Kerry Washington’s mother had a very different plan for her daughter’s life. “She really, really wanted me to go to law school,” Washington says with a laugh of mum Valerie, a former college professor. “She used to say to me, ‘Closing arguments are just like monologues.’ She was terrified to have a starving artist of a child.”
But the Bronx-born theatre kid was destined to be a star. After graduating from George Washington University, she headed to Hollywood, where her turn as political fixer Olivia Pope on ABC’s Scandal made her famous.
Still, the 43-year-old actress never lost her drive to fight for others. It’s a principle she and her husband, football player-turned-actor Nnamdi Asomugha, 39, are working to instil in their three young children.
And her acting choices – including recent roles as a mother seeking answers from police about her missing son in Netflix’s American Son and an artist fighting to protect her daughter in Hulu’s Little Fires Everywhere – have been guided by that deeper purpose.
Says Washington, “I’m drawn to work that illuminates our shared humanity.” For the actress’ latest project, she stepped behind the camera, serving as producer of The Fight, a Magnolia Pictures and Topic Studios documentary about the lawyers of the American Civil Liberties Union. “They’re Avengers in real life – out there fighting for all of our rights,” she says.
She talked with People about her life with her family and her hopes to create positive change.
Finding calm
Bu hikaye WHO dergisinin August 31, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye WHO dergisinin August 31, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
The Beckhams STORM after the PARTY!
AS POSH CELEBRATED HER 50TH, THE COUPLE WERE PREPARING FOR A NEW BOMBSHELL
JAMES STEWART & SARAH ROBERTS - SECRET SPLIT
THE HOME AND AWAY COUPLE CONFIRM THEIR DOWN-LOW DIVORCE
Theo James - ALWAYS THE GENTLEMAN
THE ENGLISH ACTOR IS MAKING HIS MARK AS A NEW BRAND OF LEADING MAN
MIA HEWITT - ALL GROWN UP!
LOOK AT BEC AND LLEYTON'S BABY GIRL NOW!
LOUIS TURNS 6 - PRINCE OF HEARTS
THE WALES' SHARE A SNAP OF THEIR CHEEKY BOY
ISLA FISHER - BACK TO WORK
THE NEWLY SINGLE ACTRESS WAS ALL SMILES ON THE SET OF HER NEW FILM
JASON & OLIVIA - FRIENDLY EXES
THE STARS MINGLE HAPPILY AFTER CUSTODY BATTLE
Michael J. Fox - GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING
AFTER A TOUGH YEAR, THE BELOVED STAR REMAINS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT HIS FUTURE
INES, ANGE & AN EN DURING DR AMA
BRAD PITT MOVES ON DESPITE A SEVEN-YEAR BATTLE AND NEW CLAIMS
Orlando Bloom - SHE DEMANDS I EVOLVE
THE ACTOR GIVES A RARE INSIGHT INTO HIS WORLD WITH KATY PERRY, THEIR CHALLENGES AND CHERISHED MOMENTS