UNPRISONED Star Kerry Washington Covers MARIE CLAIRE’S The Identity Issue

Posted on March 02, 2023

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Kerry Washington covers MARIE CLAIRE’s, The Identity Issue which just went live across MARIE CLAIRE’s digital platforms and will be available on newsstands March 7th. This issue’s theme explores the complexities of what identity means in 2023, whether that means changing, reinventing, or even losing who you are.

 

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On being in her 40s: “There’s something about getting into my 40s where I am starting to see you only get this one life. To spend this one life wanting to be anybody other than me, and not be where I am, doesn’t benefit me. To focus on what’s over there means I’m ignoring my gifts, and this garden of my life doesn’t get to flourish. What’s mine is mine, and it’s beautiful.”

On her Hulu dramedy, UnPrisoned: Washington’s interest in producing and starring in the series was led by her desire to “unpack dynamics of returning citizens through this comedic, loving lens,” she says. “Given how massive the prison industrial complex is and what a huge problem it is in this country, I thought this is something a lot of people can relate to.”

On immersing herself in the characters she’s played: “I’ve made a career into being other people because being other people is comfortable for me. Being in myself, being with myself in my own body as myself, is a much newer adventure for me. When the job ends, the movie’s over, and the incredible run of the historic TV show ends, it’s important to have a self to go back to.”

On her ability to weather less-than-positive self-talk: Washington relies on practices like “prayer, meditation, therapy, journaling, or spending time with other people in growth situations—doing the work. I have to be doing that work. As an executive, entrepreneur, parent, wife, for me to show up in those places requires that I’m willing to constantly be doing self-inventory and face my stuff. If I’m in a place of faith, self-love, and radical acceptance, shit doesn’t bother me. I can take a risk, and whether it goes well or doesn’t, I’m good. It’s about the journey, letting go of the result, and trusting your lane is yours. But if I’m not doing the work to be in a faithful place, then it’s much harder.”

On her dedication to choosing culture-shifting projects: “Even in the beginning of my career, I would say I’d rather work another shift at the restaurant than do a movie that is going to be bad for women or Black people.” After becoming the first Black woman to play the lead in a network drama since the ’70s, by starring in Scandal, Washington recognized that portraying Olivia Pope meant she was “part of something transformative and culturally significant.”

 

 

[Photo Credit:  Breyona Holt for Marie Claire Magazine]

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