Kerry Washington Has Been Trying To Quit Acting For Years, And She Explained Why She's Failed Every Time
Kerry Washington is one of our great American actresses. She mesmerized the world with captivating performances in Django Unchained and The Last King of Scotland, and cemented herself as an A-lister when she played Olivia Pope on the ABC drama, Scandal. She has been so successful, that Hulu paid her a million dollars an episode for Little Fires Everywhere. Now she has revealed that she has wanted to quit acting at several points in her career, but something always seemed to stop her from doing so.
The Prom actress was profiled by W Magazine, and she opened up about fame, and some of her most iconic performances over the years. Washington revealed that although her skills as an actress made her a star, she has almost quit the business many times. However, every time she comes close to giving up Hollywood for good, an incredible opportunity always pops up that draws her back in. She explained:
I have spent a lifetime trying to not be an actor. I am always quitting this business, and then right when I decide that I’m done is when something extraordinary comes across my desk. I was really, really done with this business right before I read the script for Ray. I was really, really done with this business right before I read the script for The Last King of Scotland. I was entirely done with this business before reading the script for Scandal. This is what happens again and again.’
While the Emmy winner may have been pushed to a quitting point many times, I think her fans are happy she never left the business. Washington is extraordinary, and her work on so many different projects across various genres is why audiences love her so much. Scandal was a sensation, resulting in a historic run on ABC that wouldn’t have been the same if another actress had played Olivia Pope. She embodied the role, just as she did her characters in Ray and The Last King of Scotland.
Washington may have wanted to leave acting to pursue other endeavors in the past, but she has found a way to participate in other ventures while maintaining a lustrous career performing. She is a fierce activist, and she is a member of the Creative Coalition which is a group of creatives who seek to explore issues of social and political importance. She has also produced films like The Fight and Netflix’s American Son. On top of all that, she directed episodes of Scandal, Reasonable Doubt, and Insecure too.
Even as Washington explores different sides of her creativity outside from behind the screen, the Confirmation actress continues to pursue other projects that put her in front of it too. Her current Hulu comedy, Unprisoned allows her to show off her sitcom chops, and it deftly explores issues regarding the post-prison experience. Washington is also a producer on the project. She is additionally set to star alongside Eva Longoria in the comedy 24-7 and a Tyler Perry-directed war film titled Six Triple Eight. While she may have wanted to leave the business before, it doesn’t seem like Kerry Washington is slowing down anytime soon and we will continue getting incredible performances from the Scandal star.
You can see Kerry Washington in Unprisoned, which is currently streaming with a Hulu subscription. Fans of the actress can also stream Scandal on the platform, which earned the actress several of her Emmy nominations.