Check out more from the interview below!
On Keeping Her Personal Life Private
I learned through experience that it doesn’t work for me to talk about my personal life. I’ve had earlier times in my career when I did talk about it. I was on the cover of a bridal magazine [InStyle Weddings, in 2005, when Washington was engaged to actor David Moscow]. But I couldn’t just turn around and say, “I only want to talk about the good stuff, but not the bad stuff.” So I just thought, “OK, no more.”
You even managed to get married in June without anyone knowing.
Absolutely! I’m walking around in the world with my ring. And when people say congratulations, I say thank you. But I’m going to continue to not talk about it and just let it unfold.
It must have been satisfying to pull off a wedding with no press around.
[Laughs.] I don’t want to sound smug about it…but the point is to do what’s best for me. I have girlfriends in this business who talk about their personal lives, and it works for them, and I love it. But not for me.
On If Her Parents Approve Of Her Career ChoiceWhen I said that this is what I wanted to do, my mother literally cried. She didn’t want me to experience all that rejection. They both would have preferred me to have been a lawyer.… [After college] I gave myself a year to make it in acting and was living in my parents’ house teaching beginner’s yoga when I got my first part, in Our Song. Then I got Save the Last Dance.… Now they’re really behind me. And I’m always working. My cousins call me the longshoreman of actors.
On Fashion Being Important to Her Career
OK, I’m going to admit this: There were a couple of actresses whom I felt were having the upper hand careerwise—because they knew how to work that red carpet. I was like, “I’m missing a really important tool. If I am the CEO of the Kerry Washington Corporation, my marketing department is really lax.” So I sort of developed a new character: Red-Carpet Kerry.[...]And I researched her like any other character. I actually called Tracee Ellis Ross [the actress and Diana Ross’s daughter], who’s a good friend, and literally asked, “How do you pronounce Hermès?” Red-Carpet Kerry needed to know.[...]The professor’s daughter kicked in. I was doing library hours on fashion. And then it happened—I was in love.
OK, I’m going to admit this: There were a couple of actresses whom I felt were having the upper hand careerwise—because they knew how to work that red carpet. I was like, “I’m missing a really important tool. If I am the CEO of the Kerry Washington Corporation, my marketing department is really lax.” So I sort of developed a new character: Red-Carpet Kerry.[...]And I researched her like any other character. I actually called Tracee Ellis Ross [the actress and Diana Ross’s daughter], who’s a good friend, and literally asked, “How do you pronounce Hermès?” Red-Carpet Kerry needed to know.[...]The professor’s daughter kicked in. I was doing library hours on fashion. And then it happened—I was in love.
On Her All White Fashion in “Scandal”
From me and the costume designer Lyn Paolo. And the pants—that Olivia wears pants—that was mine, because I really wanted her to wear the pants in that relationship.
I'm a proud Glamour subscriber, so I can't wait for my issue to get to the house! And, of course, season 3 of Scandal starts back up October 3, officially a month away! Gladiators are you ready?!!
Image via Glamour
From me and the costume designer Lyn Paolo. And the pants—that Olivia wears pants—that was mine, because I really wanted her to wear the pants in that relationship.
I'm a proud Glamour subscriber, so I can't wait for my issue to get to the house! And, of course, season 3 of Scandal starts back up October 3, officially a month away! Gladiators are you ready?!!
Image via Glamour
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