Viola Davis Got a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

2 minute read

Meryl Streep has presented her Doubt co-star Viola Davis with a coveted star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

Davis, who has been nominated for two Academy Awards and is best known for her roles in The Help and the ABC drama How to Get Away with Murder, looked thrilled to be receiving the honor from such a legend in the industry. “I cannot believe my life right now that Meryl Streep spoke at my star ceremony w/ my handsome husband, beautiful daughter & my family,” she later posted on Twitter.

When an emotional Davis, who was included in TIME’s 2012 list of the world’s 100 most influential people, took to the mic, she said the “only thing” she could think about was her late father. “I wish he were here. He died in 2006 and, um, he would think this is pretty fantastic,” she said.

Taking over the podium from Davis, Streep described the actress as “arguably the most immediate, responsive artist” she had ever worked with. “She is so alive, she glistens. She is a gift to writers. She plants herself in a scene where she has no words, and she writes paragraphs with her eyes,” Streep added.

Davis is the first celebrity to have been presented with a star on the Walk of Fame in 2017. She attended the ceremony with family and colleagues including her husband, the actor Julius Tennon, and daughter Genesis.

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Write to Kate Samuelson at kate.samuelson@time.com