Kerry Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kerry Washington
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Washington in 2024
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| Born |
Kerry Marisa Washington
January 31, 1977 New York City, U.S.
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| Alma mater | George Washington University |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Nnamdi Asomugha
(m. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Kerry Marisa Washington (born January 31, 1977) is a famous American actress. She has won many awards, including an Primetime Emmy Award. She was also nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. In 2014, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people. In 2018, Forbes magazine said she was the eighth highest-paid TV actress.
Kerry Washington became very well-known for playing Olivia Pope in the TV show Scandal (2012–2018). In the show, Olivia Pope is an expert who helps people solve big problems. For this role, Kerry was nominated twice for a top Emmy Award. She also received Emmy nominations for her roles in the film Confirmation (2016) and the TV series Little Fires Everywhere (2020).
She first appeared in a movie called Our Song in 2000. She played Alicia Masters in the Fantastic Four movies (2005 and 2007). Kerry has also acted in many other movies, like Ray (2004), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), and Django Unchained (2012). In 2024, she played Major Charity Adams in the war film The Six Triple Eight. She also performed on Broadway in plays like Race (2009) and American Son.
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Early Life and Education
Kerry Washington was born in the Bronx, New York City. Her mother, Valerie, was a professor and education expert. Her father, Earl Washington, was a real estate broker. Her father's family came from South Carolina. Her mother's family is from Manhattan and Jamaica. Kerry has said her mother has a "mixed-race background," with English, Scottish, Native American, and African roots. She is also a cousin of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
From a young age, Kerry loved performing. She was part of the TADA! Youth Theater teen group. She went to the Spence School in Manhattan and graduated in 1994. When she was 13, she saw Nelson Mandela speak at Yankee Stadium after he was released from prison. She later went to George Washington University and graduated in 1998. She studied anthropology and sociology. She also learned acting at Michael Howard Studios in New York City.
In 2016, Kerry shared a fun fact: she learned to dance from Jennifer Lopez in the 1990s! She said Jennifer was a substitute teacher at her dance studio in the Bronx before she became famous.
Career Highlights and Key Roles
Starting Out in Acting (1994–2009)
Kerry Washington got her first acting job in a TV commercial. She needed a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) card for it, which is like a special membership for actors. Her first TV role was in Magical Make-Over (1994). She also appeared in the educational series Standard Deviants in 1996. Her first movie was Our Song in 2000.
She acted in several movies, including Save the Last Dance (2001) and The Human Stain (2003). In 2002, she played Chris Rock's girlfriend in Bad Company. This movie was important because it was the first time she earned enough money to get health insurance as an actor.
In 2004, she played the main female role in Spike Lee's She Hate Me and received great reviews. She also acted in Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005) and Little Man (2006). In 2006, she played the wife of a Ugandan leader in The Last King of Scotland. Kerry also had a repeating role as Chelina Hall in the TV series Boston Legal. In 2007, she became a spokesperson for L'Oréal, appearing in their commercials.
Recent Work and Directing (Since 2019)
In 2019, Kerry Washington started directing TV shows. She directed an episode of SMILF. She also starred in Live in Front of a Studio Audience on ABC, where old TV shows like The Jeffersons were recreated live. She played Helen Willis in that show. The same year, she acted in and helped produce the movie American Son for Netflix.
In 2020, Kerry was an executive producer for The Fight, a documentary about lawyers working for the ACLU. That same year, she produced and starred with Reese Witherspoon in the Hulu series Little Fires Everywhere. She also directed an episode of the HBO series Insecure.
In September 2020, she won an Emmy Award as a producer for Live in Front of a Studio Audience. In December 2020, she starred in the movie The Prom on Netflix. Since 2022, Kerry has been a voice actor on The Simpsons, playing a fourth-grade teacher named Rayshelle Peyton. She also played Professor Clarissa Dovey in the movie The School for Good and Evil.
Kerry Washington will next appear in the war drama The Six Triple Eight and the action thriller Shadow Force. She will also be in the new Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man.
Personal Life and Family
Kerry Washington was engaged to actor David Moscow from 2004 to 2007.
On June 24, 2013, she married former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha in Hailey, Idaho. They have a daughter and a son. Kerry is also a stepmother to Nnamdi's daughter from a previous relationship.
In May 2013, Kerry gave a speech at her old university, George Washington University. She also received an honorary degree, which is a special award from the university.
Activism and Community Work
Kerry Washington is very active in supporting important causes. In 2007, she joined other celebrities for Lee National Denim Day to support cancer programs. In 2012, she spoke at the Democratic National Convention. She encouraged people to vote and talked about why it's important to participate in elections. She often helps with voter registration drives.
Kerry also supports LGBT rights. In 2013, she became an honorary chairperson for the GLSEN Respect Awards. In 2015, she received the GLAAD Vanguard Award for her work supporting the LGBT community.
She is a member of the Creative Coalition, a group of artists who discuss important national issues. She is also part of V-Day, a worldwide movement that raises awareness about violence against women and girls. In 2016, Kerry and other actresses like Ellen Pompeo and Viola Davis appeared in a commercial supporting Hillary Clinton for president. In 2020, Kerry hosted the third night of the 2020 Democratic National Convention. For the 2022 election in Georgia, she supported Stacey Abrams for governor.
Awards and Recognitions
Kerry Washington has won many awards for her acting. These include a Primetime Emmy Awards, five NAACP Image Awards, and a Teen Choice Award. She has also been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has received nine Emmy nominations from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (ATAS).
Some of her Emmy nominations and wins include:
- For Scandal: Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 2013 and 2014.
- For Confirmation: Nominated for Outstanding Television Movie and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie in 2016.
- For Little Fires Everywhere: Nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and Outstanding Limited Series in 2020.
- For American Son: Nominated for Outstanding Television Movie in 2020.
- For Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "All in the Family" and "Good Times": Won the Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) in 2020.
- For Live in Front of a Studio Audience: "The Facts of Life" and "Different Strokes": Nominated for Outstanding Variety Special (Live) in 2022.
Images for kids
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Washington at the New York premiere of She Hate Me in 2004
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Washington in 2024
See also
In Spanish: Kerry Washington para niños
