She Faced Death at 8 — Now She’s One of Hollywood’s Most Influential Figures

Yet behind the glamour of her Hollywood career lay formative experiences that shaped her personality, world view, and creative choices. Geena Davis was born Virginia Elizabeth Davis on January 21, 1956, in Wareham, Massachusetts, a coastal town where life was modest, practical, and grounded in hard work and humility.

Her parents, Bill and Lucille Davis, were old‑fashioned New Englanders — rooted in self‑sufficiency and polite reserve — a culture that deeply influenced her early years and, later, the themes she would explore in her memoir.

A Childhood Marked by Politeness and Uneasy Moments

Growing up in Wareham, Davis described her upbringing as sheltered and polite to a fault. “We were very underexposed to everything,” she once reflected, recalling long New England winters heated with wood her father chopped and dinners where simple manners were paramount.

In her 2022 memoir Dying of Politeness, Davis recounts how her desire not to make waves — honed from childhood — occasionally bordered on danger. One striking memory involves a drive home from dinner when Davis, at age eight, rode with her 99‑year‑old great‑uncle Jack, who repeatedly veered toward oncoming traffic. Continue reading…