Photo Credit; Assocoated Press
Kerry Washington reflected on a memorable moment before she debuted as Olivia Pope in the hit ABC drama Scandal. During an appearance on The View on December 18, the 47-year-old actress shared how she informed the White House of her potentially controversial storyline.
In 2012, when Scandal premiered, Washington served on President Barack Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Concerned about how her role might appear, she decided to give the Obamas a heads-up.
“I had to call Valerie Jarrett, who worked closely with the Obamas, and say, ‘So, I’ve been cast in this show. Bit awkward, though—on the show, I’m sleeping with the president,’” Washington recalled with a laugh. “But I assured them it would be fine. They were sounderstanding and said, ‘It’s just TV.’”
From 2012 to 2018, Washington portrayed Olivia Pope, a political fixer entangled in a tumultuous affair with fictional President Fitzgerald Grant, played by Tony Goldwyn. Fans quickly embraced their on-screen romance, nicknaming the duo “Olitz.”
The character of Olivia Pope was inspired by Judy Smith, a former deputy press secretary in President George H. W. Bush’s administration. Smith became the first Black woman to deliver a White House press briefing in 1991 before founding her crisis management firm, Smith & Company, which ultimately inspired Scandal, created by Shonda Rhimes.
Smith herself faced some lighthearted but awkward moments surrounding the show’s premise. She once recalled informing President Bush about the drama, especially the steamy love story at its core.
“He left a voicemail joking, ‘I love you. I want you. You left me. By the way, I’m the former leader of the free world,’” Smith said in a 2022 interview with PEOPLE. Concerned about any misconceptions, she set the record straight. “I told him, ‘This isn’t something to joke about! People might take it seriously.’”
Scandal became a groundbreaking series, cementing Washington as a leading figure in television while showcasing a complex and powerful Black female character inspired by real-life history.
