The Little Fires Everywhere and The Prom star is one of EWs Entertainers of the Year.
She’s still wrapping her head around the title.
“I thought it was a mistake,” says the 43-year-old New York native.
Erik Carter for EW
“If you told me I was Homeschool Mom of the Spring, I’d be like, ‘Yes!
I worked hard on that curriculum!'”
But despite the pandemic,Washingtonhad one of the biggest years of her career.
Erik Carter for EW
(What isn’t nowadays?)
(Her work earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series.)
“I had to figure out, what’s the Kerry Washington spin on that approach?
And then layer it with some singing.”
(Yes, you read correctly.
which was so fantastic," says Washington.
“I fell in love not just with the show but with the behind-the-scenes world of the show.”
A couple of years and one more email later, Washington herself was behind the camera.
The Activist
Just saying the worddemocracymakes Washington sit up a little straighter.
Her passion is obvious, so infectious you could feel it through the computer screen.
Because we live in a democracy, every vote matters, every voice matters.
In 2016, it was like, ‘Olivia Pope, you have to fix this election!’
The Storyteller
The connective tissue for Washington’s endeavors is story.
“I really believe that we are each the hero of our own story,” says Washington.
All of our stories deserve to be at the center.
Each person deserves to understand their power to influence the narrative of their life."
Each person also deserves a nap every now and then.
