Kerry Washington admitted that for years she has tried to exit Hollywood, only to be brought back by an "extraordinary" script.
In an interview with W Magazine, the actor reflected on her career, and the times she has attempted to quit acting.
"I have spent a lifetime trying to not be an actor. I am always quitting this business, and then right when I decide that I'm done is when something extraordinary comes across my desk," Washington said.
"I was really, really done with this business right before I read the script for 'Ray.' I was really, really done with this business right before I read the script for 'The Last King of Scotland.' I was entirely done with this business before reading the script for 'Scandal.' This is what happens again and again."
Most recently, Washington, 46, returned to the spotlight with a lead role in Hulu's "UnPrisoned." The show features her as a therapist whose father (Delroy Lindo), newly released from prison, comes to live with her.
The series delves into the family's challenges as its navigates his reentry. "UnPrisoned" draws inspiration from the experiences of TV writer Tracy McMillan, known for her work on "Mad Men" and Marvel's "Runaways."
"I think the circumstances of her life are so fascinating," Washington said. "When I read it, I fell in love with the material immediately."
In an interview with The Wrap, McMillan discussed some of what makes the show's narrative so powerful.
"I'm not writing this show as a favor to the audience," she said. "I'm writing the show to work it out for myself and audience receives catharsis through that. That is what art is all about. It's an opportunity to examine something as a society and as an individual, that you wouldn't have that talking point without that show, that book, that play, that song.
"So, to me, that's the highest form of popular culture. It's the highest form of media, and what got me into it in the first place."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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