Kerry Washington Used to Play a Political Power Broker on TV. Now She Is One

Kerry Washington, our favorite “fixer” Olivia Pope, on Shonda Rhimes’ Scandal, which ran from 2012 to 2018 has become a power player the current political arena. As a choice for one of TIME’s Women of the Year, is using her Hollywood clout to support grassroots organizations that empower marginalized groups.

She has invested in several women-led startups, like the health company Solv and the sustainable jewelry brand Aurate. And she runs a production company, Simpson Street, named after the street where her mother grew up in the Bronx. Washington cites her mother and four aunts, raised on that street, as the inspiration for the stories she tells. “They were the matriarchy of my childhood,” she says. Simpson Street focuses on bringing the stories of women of color to life with projects like the 2016 movie Confirmation, the 2019 film adaptation of the play American Son, and the 2020 series Little Fires Everywhere.~ TIME