#WCW: Kerry Washington

Trying to find another strong, badass and beautiful role model to obsess over? It’s handled.

You may be aware of Olivia Pope, star of Shonda Rhimes’ hit, ABC’s Scandal, but now prepare to be aware of the force behind the force, Kerry Washington.

Washington is a 38-year old actress, political and social justice activist, feminist and style icon. And that doesn’t even fully cover her day job.

The new mother to a beautiful baby girl, Isabelle, she’s this month’s SELF cover star and in honor of Scandal’s season five return this week, she is also Valley’s #WCW. 

She’s Kept Her Life Classy & Private

We suppose it’s hard not to take Olivia’s intelligent and sneaky character home after a long days work. Washington totally took a cue from Ms. Pope when she orchestrated a secret wedding for her and her husband, retired football player Nmamdi Asomugha. The entire event was kept completely under wraps and not even EOnline got an invite (although they did get a copy of a marriage certificate?) She is a beyond incredible actress and is at the highest peak of her career, but above that, she is a private, family woman. A quality that is beyond respectable.

She is Proud of Her Representation on TV

All three of Shonda’s amazing productions showcase different types of people, from people of color to gay relationships and transgender characters. Washington has said in interviews how proud she is to work for Shonda and be a part of that change. In her recent EW cover story, Washington says that, “I think human beings are human beings, so on the spectrum of women and on the spectrum of men you have lots of different ways that people are compassionate and understanding.  But for me, being able to work with somebody who I don’t have to explain everything to all the time, that I don’t have to translate my experience to all the time…that’s important because I’m not having to walk someone down the path of racial understanding to tell a story about a woman of color. That’s a big deal.” We live for you, Kerry, and for #TGIT.

She is Comfortable in Her Own Skin

We all have insecurities, including stunning Kerry Washington. She opened up in her Marie Claire cover story in this past April about how when she was growing up, she didn’t really love the way she looked. “I didn’t grow up thinking I was pretty; there was always a prettier girl than me. So I learned to be smart and tried to be funny and develop the inside of me, because I felt like that’s what I had,” she says. Fast forward years later, Washington is a style icon and an all-around badass. A year after giving birth to her first child, Washington doesn’t even want to say that she is “back”. “I’ve been really focused on not being ‘back’ to anything, but being the best version of myself right now. My body is the site of a miracle now,” she says to SELF. “I don’t want to be pre-miracle.”

There you have it. Kerry Washington plays a badass on TV and she is also one in real life. While we can’t all relate to her character’s love triangle with the President and the leader of an assassin-filled government agency, we can relate to Kerry’s desire to keep things personal, be herself and we appreciate her genuine honesty. Can’t get enough of Kerry? Check out this adorable Jimmy Kimmel interview where she talks about diversity in her house growing up.