As the popular ‘Scandal” star Olivia Pope, actress Kerry Washington transforms into complex, decisive, cunning and, to be honest, messy woman whose personal problems and mistakes give dramatic heft and credence to the show’s name. However, unlike the real-life Washington, Pope isn’t the kind of woman who’s going to settle down and start a family. But ironically enough, Washington recently explained that Pope is the “person” who inspired her to become a mom.
According to media reports, Washington recently spoke about her beloved “Scandal” character, who famously decided against becoming a mom, and explained that playing the resourceful and whip smart character gave her the confidence to believe she would be a great mom in real life.
“Even though Olivia Pope has obviously made the decision that she is not a mom, playing her made me feel like I could be a mom,” Washington recently said. “Because she knows there’s always another way — there’s always a way to fix it, there’s always a way to solve it, to win. And I feel like playing her made me feel like, all right, I can do it. I will figure out how to juggle it all.”
As most fans know, Washington’s wish came true and she and her husband, former NFL player Nnamdi Asomugha, welcomed their daughter, Isabella, on April 21, 2014. And after having her little bundle of joy, Washington not only looked to Pope for inspiration; She also looked to her friend and “Scandal” creator Shonda Rhimes for guidance and advice.
“She’s been such an amazing resource, as a mom, and as a working mom,” Washington explained. “I am on one show and I have one kid, and she has three shows and three kids.”
Clearly being a part of Rhimes’ TV empire has helped Washington both as an actress and a mother. And although Washington rarely talks about her personal life, we’re glad she gave us this little tidbit about life as a mother.
