Viola Davis Skydives to Outshine Daughter's Nanny in Bravery Contest

Viola Davis is never to be upstaged when it comes to impressing her daughter.

Interestingly enough, the actress who plays the lead in “The Woman King” and is married to Julius Tennon (with whom she shares Genesis 14), once vied for street cred with her daughter’s nanny. This friendly competition occurred when they were both asked to board a helicopter during promotional activities for her recent action film, titled “G20”.

On Late Night with Seth Meyers, airing on April 11, the EGOT stated, “I declared, ‘I won’t board the helicopter,’ but isn’t it irrational when I’ve already leapt from an airplane?

Viola, aged 59, shared that she performed an action while they were on a grand vacation because her nanny, Molly, arrived. “Molly is a charming young woman,” she said. “One day, Molly decided to skydive and my daughter admired her courage, exclaiming ‘Molly is so brave! Molly jumped out of the plane!’ To which I responded, ‘I can do that too.’ And I thought, ‘I appreciate Molly’s bravery, but I prefer my mother to take such leaps.’

As a doting parent, I always strive not to fall short when it comes to my child. Just like the character I played in “How to Get Away with Murder,” I go the extra length to leave an impression on my teenager.

She replied, “Let me go up there,” with a wit, and once she did, she found herself questioning, “What on earth was going through my mind?

In 2003, Viola and Julius tied the knot and adopted Genesis in 2011. While she generally avoids public attention, she made an exception by walking the red carpet with her parents at the Los Angeles premiere of the film G20 on March 27.

After seeing the movie, in which Viola portrays the U.S. President who must protect her nation and family following a terrorist attack at the G20 summit, Genesis developed an increased admiration for her mom, whom she affectionately called “The Goat.

On “Good Morning America” on April 7th, Viola shared that her daughter is quite critical, yet she expressed this time was different. Instead of being indifferent, she showed great enthusiasm. She exclaimed, ‘Oh my goodness, you’ve been GOATed mama!’, and she cried and laughed in joy.

Viola went on to say, “I took great joy in being a role model for my teenager, as often during those years they seem more like the undead. Yet seeing her look up at me with admiration, made me feel like I was everything.

Keep reading for more stars and their kids…

In 2023, the former Full House star was seen vacationing in Jamaica alongside her spitting image eldest child (on the left) and daughter Beatrix.

In much the same way that Yolanda Hadid, once renowned as a supermodel, made a name for herself on “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” her daughter Gigi Hadid followed suit, debuting in fashion at a young age and gracing catwalks ever since.

Clint Eastwood’s fifth offspring, his son Scott Eastwood, has stepped into the limelight by acting in movies such as “Suicide Squad”, “Snowden”, “The Fate of the Furious”, and “Pacific Rim”, mirroring his father’s career path in the film industry.

The singer of Bon Jovi and his third child share a striking resemblance, almost like miniature versions of him. In this photo, they are all seen together with their wife, Dorothea Bongiovi, and their youngest son, Romeo Bongiovi, at the Jefferson Awards Foundation’s 2017 DC National Ceremony held at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C., back in 2017.

The two individuals who resemble each other were seen beaming with joy during their visit to a 2016 production of “Finding Neverland” in New York City.

Woah, the Marsden men’s resemblance was uncanny at the 2017 SAG Awards.

In the spring of 2025, the daughter of the actress known as “Alfie’s Star” (who she had with her former partner Tom Sturridge) was spotted accompanying her mother during an uncommon public appearance in London.

Double take! The Real Housewives of Atlanta alum’s daughter looks like her younger sister!

The soccer star has the cutest plus-one ever at the London premiere of Ronaldo.

Sailor is taking after her mom in the modeling industry.

And Kate’s daughter is also following in her mom’s famous footsteps.

Before the premiere of “Hot Pursuit” in Los Angeles, this mother-daughter duo struck a pose for an Instagram photo, and it’s clear to see they share a strong resemblance!

Like mother, like daughter. The two attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party in 2015.

In a striking resemblance, both of them in identical outfits, neatly styled hair, and glasses, they appear as if they could be twins instead of a mother and daughter! On Instagram, Willis humorously commented, “The moment when you can’t help but realize you’re turning into your mother #twinning #imnotmad.

Pictured here in 2010, the pop icon’s daughter is a fashionista just like her mama!

You’ll get a kick out of how much the soccer star and his son look alike.

The energetic morning TV presenter marked her daughter’s 14th birthday by sharing this cute photo. Can you see the striking similarity?

Once upon a time in Hollywood…the Kill Bill actress twinned with her daughter on the red carpet.

Little Blue stole the show at the 2017 Grammys, and she’s totally #twinning with her pops!

At the Staples Center, the star of “Days of Our Lives” and her daughter enthusiastically joined in the festive mood of Disney On Ice Presents Frozen.

At the Chanel fall-winter High Fashion Show in Paris, the mother and daughter duo bore a striking resemblance, particularly due to their identical hairstyles – both sporting neat bob cuts.

The Oscar-winner and her daughter both rock the red hair.

The nearly identical stunning stars even dress the same!

The Fuller House star and her daughter are practically twins at the Summer TCA Press Tour.

The son of Daniel Day-Lewis, who played roles in “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Lincoln”, and French actress Isabelle Adjani, made a significant debut on the runway at the 2015 Paris Fashion Week. He strutted his stuff alongside Julianne Moore in the Chanel show.