>>> I TOLD YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE
PATIENT TO WAIT FOR THE LIAISON
OFFICER.
>> I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
RESPECTFULLY OFFICER, I DON'T
THINK YOU DO.
>> MA'AM, I HAVE KIDS, TOO.
>> DO YOU?
>> HOW OLD ARE THEY IN.
>> WELL, ANY OF THEM BLACK?
>> THAT'S KERRY WASHINGTON IN
THE NETFLIX FILM ADAPTION OF
"AMERICAN SON," A PLAY WHOSE
RECENT BROADWAY RUN STARRED
WASHINGTON.
"AMERICAN SON" TELLS AN INTENSE
STORY OF A MIXED RACE FLORIDA
WHOSE SON IS MISSISSNG AFTER A
TRAFFIC STOP.
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BLACK IN
AMERICA.
THE BROADWAY ROLE IN AME"AMERIC
SON" WAS WASHINGTON'S NEXT TV
SERIES AFTER "SCANDAL," THE
ACTRESS HAS A HABIT OF PLAYING
SMART, STRONG WOMAN INCLUDING
ANITA HILL IN "CONFIRMATION."
KERRY AND I GOT TOGETHER HERE IN
NEW YORK FOR A SUNDAY SIT-DOWN
AND A LITTLE LUNCH.
>> MY GOSH THIS LOOKS
INCREDIBLE.
>> OH, IT IS MY FAVORITE.
>> I LOVE IT.
>> WOW.
>> DO YOU PUT THIS OUT EVERYDAY
OR BECAUSE KERRY IS HERE.
>> NOW YOU ARE SHOWING OFF.
>> KERRY WASHINGTON LOVES TO PUT
ON A SHOW.
BUT OVER THE COURSE OF HER
CAREER SHE HAS STRIVE TO DO MORE
THAN JUST ENTERTAIN.
SHE WANT TO MAKE US THINK, TOO.
>> KEEP YOUR HANDS-ON THE WHEEL,
BOY, LOOK STRAIGHT AHEAD.
WOULD NOT WANT TO MAKE THE MAN
IN THE BULLET PROOF VEST NERVOUS
WHEN HE WALKS UP TO YOUR WINDOW
POINTING A GLOK AT YOUR HEAD.
>> "AMERICAN SON" IS A RAW LOOK
AT RACE AND POLICING IN AMERICA.
>> WHAT DO YOU HOPE SOMEONE WHO
HAS NOT HAD THESE PERSONAL
EXPERIENCES TAKE A WAY FROM
WATCHING THEIS FILM.
>> BLACK PARENTS GET TO HAVE
THEIR - THAT FEELS IMPORTANT TO
ME AS A BLACK PARENT BUT ALSO
PEOPLE WHO ARE WHITE OR OTHER
RACES WHO DON'T FEEL THIS KIND
OF PRESSURE.
THEY GET TO ACTUALLY IMAGINE
WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE.
>> YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE
BUT YOUR OWN REAL LIFE AND
FATHER.
YOU HAVE A SON THAT YOU HAVE TO
TALK TO ABOUT THIS.
>> A HUSBAND.
>> HOW DO YOU DESCRIBE THAT FEAR
AS A DAUGHTER AND A WIFE AND A
MOTHER?
>> ALSO, YOU KNOW FOR MYSELF
WHEN I HAVE A POLICE OFFICER
BEHIND ME, I PULL OVER AND I LET
THEM PASS ME.
I WILL NOT LET MYSELF RIDE ON
THE ROAD WITH THEM BEHIND ME,
THE ANXIETY WILL FORCE ME TO DO
SOMETHING STUPID AND REALLY GET
IN TROUBLE.
>> DOES HE GOES BY MY STREET
NAME?
>> HE DOES NOT HAVE ANY STREET
NAME.
>> I AM ASKING YOU TO LOOK AT ME
TO BE WITH ME AND WALK IN MY
SHOES FOR THE NEXT 90 MINUTES.
THAT'S BECAUSE WE DON'T WALK
A
OFTEN IN THE SHOES OF BLACK
CULTURE, THAT'S AN ACT OF
ACTIVISM.
>> THE 42 YEARS OLD WASHINGTON
GREW UP IN BRONX, NEW YORK.
HER MOTHER WAS A PROFESSOR AND
HER FATHER WAS A REALREALTOR.
>> I WAS A DRAMATIC CHILD.
>> I AM SHOCKED, KERRY.
>> MY MOM, GOD HELP HER, SHE'S
AN EDUCATOR.
SHE THOUGHT I HAVE TO GIVE THIS
KID A PLACE TO HAVE ALL OF THESE
FEELINGS AND IT IS NOT MY LIVING
ROOM.
I AM GOING TO PUT HER INTO A
COMPANY AND SO SHE WAS REALLY
ABLE TO SEE ME FOR WHO I AM AND
REGRET IT LATER WHEN I WANTED TO
MAKE A CAREER OUT OF IT.
>> WASHINGTON ATTENDED THE
PRESTIGIOUS SCHOOL IN MANHATTAN
WHERE SHE THRIVED IN THE
CLASSROOM AND ON THE STAGE.
>> WHEN DID YOU FEEL YOURSELF,
HEY, GUNI GOT AN ACT FOR THEM
>> I WAS IN THE PRODUCTION OF
"HAMLET" AND I PLAYED OPHELIA.
I DID MY GRAND EXIT AND I LOOKED
OVER AT MY MOM AND SHE WAS
CRYING.
I WAS IMPACTED BECAUSE MY MOTHER
IS NOT A CRITERIA.
THIS WOMAN WHO KNOWS EXACTLY WHO
I AM, IF I CAN GET HER EVEN FOR
HALF A SECOND TO THINK THAT I AM
SOMEBODY ELSE, THERE IS SO MUCH
POWER IN THAT.
>> WASHINGTON WENT ONTO GEORGE
WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY.
THERE SHE STUDIIED ANTHROPOLOGY
AND SOCIOLOGY.
>> I GAVE MYSELF A YEAR.
I WAS PREPARING TO HAVE A REAL
BACKUP PLAN.
SHE DIDN'T NEED THAT PLAN B.
A YEAR AFTER GRADUATING,
WASHINGTON WAS CAST IN THE TEEN
ROMANCE "SAVE THE LAST DANCE"
STARRING JULIA STYLES.
>> YOU NEED NEW MOVES TO HAVE
SOME REAL FLAVOR, YOU KNOW WHO
TO CALL.
>> IN 2004, WASHINGTON PLAYED
RAY CHARLES' DEVOTED WIFE
ALONGSIDE JAIME FOXX IN THE
ACADEMY AWARD WINNING MOVIE
"RAY."
>> WHAT ABOUT ME?
WHAT ABOUT YOUR BABY.
>> SHE DREW A CLAIM FOR A
POWERFUL PERFORMANCE IN "JENGA."
IN 2012, WASHINGTON TOOK CENTER
STAGE WHEN SHE LANDED A JUICY,
LIFE-CHANGING LEAD ROLE AS
POLITICAL FIXER OLIVIA POPE ON
"SCANDAL."
>> IT IS HANDLED.
>> WHEN I READ THE SCRIPT, I
LOVED HER.
I ACTUALLY HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF
THROWING THE SCRIPT ACROSS THE
ROOM AT SOME POINT, I THOUGHT
THESE WRITERS KNOW ME.
IT FEELS LIKE IT WAS WRITTEN FOR
ME.
>> THAT'S NOT THROWING AN ANGER.
THAT'S THROWING IN AN A WOW.
>> I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW RIGHT IT
FELT FOR ME.
>> THE SHOW RAN FOR SEVEN HIT
SERIES.
WASHINGTON WAS NOMINATED FOR TWO
EMMYS AND A GOLDEN GLOBE,
CALMING HER MOTHER'S FEARS ONCE
AND FOR ALL.
>> I BROUGHT MY PARENTS WITH ME
AND I WAITED UNTIL MY MOM WAS
SLICING INTO HER FILET MIGNON, I
WAS LIKE STARVING ARTIST, HOW
ARE YOU DOING?
WHO'S STARVING NOW?
>> "SCANDAL" WAS NOT JUST
POPULAR, IT WAS GROUND BREAKING.
WASHINGTON WAS THE FIRST
AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMAN TO FRONT
A NETWORK DRAMA IN NEARLY 40
YEARS.
>> IN MY LIFETIME I HAVE NEVER
SEEN A BLACK WOMAN AS LEAD OF A
NETWORK DRAMA.
>> WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
>> I KNEW THAT IF "SCANDAL" WAS
NOT A SUCCESS, IT COULD BE
ANOTHER 40 YEARS BEFORE A BLACK
WOMAN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE
A LEAD OF A NETWORK DRAMA.
SO I WANTED TO GET IT RIGHT.
>> IN 2013, WASHINGTON MARRIED
FORMER NFL STAR, THEY HAVE THREE
CHILDREN AND AS WASHINGTON
PROFILE CONTINUES TO RISE, SHE
WORKS TO KEEP HER YOUNG FAMILY
OUT OF THE SPOTLIGHT.
>> THAT MUST BE HARD TO DO ON
SOME LEVEL, RIGHT?
>> I AM SURE THERE IS SOME
TEMPTATION TO SHARE.
I HAVE MOMENTS WHERE I LIKE TAKE
PICTURES OR VIDEOS OF ONE OF MY
THREE AMAZING KIDS AND I WANT TO
POST IT ONLINE AND I ATTEMPTED
TO SEND IT TO MY PARENTS AND
SHRINK INSTEAD.
MY KIDS ARE SO CUTE AND I DON'T
WANT TO POST ABOUT THEM SO LOOK
HOW CUTE THEY ARE.
>> YOUR SHRINK IS YOUR
INSTAGRAM.
>> I HAVE A PRIVATE INSTAGRAM.
>> KERRY'S NEW FILM "AMERICAN
SON" IS STREAMING NOW ON
NETFLIX.
HER NEXT PROJECT IS A SERIES
EVERYWHERE WHERE KERRY CO-STAR
AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS OUT WITH
REESE WITHERSPOON.
THAT'S OUT NEXT YEAR.
TO HEAR KERRY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT
IT WAS LIKE TO DELIVER THE
"AMERICAN SON" ON BROADWAY,
CHECK OUT ON OUR SUCCESSFUL AND
LITTLE KNOWN VA PROGRAM THAT'S
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