Kerry Washington Covers Washington Flyer

Kerry Washington features on the cover of  March/April 2012 issue of Washington Flyer. Excerpt...

Washington Flyer: The character of Olivia Pope is a big, juicy role, isn’t it?

Kerry Washington: I’ve been really lucky in my career, since I’ve played some big, juicy women. Olivia Pope is unique in so many ways for me. I’ve never done television in this way before. I’ve done a couple episodes here and there at the beginning of my career, but I’ve never been the lead on a TV show. And it’s been really exciting—but the television machine is a different animal!

WF: Is the pressure on, now that you’re anchoring your own show?

KW: Olivia is the leader of her own life, and so that leadership quality is one I’ve been trying to explore and embrace to play the character. You use the word “anchor.” But that’s putting the focus on the wrong place, in terms of my artistic process.

WF: What it’s like to work with Judy Smith?
KW: Judy is a producer on the show, so she’s really involved, but I’m careful to say that Olivia is inspired by Judy and is not based on Judy. Judy never had a complicated relationship with Bush One in the way Olivia has with the president on the show!

Most of the elements that come out of Judy’s experience are based on the office, and the way the office works, the kinds of clients [she] deals with in Washington. And Washington is such a fun place to base the show. Many of the most powerful people in many fields either live in Washington or come to D.C. regularly. If the show were based in L.A., it would be all about crises in the entertainment world. In Washington, you can have clients who are entertainment-based, military-based, business-based, politically based, or union-based—so many different powerful circles that find a home in the capital.

There have been times where I’ve called Judy and said, “Where are you right now? I can barely hear you!” And she’ll say: “I’m not at liberty to tell you.” It is exciting that the series is inspired by someone who really does this work, plus the fantastic imaginations of the writers.

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