erry Washington was born and raised in New York City to Earl and Valerie Washington. Her family lived in the Castle Hill and Soundview neighborhoods of the Bronx while Kerry attended the elite all-girls Spence School in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Attending this private academy, was not just a chance at a better education but an introduction into another world, opening hers up both intellectually and culturally.

Throughout her childhood, Washington’s parents imparted on her the importance of being socially conscious. They even brought a 13 year old Kerry to see the newly freed Nelson Mandela give a speech. So, as a teen Kerry took it upon herself to become a safe-sex advocate, joining an educational troupe. The group travelled to schools and community centers performing self-written, sex-ed sketches. While Washington participated in many activities, the variety in acting kept her interested and performing throughout her high school and college years.

Kerry attended George Washington University with a self-designed interdisciplinary major covering threatre, anthropology and sociology. A few years after graduating at the age 23 she was cast in her first significant movie role as Chenille in the 2001 hit Save the Last Dance. Her moving turn as a teenage mom earned her a Teen Choice Award for Best Breakout Performance. Kerry’s career continued on an upward swing, getting small parts in movies and TV shows alike. By 2004 she had landed two major roles, one in Spike Lee’s dramatic comedy She Hate Me and portraying Ray Charles’ wife Della Rae Robinson in the movie Ray, earning her, her first NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress. She went on to continue getting poignant roles in movies like The Last King of Scotland, I Think I Love My Wife, For Colored Girls, Django Unchanged and Peeples to name a few. She also did a guest and recurring turns on TV shows like Psych and Boston Legal respectively. Having now done both movies and television, in 2010, Washington made her debut on the Great White Way, starring in David Mamet’s new play Race.

When Kerry was cast to headline the new TV show Scandal in 2012, she broke barriers becoming the second African American woman lead in a network drama. Fun fact, the first was Teresa Graves in 1974 (only three years before Ms. Washington was born) who starred in the drama Get Christie Love!

By 2013, Kerry’s professional life was hitting a high; her TV show was a hit, she received her fist of two Emmy nominations for her role as Olivia Pope, won the BET award for best actress, won two NAACP Image awards (supporting actress in Django Unchained, Best Actress in Scandal), not to mention the NAACP President’s Award. Plus she became a creative consultant and the face of Neutrogena. Luckily her personal life was getting some action as well; she and pro football player Nnamdi Asomugha were married. Then, a year later, Kerry took on her biggest and most important role yet, mother to her new baby girl, Isabelle Amarchi. Oh, let’s not forget to mention getting yet another acknowledgment of her talents, the NAACP Best Actress Image Award for her work in Scandal. In 2015 she was honored with the Vanguard Award from the GLAAD Media Awards for her work in promoting equality.

In the midst of starring in movies, on a successful TV show and partnering with numerous organizations, Kerry Washington launched her production company, Simpson Street. The intent is to produce exciting yet necessary projects that honestly reflect the world we live in. It should be no surprise then that Simpson Street partnered with HBO to produce the TV movie Confirmation, in which Washington not only executive produced but starred as the infamous Anita Hill. Soon after Confirmation aired, in April of 2016, it was announced that Simpson Street had signed a deal with ABC Studios to develop broadcast, cable and digital projects exclusively for the network. We can’t wait to see what Ms. Washington conquers next!!

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