10 things you might not know about Scandal's leading lady Kerry Washington

by Daniel Falconer | 26 July 2014

With Scandal season three hitting UK screens this weekend, we've decided to take a look at lead actress Kerry Washington and some facts surrounding her and the series Scandal that fans may not yet know.

1) If the President on Scandal was cast as an African-American, she wouldn't have done the series because of her relationship with President Barack Obama. "I didn't want to do anything that compromised my relationship with the [president]."

2) As well as receiving gifts on her birthday, every year without fail will see Kerry give back to her parents.

3) Kerry became the first African-American female lead in a network drama in almost 40 years when she kicked things off as Scandal's Olivia Pope.

4) Before filming a new show, Kerry and the crew of Scandal scream the episode number, applaud and bang on furniture in a strange tradition that's stuck.

5) She has skills behind the camera and co-directed Common's music video for 'I Want You'.

Credit: WireImage

6) She may have persuaded Saturday Night Live to hire an African-American actress when, in a skit on the show in November 2013 she impersonated Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey and Michelle Obama, satirizing SNL for not having a black female in their cast ranks since 2007.

7) In 2013, Vanity Fair named Olivia Pope as one of the Top Ten Best-Dressed TV Characters of the year.

8) Playing a lesbian in Spike Lee's 2004 film She Hate Me saw Kerry prepare in ways like no other, being sent to 'lesbian boot camp' by the director. "It was amazing to spend time in that world." she recalls.

9) Follow college, Kerry studied yoga in India as well as a rigorous form of traditional Indian theatre, where she wasn't allowed even on-stage, because you have to study for years to have that honour.

10) Her fantastic speech at The Democratic National Convention nearly didn't happen, because she was shooting Scandal at the same time, but she fought back the jetlag and lack of sleep and is happy she got the chance to speak at the event.