Kerry Washington
Birthday:
Birthplace:
Bronx, New York, USA
Actress Kerry Washington's strong background in theater and academics found the talented and ambitious young starlet, even at the start of her career, setting her sights on producing, screenwriting, and eventually directing -- a goal that certainly seemed reachable given her early success in such films as Lift and Save the Last Dance. The daughter of a real-estate broker, Washington was born in New York City and attended the Spence School of Manhattan before enrolling in George Washington University's theater program. It wasn't long after her 1998 graduation that the aspiring actress made her feature debut in the 2000 drama Our Song, with nominations for the film at the Independent Spirit Awards and the Sundance Film Festival serving to increase her exposure among cinephiles, even if the film did go largely unseen by the masses. Of course it would take more than a small independent film to truly set Washington apart from the pack, and many saw her performance in the 2001 romantic drama Save the Last Dance as one of the few redeeming qualities in the otherwise forgettable teen drama. Though her only true experience as a thief resulted in the stealing of an apple from a New York deli when directors DeMane Davis and Khari Streeter encouraged her to engage in a minor bit of thievery in preparation for her role as a shoplifter in the 2001 drama Lift, Washington ultimately proved so convincing and effective in the role that she received a nomination as Best Female Lead at the 2002 Independent Spirit Awards. Of course the all-too-honest actress would return to the deli to pay for the apple following completion of the film. By this point there was little doubt as to Washington's talent, and despite the fact that she would be overshadowed by such big names as Anthony Hopkins and Meg Ryan in such subsequent efforts as Bad Company, The Human Stain, and Against the Ropes, she still managed to make an impression with a series of memorable supporting roles. A substantial role as a lesbian looking to be impregnated by her ex-boyfriend in director Spike Lee's 2004 comedy drama She Hate Me threatened to put an end to the trend of casting Washington almost exclusively in supporting roles; a role as the wife of legendary musician Ray Charles in the same year's Ray truly took her career to the next level. Despite her recent onscreen success, Washington remains true to her stage roots by remaining active in theater and has also begun to branch out by attempting to make a name for herself as a writer and producer as well.Still, it was on the screen that Washington truly earned her keep, and following roles in Sexual Life, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and Fantastic Four, Washington took a trip to the courtroom for a supporting role on David E. Kelley's Emmy-winning television comedy Boston Legal. In 2006 Washington would find herself the recipient of a most unusual houseguest when a diminutive thief appeared on her doorstep disguised as an abandoned toddler in the Wayans brothers comedy Little Man. She was in Chris Rock's romantic comedy I Think I Love My Wife, and appeared in Spike Lee's World War II movie Miracle at St. Anna. As the 2010's approached, Washington soon found herself a bonified star, remaining adored and in demand due to performances in high profile features like Django Unchained and her star turn as Olivia Pope in ABC's smash hit Scandal.
Photos
Highest Rated Movies
Filmography
MOVIES
RATING | TITLE | CREDIT | BOX OFFICE | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|---|
55% | The Prom |
|
— | 2020 |
99% | The Fight |
|
— | 2020 |
No Score Yet | One World: Together at Home |
|
— | 2020 |
48% | American Son |
|
— | 2019 |
88% | Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's 'All in the Family' and 'The Jeffersons' |
|
— | 2019 |
69% | Cars 3 |
|
$152.7M | 2017 |
No Score Yet | The Words That Built America |
|
— | 2017 |
83% | Confirmation |
|
— | 2016 |
38% | Peeples |
|
$9.2M | 2013 |
80% | Girl Rising |
|
$0.9M | 2013 |
87% | Django Unchained |
|
$162.9M | 2012 |
46% | The Details |
|
$64.1k | 2012 |
0% | A Thousand Words |
|
$18.5M | 2012 |
No Score Yet | The Olmsted Legacy |
|
— | 2011 |
81% | Night Catches Us |
|
$75.8k | 2010 |
32% | For Colored Girls |
|
$37.8M | 2010 |
78% | Mother and Child |
|
$1.2M | 2010 |
No Score Yet | The Precious One |
|
— | 2010 |
50% | Life Is Hot in Cracktown |
|
— | 2009 |
No Score Yet | Poliwood |
|
— | 2009 |
No Score Yet | The People Speak |
|
— | 2009 |
44% | Lakeview Terrace |
|
$39.3M | 2008 |
33% | Miracle at St. Anna |
|
$7.8M | 2008 |
37% | Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer |
|
$131.8M | 2007 |
19% | I Think I Love My Wife |
|
$12.5M | 2007 |
76% | The Dead Girl |
|
— | 2006 |
87% | The Last King of Scotland |
|
$17.5M | 2006 |
12% | Little Man |
|
$58.3M | 2006 |
27% | Fantastic Four |
|
$154.5M | 2005 |
60% | Mr. & Mrs. Smith |
|
$186.2M | 2005 |
No Score Yet | Sexual Life |
|
— | 2005 |
79% | Ray |
|
$75M | 2004 |
19% | She Hate Me |
|
$81.9k | 2004 |
No Score Yet | Strip Search |
|
— | 2004 |
34% | The United States of Leland |
|
$0.3M | 2004 |
12% | Against the Ropes |
|
$5.7M | 2004 |
42% | The Human Stain |
|
— | 2003 |
No Score Yet | Sin |
|
— | 2003 |
10% | Bad Company |
|
$30.2M | 2002 |
91% | Our Song |
|
— | 2001 |
50% | Lift |
|
— | 2001 |
53% | Save the Last Dance |
|
$90.7M | 2001 |
TV
RATING | TITLE | CREDIT | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
96% |
Insecure
2016
|
|
|
78% |
Little Fires Everywhere
2020
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Jimmy Kimmel Live
2003
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
|
|
|
91% |
SMILF
2017-2019
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
2014
|
|
|
0% |
The Alec Baldwin Show
2018-2019
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Late Show With Stephen Colbert
2015
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Late Night With Seth Meyers
2014
|
|
|
93% |
Scandal
2012-2018
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The View
1997
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Daily Show With Trevor Noah
2015
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Late Late Show With James Corden
2015
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Variety Studio: Actors on Actors
2015-2019
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Close Up With the Hollywood Reporter
2015
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Late Show With David Letterman
1993-2015
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Saturday Night Live
1975
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart
1999-2015
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Chelsea Lately
2007-2014
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Wendy Williams Show
2008-2020
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Project Runway
2004-2020
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon
2009-2014
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Tonight Show With Jay Leno
1992-2014
|
|
|
89% |
Psych
2006-2014
|
|
|
86% |
Boston Legal
2004-2008
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
The Guardian
2001-2004
|
|
|
58% |
Deadline
2000-2001
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Law & Order
1990-2010
|
|
|
83% |
NYPD Blue
1993-2005
|
|
|
No Score Yet |
Five Points
2018-2019
|
|
|
Quotes from Kerry Washington's Characters
Anita Hill: | I know somebody sexually harassed me, and it might have been Clarence Thomas, if I lie about the time it happened. |
Kenny: | Don't blame me; I didn't want any of this! |
Chenille: | What? 'Cause I did? I climbed on top of myself and got myself pregnant? |
Chenille: | And this is Diggy. She thinks she's down. |
Diggy: | Excuse me? I am down, okay? |
Chenille: | You can't help who you love, Derek, you're not supposed to. |
Della Charles: | (talking to Ray about his drug problems) If you keep usin' the needle, they'll take away your music and put you in *jail*. That's what you wanna do. |
Della Charles: | If you keep usin' the needle, they'll take away your music and put you in jail. That's what you wanna do. |
Lucy: | The truth is easier to remember. |
Della Charles: | My whole family is in Texas. |
Ray Charles: | That's why we're movin' to L.A. |
Della Charles: | My whole family is in Texas. |
Ray Charles: | That's why we're moving to L.A. |
Django: | You gonna have to keep up, ya know? |
Broomhilda: | You won't wait for me. |
Django: | Better not. |
Broomhilda: | You won't. |
Broomhilda: | They call me Hildi. |
Django: | Hey little troublemaker |
Django: | Hey, little troublemaker. |
Stephen: | Hey Big troublemaer |
Stephen: | Hey, big troublemaker. |
Broomhilda: | Hey, big troublemaker. |
Django: | Hey there, trouble-maker. |
Broomhilda: | *Faints* |
Dr. King Schultz: | You silver-tongued devil you. |
Ray: | Do you always tell the truth? |
Lucy: | The truth is easier to remember. |
Patricia: | That's not who we were. That's not what we did. |