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Kerry Marisa Washington is an American actress who portrays the protagonist of Scandal, Olivia Pope. She also serves as a producer of the show and directed the season seven episode "The People v. Olivia Pope".

Background

Emmy and Golden Globe nominated Kerry Washington is a versatile and fearless actress who continues to shine on both the big screen and small. A native of The Bronx, Washington has received high acclaim for her work on stage, on television and on film.

Career Background

Washington debuted in 2000 in the highly acclaimed independent film "Our Song" and later in the film "Save the Last Dance," for which she received a Teen Choice Award for Best Breakout Performance. Her performance in the 2002 film "LIFT" earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress. In the years following her debut, Kerry starred in several films including "Bad Company," "The United States of Leland," "The Human Stain," "Sin," "Against the Ropes," and "She Hate Me."

In 2004, Washington starred alongside Jamie Foxx in the Academy Award nominated hit "Ray." Her performance earned her the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture. In the years to follow, Washington was seen in "Sexual Life," "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer," Miracle at St. Anne," "Life is Hot in Cracktown," and "Mother and Child." Washington received NAACP Image Award nominations for her performances in the 2006 film "The Last King of Scotland" and the 2010 film "Night Cathes Us." Her performance in the 2008 film "Lakeview Terrace" earned her a Best Actress nomination at the BET Awards. In 2010, Washington starred in Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls" alongside Phylicia Rashad, Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson and Thandie Newton. That year, Washington also made her Broadway debut in David Mamet's "Race," starring James Spader and David Alan Grier. In 2012, Washington was seen in "The Details" with Tobey Maguire as well as "A Thousand Words" alongside Eddie Murphy. Washington was recently seen in Quentin Tarantino's "Django Unchained" alongside Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz and Samuel Jackson. The film was nominated for a Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Picture. Washington was last seen in the comedy "Peeples" with Craig Robinson. Her performance earned her an NAACP Image award nomination for Best Actress.

In 2013, Washington earned her first primetime Emmy award nomination, Screen Actors Guild nomination and Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of Olivia Pope. She was also awarded an NAACP Image Award for Best Actress and the show won for Best Drama. The NAACP also honored Washington with the President's Award, recognizing special achievement in furthering the cause of civil rights and public service. Washington and "Scandal" both earned NAACP Image Awards in 2014. An activist, Washington was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President's Committee of the Arts and Humanities in 2009. She also is an active member of the V-Counsel, an esteemed group of advisors to V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women and girls. Washington was named to Time 100's Most Influential list in 2014.

Awards

Won:

  • 2013 BET Awards - Best Actress
  • 2014 NAACP Image Awards - Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series
  • 2015 GLAAD - Vanguard Award

Scandal Directing Credits

Kerry Washington

→ See and enjoy 665 pictures of Kerry Washington at Images of Kerry Washington.

Social Media Set Photos

Press

Videos

→ Watch more videos of Kerry Washington at Category:Videos of Kerry Washington.

Notes & Trivia

  • Kerry was on the swim team in high school like her character Olivia Pope.
  • Kerry was named after Ireland’s county Kerry.
  • She's a huge fan of the TV drama series "Games of Thrones".
  • Kerry loves to dance.
  • Kerry started the Scandal tradition of - before shooting a new show, the cast scream the episode number, applaud, and bang on furniture.
  • Kerry was also the one who wanted every scandal cast to join twitter in order to promote the show through social media by live tweeting.
  • Unlike most celebrities, Kerry is very private about her personal life.
  • She attended George Washington University and graduated with a BFA in Theater in 1998.
  • Kerry stated in an interview that if the character of the president, Fitz Grant, was played by a black man, she would have passed on the role of Olivia Pope because of her relationship with the real-life president at that time, Barack Obama. She thought it would be disrespectful and against all the work that she had done.
  • The role of Olivia Pope on Scandal makes her the first African-American female lead in a network drama in almost 40 years.
  • Kerry has been nominated twice for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series playing Olivia Pope.

External Links


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