Kerry Washington did an amazing job portraying the role of Olivia Pope during Scandal’s run, however another actress also really wanted to play the part before it was assigned.
During a video chat for Variety’s Actors on Actors issue, Sandra Oh, who was speaking with Washington, shared she immediately wanted to play the role after reading the pilot.
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She then remembers approaching Rhimes about the role: “I remember going to Shonda, and it’s like, ‘How could I do this?
The character of Olivia Pope is based on infamous Washington fixer Judy Smith, a Black woman.
Kerry Washington played Pope in all seven seasons of the hit series and earned Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for Best Actress.
