Julius Tennon and Viola Davis met on the set of City of Angels, an American medical drama television series with a predominantly black cast that ran for two seasons on CBS from January 16 to December 21, 2000.
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, who met on the set of CBS’s “City of Angels” series in 1999, attend the “Monster” red carpet during the 76th annual Cannes film festival at Palais des Festivals on May 17, 2023, in Cannes, France (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
A Chance Encounter
“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,’ ” Tennon said on Jimmy Kimmel Live in March 2023.
He added: “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.”
Overcoming Hesitation
Davis, intrigued but dealing with personal challenges, took a month before reaching out to Tennon. She humorously explained her hesitation was due to her “bad credit” and lack of transportation, reflecting on societal pressures and personal insecurities.
“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.’ ”
Julius Tennon and Viola Davis arrive at the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at Microsoft Theater L.A. Live on September 22, 2019, in Los Angeles, California, United States (Credit: Charlie Steffens / Nicky Nelson / WENN / Avalon)
The Spark of Connection
In an August 2016 interview with People Magazine, Viola Davis recounted the casual yet memorable moment she met Julius Tennon.
“I was eating a bagel,” she said. “Listen, every day was about what was at craft services. That was a time when I wasn’t thinking about diets, so I was eating a cinnamon raisin bagel with tuna fish on it. And I was complaining about Los Angeles, which I did on a day-to-day basis. He came up to me and he had his bag over his shoulder, and he was like ‘Hey’, because we had just done a scene, and the only thing I thought was ‘He’s good looking, he’s really good looking.’”
“I didn’t call him for six weeks. I had bad credit at the time. I had anxiety attacks from driving. I had to work out some personal issues first, like finding a place to live. So I didn’t want to be that woman that had so many issues going into a relationship. But all the anxiety and the angst and all those things that I had — the minute we started dating, all of it went away.”
“He was the anesthesiologist, Dr. Holly, and I was Nurse Lannett. We were passing blood in a scene. He knew how lonely I was. I was out in L.A. and I hated it and he said, ‘I’ll show you around Los Angeles. I’ll show you around the Santa Monica pier.”
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon attend “The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes” Los Angeles Premiere at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 13, 2023, in Hollywood, California (Credit: Media Punch / INSTARimages)
Blossoming Relationship
Davis married Julius Tennon on June 23, 2003. In 2011, they adopted an infant daughter, Genesis Tennon. Their only child voiced ViVi in The Angry Birds Movie 2, a 2019 computer-animated comedy film.
Known for Dazed and Confused (1993), Small Soldiers (1998), and Faster (2010), Tennon had two children with two different partners before he met Viola.
Viola Davis believes that God played a role in her finding Julius Tennon. Before meeting Tennon, she prayed for specific qualities in a partner, essentially asking God to bring someone who matched her ideals into her life.
A Testament to Love
In June 2023, they celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary. Davis’s heartfelt Instagram post commemorated their shared experiences of joy, grief, and triumphs, highlighting their unwavering commitment to each other through life’s challenges.
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“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,” she wrote. “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!!!”
At the 2023 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, Viola Davis looked stunning in a white gown paired with a captivating feathered coat, both from Valentino couture (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
Public Appearances Together
In January 2016, Viola Davis attended the Disney/ABC 2016 TCA Winter Press Tour at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena.
Julius Tennon and his wife Viola Davis met for the first time on the set of City of Angels (Credit: Charlie Steffens / Nicky Nelson / WENN / Avalon)
She was accompanied by her husband, Julius Tennon, who looked smart in a brown shirt, a beige jacket, trousers, and leather shoes.
Viola Davis shimmered in a sequin-covered long-sleeve dress (Credit: Charlie Steffens / Nicky Nelson / WENN / Avalon)
The “How to Get Away with Murder” star shimmered in a sequin-covered long-sleeve dress that showcased her figure.
With its bold, leopard-print pattern, the dress had Viola looking fierce and feminine — two characteristics she rocks very well. She wore minimal accessories and slipped into black sandals to complete her ensemble.
Viola Davis at Disney/ABC Winter TCA Tour held at The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, California on January 9, 2016 (Credit: Charlie Steffens / Nicky Nelson / WENN / Avalon)
Viola wore her short hair down in tousled waves and finished her look with neutral makeup.
Viola Davis wore her short hair down in tousled waves (Credit: Charlie Steffens / Nicky Nelson / WENN / Avalon)
The mom-of-three chose Betsey Johnson’s “Friskyy” sandals for her feet. The suede shoes feature ankle straps with large feminine bow detail on the lateral sides. They also boast open toes, back zip fastenings, and about 4.5-inch slightly flared stiletto heels.
Viola Davis showed off her feet in Betsey Johnson sandals (Credit: Charlie Steffens / Nicky Nelson / WENN / Avalon)
These Betsey Johnson sandals are no longer available online.