Viola Davis's Emmy Speech: Namechecked Celebs React

Viola Davis’s stirring acceptance speech following her history-making win for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series was one of the best moments of the 67th Primetime Emmy Awards. And even as her speech brought tears to the eyes of the audience inside the Microsoft Theater, it launched a ripple that spread outward through Twitter. The actress’s numerous friends and colleagues Tweeted out their congratulations and awe at her triumph, starting with two of her How to Get Away With Murder co-stars, Matt McGorry and Aja Naomi King.

In her speech, Davis mentioned the African-American actresses — including Kerry Washington, Nicole Beharie, Meagan Good, and Gabrielle Union — working hard to improve the representation of minority women onscreen. Those namechecked performers were quick to thank their idol on Twitter.

Other prominent well-wishers joined the chorus, too:

Finally, Davis’s boss, Shonda Rhimes weighed in. Based on her reaction, it sounds like Davis shouldn’t worry about having a great day back at work when she wakes up the morning after her post-Emmy triumph.