Why Kerry Washington Thinks Scandal Would Never Have Been Made Today

Why Kerry Washington Thinks Scandal Would Never Have Been Made Today

As a lifestyle expert who has spent years observing and analyzing the entertainment industry, I can wholeheartedly agree with Kerry Washington‘s sentiment about the current TV landscape being risk-averse. Having witnessed the journey of groundbreaking shows like Scandal, it is unfortunate to see how far we have yet to progress.


Kerry Washington has a scandalous hot take.

As a devoted admirer, I reflect upon the accolades showered upon the Scandal star for her trailblazing performance as the crisis manager Olivia Pope in the ABC political drama. Yet, when posed with the question of whether such a series would be produced today, the actress was straightforward in her response.

“No,” Washington said during a panel at the Bloomberg Screentime conference Oct. 10. “100 percent no. For so many reasons.”

In 2012, when the series initially aired, Washington became the first Black woman to spearhead a network drama in 38 years since Teresa Graves starred in “Get Christie Love!” on ABC back in 1974. This made her the third African-American woman to hold this position in American television history.

At that time, I was barely past my thirties, which meant it wasn’t an event I had personally witnessed. Everyone deemed it a daring move, and they were right – the studio, the network, everyone felt it was risky. But ABC and Disney shouldered this risk with pride,” stated the star of Django Unchained.

She observed that the present TV landscape is rather cautious, and went on to say, “I’m not sure if my project, centered around a Black woman, would have been approved in its current state.

In addition to being 47 years old, they mentioned that the executives originally considered a different actress to play the role she now symbolizes so profoundly. This role brought her two Emmy nominations in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.

Why Kerry Washington Thinks Scandal Would Never Have Been Made Today

Washington commented on Shonda Rhimes, stating that she had openly discussed this topic. He mentioned that when the executives initially read the script for “Scandal,” they felt it was an ideal role for Connie Britton. However, he noted that the show was actually inspired by a real person named Judy Smith, who is a Black woman.

She went on to remark, “Had it not been based on a genuine Black female character, people would’ve suggested making her Caucasian. The choice to depict her differently wasn’t an option.

Initially, Britton wasn’t chosen for the role, as Rhimes’ concept was more appealing to ABC. However, Katie Lowes, who previously worked as a nanny for Britton’s son Eyob (now 13), is closely associated with the series due to her role in it.

In 2014, Britton playfully remarked to TopMob News, “I was quite disappointed when she landed this small role,” implying that he felt it was a bit self-centered of her to take the job.

Read More

2024-10-11 21:49