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Kerry Washington

Highest Rated: 99% The Fight (2020)

Lowest Rated: 0% A Thousand Words (2012)

Birthday: Jan 31, 1977

Birthplace: Bronx, New York, USA

Best known for playing strong-willed crisis manager Olivia Pope for seven seasons of Shonda Rhimes' ground-breaking political thriller "Scandal" (ABC, 2012-18), Kerry Washington also achieved awards recognition for her roles in "Ray" (2005), "Django Unchained" (2012) and "Confirmation" (HBO, 2016). Born in The Bronx, NY in 1977 to a professor mother and real estate broker father, Kerry Washington attended her home state's TADA! Youth Theater company in her teens and after graduating from George Washington University with a degree in sociology and anthropology, she further honed her acting talents at New York's Michael Howard Studios. She made her screen debut in a 1996 episode of "ABC Afterschool Special" (ABC, 1972-1997) and graduated to the big screen four years later with a co-starring role in coming-of-age "Our Song" (2000). Washington also took center stage as a shoplifter in "Lift" (2001) before playing a single mother in teen flick "Save the Last Dance" (2001), Chris Rock's love interest in comedy "Bad Company" (2002) and Don Cheadle's mistress in legal drama "The United States of Leland" (2003) as well as enjoying a five-episode stint in the short-lived "100 Centre Street" (A&E Network, 2001-02). Minor roles in Philip Roth adaptation "The Human Stain" (2003) and post-9/11 tale "Strip Search" (2004) followed, as did the more substantial parts of Ving Rhames' rebellious sister in crime thriller "Sin" (2003), Omar Epps' girlfriend in boxing drama "Against the Ropes" (2003) and Ray Charles' second wife Della Bea Robinson in acclaimed biopic "Ray" (2005). Washington then impressed as Anthony Mackie's lesbian ex-fiancee Fatima in Spike Lee's "She Hate Me" (2004), appeared in interweaving relationship drama "Sexual Life" (2005) and joined the superhero world with the role of blind sculptor Alicia Masters in "Fantastic Four" (2005). Her prolific streak continued with turns as Angelina Jolie's best friend Jasmine in action comedy "Mr and Mrs Smith" (2005), mother figure Vanessa in the Wayans brothers' farce "Little Man" (2005) and dictator Idi Amin's spouse Kay in biopic "The Last King of Scotland" (2005) and a recurring gig as lawyer Chelina Hall in "Boston Legal" (ABC, 2004-08). Inbetween reuniting with Rock in "I Think I Love My Wife" (2007), Lee in "Miracle at St. Anna" (2008) and Mackie in "Night Catches Us" (2010), Washington played a terrorized newlywed in "Lakeview Terrace" (2008), a transsexual prostitute in "Life Is Hot in Crackdown" (2009) and an aspiring adoptive parent in "Mother and Child" (2009). She then joined an all-star cast in Tyler Perry's "For Colored Girls" (2010), showed up in indie comedy "The Details" (2011) and portrayed house slave Broomhilda Von Schaft in Quentin Tarantino's revisionist western "Django Unchained" (2012). Washington's career then shifted to the small screen when she landed the role of powerful crisis manager Olivia Pope in "Scandal" (ABC, 2012-18). During her six-year stint in Shonda Rhimes' political thriller, for which she picked up multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nods, Washington also joined Craig Robinson in comedy "Peeples" (2013), voiced statistical analyst Natalie Certain in Pixar animations "Cars 3" (2017) and earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Anita Hill, the lawyer who alleged she'd been sexually harassed by U.S. Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, in TV movie "Confirmation" (HBO, 2016). Following the show's natural end, Washington played George's nemesis Helen in one-off revival "Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons" (ABC, 2019), reprised her role as the mother of a missing teen in the adaptation of Broadway play "American Son" (2019), joined the star-studded cast of Ryan Murphy's musical comedy "The Prom" (2020) and co-starred as Reese Witherspoon's rival Mia in "Little Fires Everywhere" (Hulu, 2020-), a multigenerational drama which the pair also executive produced.

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Highest rated movies

99% 71% The Fight Watchlist
91% 81% Our Song
Watchlist
88% Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons'
Watchlist
87% 89% The Last King of Scotland
Watchlist
87% 92% Django Unchained
Watchlist
84% 73% Confirmation Watchlist
80% Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'All in the Family' and 'Good Times'
Watchlist
80% 66% Night Catches Us
Watchlist
80% 82% Girl Rising
Watchlist
79% 76% Mother and Child
Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Unknown (Character) - 2025
49% 79% The Six Triple Eight Unknown (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2024
38% 66% The School for Good and Evil Professor Dovey (Character) - 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Live in Front of a Studio Audience: The Facts of Life and Diff'rent Strokes Executive Producer - 2021
54% 61% The Prom Mrs. Greene (Character) - 2020
99% 71% The Fight Producer - 2020
80% No Score Yet Live in Front of a Studio Audience: 'All in the Family' and 'Good Times' Executive Producer - 2019
48% 64% American Son Kendra (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2019
88% No Score Yet Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' Helen Willis (Character) - 2019
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wyeth Unknown (Character) - 2018
69% 68% Cars 3 Natalie Certain (Voice) $152.9M 2017
84% 73% Confirmation Anita Hill (Character),
Executive Producer
- 2016
80% 82% Girl Rising Narrator - 2013
39% 49% Peeples Grace Peeples (Character) $9.1M 2013
87% 92% Django Unchained Broomhilda von Shaft (Character) $162.8M 2012
0% 46% A Thousand Words Caroline McCall (Character) $18.4M 2012
45% 34% The Details Rebecca Mazzoni (Character) $63.6K 2011
80% 66% Night Catches Us Patricia (Character) $75.8K 2010
31% 73% For Colored Girls Kelly/Blue (Character) $37.7M 2010
79% 76% Mother and Child Lucy (Character) $1.1M 2009
50% 54% Life Is Hot in Cracktown Marybeth (Character) - 2009
33% 51% Miracle at St. Anna Zana Wilder (Character) $7.9M 2008
44% 39% Lakeview Terrace Lisa Mattson (Character) $39.3M 2008
37% 51% Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Alicia Masters (Character) $131.9M 2007
19% 41% I Think I Love My Wife Nikki (Character) $12.5M 2007
75% 65% The Dead Girl Rosetta (Character) $17.3K 2006
87% 89% The Last King of Scotland Kay Amin (Character) $17.6M 2006
12% 55% Little Man Vanessa (Character) $58.3M 2006
27% 45% Fantastic Four Alicia Masters (Character) $154.7M 2005
60% 58% Mr. & Mrs. Smith Jasmine (Character) $186.3M 2005
No Score Yet 42% Sexual Life Rosalie (Character) - 2004
79% 87% Ray Della Bea Robinson (Character) $75.3M 2004
20% 59% She Hate Me Fatima (Character) $365.1K 2004
11% 29% Against the Ropes Renee (Character) $5.9M 2004
34% 81% The United States of Leland Ayesha (Character) $343.8K 2003
No Score Yet 21% Sin Kassie (Character) - 2003
42% 48% The Human Stain Ellie (Character) $5.4M 2003
10% 35% Bad Company Julie (Character) $30.2M 2002
50% 71% Lift Niecy (Character) - 2001
54% 59% Save the Last Dance Chenille Reynolds (Character) $91.0M 2001
91% 81% Our Song Lanisha Brown (Character) $254.2K 2000

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Jennifer Hudson Show Guest 2022 2024
No Score Yet 11% The View Guest 2013-2014 2017-2018 2020 2022-2024
No Score Yet 55% Late Night With Seth Meyers Guest 2014 2017-2018 2024
No Score Yet 42% Jimmy Kimmel Live! Guest 2008 2012-2020 2022 2024
85% 76% The Simpsons Miss Peyton (Guest Voice) 2023-2024
100% 76% Reasonable Doubt Executive Producer,
Director
2022 2024
No Score Yet 28% The Drew Barrymore Show Guest 2023-2024
96% 86% Unprisoned Paige Alexander (Character),
Executive Producer
2023-2024
No Score Yet 48% The Late Show With Stephen Colbert Guest 2015 2017-2018 2022-2023
No Score Yet No Score Yet Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen Guest 2023
No Score Yet 18% The Late Late Show With James Corden Guest 2017 2020 2022-2023
No Score Yet 44% The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Guest 2014-2020 2023
No Score Yet 54% The Kelly Clarkson Show Guest 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ellen DeGeneres Show Guest 2012-2015 2017-2020 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wilmore Guest 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Real Time With Bill Maher Guest 2012 2016 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Variety Studio: Actors on Actors Guest 2016 2020
79% 61% Little Fires Everywhere Mia Warren (Character),
Executive Producer
2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Doctors Sandra Armstrong (Character) 2019
0% 12% The Alec Baldwin Show Guest 2018
93% 72% Scandal Olivia Pope (Character),
Director
2012-2018
88% 85% How to Get Away With Murder Olivia Pope (Guest Star) 2018
41% 61% Chelsea Guest 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet 106 & Park Unknown (Character) 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Mo'Nique Show Unknown (Character),
Guest
2010 2013
No Score Yet 57% Saturday Night Live Host 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Guest 2010 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet Project Runway Guest 2011 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Daily Show Guest 2013
100% 78% Late Show With David Letterman Unknown (Character) 2013
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Wendy Williams Show Guest 2012-2013
89% 94% Psych Unknown (Guest Star) 2008
86% 90% Boston Legal Chelina Hall (Guest Star) 2005-2006
No Score Yet 83% The Guardian Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet 83% Law & Order Unknown (Guest Star) 2001
83% 95% NYPD Blue Maya Young (Guest Star) 2001
No Score Yet No Score Yet Starcade Unknown (Character) 1983