Kerry Washington

Washington is nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards for portraying Olivia Pope on Scandal.

I found out right before I stepped on a plane, and then [the flight crew] started yelling at me to turn off my phone. My publicist and friend Michelle Benson called me, and then I was able to call my manager and a couple other people — which is why I got in trouble! It’s really exciting. The thing is, to whatever extent anybody is celebrating this character or the portrayal of this character, it really is a celebration of this entire cast, because we are a company of actors that really lean on each other. This work is a reflection of the talent around me, a level of excellence that I am constantly trying to elevate myself to meet.