In 2017, Kerry Washington was featured on the cover of Glamour Magazine. She was interviewed on Art As Activism, the Importance of "Staying Awake" and Scandal.
About[]
Kerry Washington has become one of the most prolific actresses of her generation. The Kerry we have come to know disappears when Kay Amin of The Last King of Scotland, or Broomhilda in Django Unchained, or Olivia Pope in Scandal, now in its sixth season, appears onscreen. It comes as no surprise that she’s been nominated for four Emmys and two Golden Globes.
InStyle Cover Interview[]
Let’s talk about your career: Is there a project or a role that has been the most transformative for you personally?
It’s impossible to say that Olivia Pope hasn’t been one of the most transformative roles for me. I’ve never played a character for this long. Olivia Pope also took my anonymity away. Before, I was a character actor: Nobody really knew that the girl from Save the Last Dance was the same girl from The Last King of Scotland. So I could show up and be a person in the public eye when it was useful, then dip out and have my life. Olivia Pope has really changed that.
How much longer do you want to play Olivia?
"It’s not really up to me. It’s up to Shonda [Rhimes, Scandal’s creator] and to the network. Shonda has said from the beginning that she kind of knows how it ends. So I’m trusting her to guide the arc. It’s also important for me to do other work—and playing Olivia gave me the opportunity to become a producer. The charge of my production company, Simpson Street, is to tell stories that are about people, places, and situations that may not always be considered by the mainstream. Inclusivity is not about, you know, creating a world where straight white men have no voice; it’s about creating a world where we all have a voice. So I’m excited to start that new journey, as a producer."
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