When ABC’s political thriller “Scandal” first aired in 2012, lead actress Kerry Washington felt the pressure.
Much of the press focused on “the fact that it had been almost 40 years since a Black woman had been the lead on a network drama,” Washington told Alex Cooper in a mid-March episode of the podcast “Call Her Daddy.”
The 49-year-old actress felt like if the show didn’t do well, “it might be another 40 years” before a woman of color had the chance to be the lead in a show again. Rather than dwell on that pressure, Washington chose to refocus.
“It was an exercise of really trying to be clear about what I can control and what I can’t,” she said. “Like, I cannot control whether people turn on their televisions on Thursday night and watch my show. What I can control is my work ethic, pouring my heart into it.”
The show went on to last seven seasons and win a Peabody Award. Washington herself was nominated for multiple awards for playing Olivia Pope, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
