Kerry Washington stands out as one of Hollywood’s foremost Black actresses, captivating audiences on both the big screen and television. In spite of her success, the Emmy Award-winning star of “Scandal” has entertained thoughts of leaving the business — but found she couldn’t if she tried. Washington opened up about that and more in an interview with W Magazine.
The Bronx native, who at one time was commanding $250,000 per episode while filming the Shondaland weekly drama, was asked if she ever thought she was “done with Hollywood.” Her response likely left many of her fans surprised.
She said she has spent “a lifetime trying to not be an actor.”
“I am always quitting this business,” Washington stated. “And then right when I decide that I’m done is when something extraordinary comes across my desk.”
Then ‘Scandal’ Hit
“I was really, really done with this business right before I read the script for ‘Ray.’ I was really, really done with this business right before I read the script for ‘The Last King of Scotland.’ I was entirely done with this business before reading the script for ‘Scandal.’ This is what happens again and again,” she explained.
Not only has the founder of Simpson Street Productions been associated with remarkable projects, she also ranks as one of the highest-earning Black women in Hollywood, commanding substantial compensation for her contributions. This places her in a shared position with Raven Symoné on the list of “Richest Black Actresses,” boasting an estimated net worth of $50 million, according to Work + Money.
Solid Resume
Washington popped out on the scene in 1994 in the ABC movie “Magical Make-Over.”
However, her big break was in 2001, when she appeared in the film “Save the Last Dance.” Unlike many other Black actresses, Washington worked steadily on a slew of other films and television shows.
A select list of projects she has starred in is Spike Lee’s “She Hate Me” (2004), “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005), “Little Man” (2006), “Fantastic Four” (2005), “The Last King of Scotland” (2006), “I Think I Love My Wife” (2007), “For Colored Girls” (2010), “Django Unchained” (2012), “Peeples” (2013), “Confirmation” (2016), “American Son” (2019), “Little Fires Everywhere” (2020), and even as Rayshelle Peyton on “The Simpsons” in 2022 and 2023.
Washington also has appeared on Broadway, starring in David Mamet’s “Race” at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre alongside Tony-nominated David Alan Grier.
Her biggest success was playing Olivia Pope 124 times from April 5, 2012 to April 19, 2018, on the hit ABC series “Scandal.”
Making Industry Change
Such success has opened the doors on multiple levels for Washington. For one, it afforded her an invitation to be a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, where she serves in the minuscule 19 percent of all members of color.
Through endorsement deals inked with brands such as Neutrogena, Apple and Movado, Washington gained a lot of her wealth. In three years alone, she made approximately $36 million from her endorsement portfolio. She earned $13 million in 2016, followed by $11 million in 2017, and another $12 million in 2018.
And the train just doesn’t seem like it’s ever going to stop. In January 2023, she announced she will be releasing a memoir of her life.
Called “Thicker Than Water” and to be released on Little, Brown Spark, an imprint of Little, Brown, and Company, the book aims to give readers “an intimate view into both her public and private worlds — as an artist, an advocate, an entrepreneur, a mother, a daughter, a wife, a Black woman.”
It will hit Amazon and other book retailers on Sept. 26, according to People magazine.
