Kerry Washington turns 45 this Monday, January 31. The actress from the Bronx reached the peak of success at a time when roles dedicated to African-American women in the industry were not abundant.
The Hollywood star was born in the Bronx in New York City in 1977. She was the daughter of Earl and Valerie, a stockbroker and a teacher.
She grew up in a battered and isolated African-American community. However, from a young age, She was concerned with standing out in that environment and helping her people.
She studied at the Spence School and then entered the George Washington University, where he majored in theater and drama.
Little by little, Kerry began to earn her place in Hollywood and began to be considered for important roles in films such as “Ray”, where she played Della Bea Robinson, the wife of Ray Charles (who was played by Jamie Foxx); “The Last King of Scotland”, in which she worked alongside James McAvoy and Forest Whitaker, and “The Fantastic Four”, where she played Alicia Masters and had Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis as cast partners. , a role he repeated in its sequel.
Since then, She has developed a promising career, both in film and on television.
Without a doubt, the role that has earned her the most recognition on the small screen is the one she played in the multi-award winning series “Scandal”, giving life to Olivia Hope. In this ABC production, Kerry is the protagonist.
“Scandal” focuses on Olivia, an expert lawyer handling crises and scandals, her mission, and that of her team, is to protect and defend the image and lives of her clients, normally belonging to the country’s elite. With this series, Washington broke the mold by being the first black woman to star in a dramatic series since 1974 and also the first to get an Emmy nomination in that category in 18 years.
For her role in “Scandal” she also received a nomination for the Golden Globe Awards as “best actress in a television series”.
The series and its seven seasons came to make her one of the highest paid and most glamorous actresses on television; in 2018 it was the eighth in the ranking, according to Forbes magazine, with 11 million euros.
+ Social activist
Kerry Washington is a strong activist in many social and political causes. She has worked for many years with non-profit organizations dedicated to preventing the fight against cancer and gender violence.
She is also a strong supporter of former US President Barack Obama and has campaigned on her behalf.
In addition to her acting career, Kerry has been the face of L’Oreal, sharing commercials with actresses like Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria.
As for her love life, Kerry Washington was the girlfriend of actor David Moscow. In 2013, she married American football player Nnamdi Asomugha. As a result of that relationship, the actress’s two children, Isabella and Caleb, were born.
The actress does not usually make many public appearances with her husband and children. In several interviews, she has reiterated that she is jealous of her privacy and that of her family, so she always tries to talk about her because of her work and not because of her personal life.