sure do.

In 2011, the couple adopted their daughter, Genesis, who Davis often posts photos with on social media. In addition, Tennon also has two children from a previous marriage, and Davis is their stepmother.

6. How Do They Make Their Relationship Work?

After 17 years of marriage, the couple is still going strong. The secret to their lasting marriage? Spending time together daily.

“We have together time every single morning when we get in the jacuzzi and we have together time every night 'cause we get in the tub together,” the How to Get Away with Murder actress told People. “And we soak in the tub and we talk. Sometimes he falls asleep with his mouth open! I give him facials. And we just chat, chat, chat, and he's just really sweet. Every single day we do that.”

She continued, “I think [the everyday] is what people forget when they fall in love with someone and it’s exciting. 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.”

In Davis’s words, “Every day is like a date.” We love that.

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Alexandra Hough

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