.kerrywashington on ambition, choosing her creative endeavors, and staving off political burnout
Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photo: Getty Images Kerry Washington has proved dozens of times over that she has the range — so much so that acting is just one of the many lanes she’s occupying as her career expands. She’s the founder of her own production company, Simpson Street, which is currently airing the second season of its successful podcast Street You Grew Up On, which she hosts.
Washington, known around the world for playing one of the most famous fixers onscreen, has also been intentional about her work behind the lens. She stepped into the director’s chair 15 years ago for one of Common’s music videos and went on to direct episodes of her hit TV show Scandal as well as Issa Rae’s Insecure. Now she’s busy directing and executive producing the pilot for her forthcoming series Reasonable Doubt.
I really come alive from doing many different kinds of things. I get excited and creatively turned on by switching it up. Some hours are about acting, while others are about producing or directing. That diversity of interest keeps me on my toes.With Neutrogena, some of the most fun work is getting to try a new product before it hits the market. Getting sneak peeks, being able to give feedback and refine what we’re putting out in the world is so fun.
I’m grateful to my mom because we did use sunscreen as kids, and we wore it at the beach or at the pool in the summertime. But that was it. There wasn’t the idea at the time that it was something you should be wearing daily. We know skin cancer is preventable, but in communities of color, because we don’t think we’re vulnerable to skin cancer, we get diagnosed later, and then it’s not as easily treatable. That leads to us dying at higher rates.
I don’t think of myself as a competitive person. I really don’t like competition, and I’m really turned off by even the idea of it. But I am tremendously ambitious. Part of that is my belief that life is not a zero-sum game. I don’t like the idea that for me to be a winner, you have to be a loser. I like the idea of everyone going toward the win and being able to win in their own lane. You can always win by challenging yourself.