Season 3 of “Scandal” presented some pretty unique challenges for Kerry Washington that took her way outside of her comfort zone!
Fans of the show may have noticed a huge difference in Kerry’s performance last cycle. Something seemed just a wee bit off about how she was playing things out, but it was hard to identify what the problem was. Then Gladiators found out that she pregnant, and it all made sense!
While Kerry never verbally confirmed that she was expecting until she couldn’t hide her baby bump anymore, her character Olivia Pope still wasn’t thinking about having any babies. That meant that Kerry had to occupy two very different mental spaces for months at a time when her physical state was constantly shifting to accommodate and nurture her baby.
“All of last season was a challenge for me, on a few levels,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “For one thing, I was going through this amazing physical transition, this physical journey of having a baby, that my character was not going through.”
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Kerry has never been one to require that her life parallel that of a given character. However, carrying a baby did mean that she had to change her approach to acting. “I work very physically. What I do is often grounded in the body. That meant I had to figure out how to be this woman while my instrument was changing and evolving every day,” the actress explained. “It was like seeing the keys on a piano jump around on a daily basis. It was tough for me to even maintain Olivia’s walk because of the changes.”
As the “Scandal” star’s own life was changing, she found that the beloved character’s persona was going through its own transition. Between her real-life pregnancy and Olivia’s evolution, it was almost too much for Kerry to handle.
“Everything I understood about Olivia unraveled because of the storylines. The season really broke me,” she confessed. “I’m a Type A actor who likes to have it all figured out going in, but suddenly I had no idea where this woman was going to go next. I had to jump in without everything being perfect.”
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As tough as season 3 was on Kerry, she ultimately believes that it helped her improve her craft because she was required to step up her level of skill. “I felt like I had been in control playing the character, but it all got taken away from me last season,” said Kerry. “That meant my acting toolbox had to be upgraded. I had to trade in my screwdriver and hammer for a Black and Decker power tool.”
Fans will get to see how her put those new tools to good use when season 4 of”Scandal” debuts September 25 at 9 p.m. EST on ABC!
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Working Mom Kerry Washington Claims Filming ‘Scandal’ Season 3 ‘Broke’ Her was originally published on hellobeautiful.com
