Call Her Daddy: Kerry Washington – Power, Perfection & Olivia Pope

Date: March 18, 2026
Host: Alex Cooper
Guest: Kerry Washington

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid and wide-ranging conversation between host Alex Cooper and acclaimed actress, producer, and author Kerry Washington. Together, they explore Kerry’s iconic role as Olivia Pope on "Scandal," breaking barriers for women of color in Hollywood, navigating personal challenges with perfectionism, eating disorders, motherhood, and self-acceptance. The discussion moves fluidly between Hollywood storytelling, deeply personal revelations, and Kerry’s insights on secrecy, honesty, and women supporting women.
Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of eating disorders and suicidal ideation.

1. Scandal, Representation, and the Burden of Being “First”

00:00–18:18

• Alex Fan-girls & Kerry Connects on Family Bonds (03:54)

  • Alex shares that she and her mom bonded over “Scandal”: “You brought this woman to life who was so powerful and unapologetic... It was such a bonding experience for my mother and I.” (04:13)
  • Kerry reflects on motherhood, her own journey, and learning from Alex’s documentary about her parents: “I learned so much about being a mom watching your documentary.” (04:31)

• Taking on Olivia Pope & Breaking Ground (05:55)

  • Kerry discusses the historic weight of being the first Black woman lead in a network drama in nearly 40 years: “There was all of this talk about how historic the show was... If we don't win, it might be another 40 years before a woman of color has the chance.”

• Handling Pressure & What She Loved About Olivia (07:04)

  • Kerry loved Olivia’s duality—public power, private mess: “I loved that she had the presentation of power... But also behind closed doors... her personal life was a mess. Just a fucking mess.” (07:56)

• Olivia as a Leadership Lesson & Quitting Acting (08:28)

  • “She taught me a lot about leadership. In real life, I was number one on the call sheet... It was a training ground.”
  • Reveals nearly quitting acting before "Scandal": “I love acting... The business around it, the politics... That stuff I do not like at all." (09:37)

• Empowering Herself Through Producing (10:49)

  • Kerry found producing liberating: “I actually don't have to sit at home and wait for somebody to invite me to a party. I can throw my own party... That has been very freeing for me.” (11:16)

• Navigating Power with Shonda Rhimes (12:12–15:24)

  • First meeting Shonda: “I was nervous because she had so much power... but five minutes in I was like, I want to be a citizen of Shondaland.” (13:11)
  • On being “risky” casting choice and having each other's backs: “So often in these spaces, you're the only woman in the room or the only Black woman... to be able to have each other... was special.” (15:58)

2. The Cultural Aftershock & Scandal Rapid Fire

17:59–29:13

• Opening Doors for Women of Color (16:49)
  • “Suddenly, networks were like, maybe it’s not so much of a risk… They were really clued into the cultural value of allowing Black women to stand at the center of a story.”
  • Scandal’s success led to more diverse leads: How to Get Away with Murder, Quantico, Empire.

Scandal Rapid Fire (22:37–29:32)

• Most Memorable "Olivia Pope Crisis"

  • Kerry: “The very first crisis in our pilot... protecting a member of the queer community in the military. I was like, oh, we’re diving into issues. Let’s go.” (22:37)

• Most Iconic Olivia Pope Line

  • Kerry: “It has to be ‘It’s handled.’ It’s the one that gets quoted to me most often.” (23:44)
  • Alex adds: “I’m not the girl the guy gets at the end of the movie. I’m not a fantasy. If you want me, earn me. Until then, we’re done.” (23:57)

• Most Fun to Film & Hottest Olivia/Fitz Moment

  • Kerry loved dramatic galas and the Vermont house episode directed by Ava DuVernay (“That whole moment was just so dreamy…”) (25:15)
  • In a memorable moment, Kerry calls Tony Goldwyn (Fitz) live – he votes for the “electrical closet” scene as hottest. (26:08–28:00)

• Cast Friendships & Endings

  • Kerry recounts the enduring friendships with the cast (“I just hiked with Katie Loewes last week”) and appreciates the openness of the series ending: “It lets you imagine however you want it to be.” (29:13)

3. Personal Moments, Fame, and Identity

29:32–47:04

• Olivia Pope and Real Life “Mom Cred” (30:35)

  • Kerry’s kids don’t find her cool (“they will have go on a national campaign to refute me if I attempt to assert that they think I’m cool”) except that one time backstage with Beyoncé and Bieber: “she was like, my mom might be slightly cool.” (32:23)

• Powerful Storylines and Network Pushback (37:58)

  • The abortion storyline: “We didn’t know if we were going to air that night...I was so proud of Shonda... It was the first time you got to watch a woman actually in the procedure.” (38:18)
  • On sharing her own abortion experience: “A lot of what my abortion story is about is my personal loss of privacy... I’m not a bad person because I’ve had an abortion, and you get to disagree with me... What you can't do is make decisions about what I do with my body.” (41:45)

• On Secrecy and Empathy

  • Kerry advocates for showing ourselves empathy, forgiveness, and self-understanding rather than shame: "So much of my life and work as an actor has been about trying to figure out how to be back in my body and stay present.” (45:46)

4. Family Secrets, Truth & Roots

54:01–63:49

• Learning Her Father Wasn’t Biological (54:02–59:25)

  • The discovery came as she prepared to do “Finding Your Roots” (PBS), which led to her parents finally revealing she was conceived via a sperm donor.
  • Kerry’s immediate response was concern for her father’s feelings: “I just want you to know that I love you... Now you get to know that I love you unconditionally because I know you’re not my biological father, and I still love you.” (59:26)

• The Power & Burden of Family Secrets

  • On relating her story to her new show Imperfect Women: “Every single person at every book signing was like, my family has a secret... It’s part of what defines us.” (61:21)
  • Realizing the universality of secrets and their impact: “In the end, we’re all afraid we’re not going to be loved... if we let the people we love the most know who we really are." (64:54)

5. Eating Disorders, Mental Health & Women Supporting Women

65:17–81:33

• Recognizing & Healing from an Eating Disorder (65:17–71:37)

  • Kerry discusses the multidimensionality of eating disorders – psychological, biological, and cultural, and the importance of inclusive care through her involvement with Equip.
  • Her rock bottom included suicidal ideation: “I was using food as an exercise, as a tool to not be here. I was trying to escape life.” (66:27)

• Helping Others & Combatting Stigma

  • Advice to listeners: “Trust your gut. If you know you need help, don’t let anybody tell you it’s not a big deal... Don’t minimize it. Ask for help." (70:40–71:37)
  • On public scrutiny and perfectionism: “I’m in a place in my life now where I understand... people are going to have their opinions. I’m just doing the best I can.” (71:49)

• On Women Tearing Down Other Women

  • Cooper reflects on the prevalence of women criticizing other women: “The only way we’re going to dismantle the patriarchy...is if we actually shut our mouths the next time we want to say something negative about another woman.” (74:04)
  • Kerry: “So much of the journey is about being like, I'm not perfect... Imperfect is a synonym for human.” (71:49)
  • Kerry credits the sisterhood she experienced among Black actresses auditioning for "Scandal": “There was no sense of competition... It was all like, you have to go win this thing. We believe in you. You got it.” (78:46)

6. Love, Marriage & Motherhood

83:39–91:46

• On Marriage & Partnership

  • “I must have done something really good in a past life, because… what an extraordinary human.” (83:50)
  • On preventative couples therapy: “We start every session with something we appreciate about the other person. The thing he shares, it's not something I would have guessed... It meant a lot.” (84:44)

• Advice on Motherhood & Family Balance

  • “You’re never going to feel ready. Just throw yourself into it… It’s chaotic, it's crazy, and it's awesome. You just have to come over and see it in the wild.” (86:10)
  • Kerry advises listeners to think strategically about when and how they want to integrate family into life, echoing Michelle Obama: “You can't have everything all the time, but by the time you want the things you want, you want to still be able to do them.” (87:09)

• On Independence in Relationships & Essential Conversations

  • Kerry values independence within marriage: “You don’t have to like all the same things… It’s good if you have separate interests.” (88:25)
  • On the seriousness of marriage vows: “In sickness, in poverty, when things are not good, who is this somebody I want to be down with? I am the lead in the story of my life... but I also really love being number two on the call sheet in his movie.” (90:02)

7. New Projects & Final Thoughts

91:46–94:57

• Imperfect Women – Kerry’s New Show

  • “This show is your next, like, can’t miss, everybody’s talking about it, psychological thriller, sexy, juicy, girly, fantastic show,” with Elizabeth Moss and Kate Mara. (92:06)
  • Each episode unfolds from a different character’s point of view, with cast and crew passionately debating their choices on set.

• Closing Reflections: The Power of Vulnerability & Community

  • “When we make room for each other’s truth, also like each other’s success, each other’s pain... we have to support each other as women in our human, imperfect, messy journey so that we can continue to be badass and human and imperfect and messy and awesome.” (80:47)
  • Cooper thanks Kerry for the openness, wisdom, and for making time to share her journey: “You are such a special woman and I'm honored to have met you and thank you for giving me your time.” (94:57)

Notable Quotes

• “I loved that Olivia had the presentation of power, but behind closed doors, her personal life was a mess. Just a fucking mess.” — Kerry (07:56)
• “Role-playing leadership was a training ground for me.” — Kerry (09:06)
• “A mistake is not the end. A mistake is an opportunity to learn and grow. Iterate. Shift. Move forward.” — Kerry (12:11)
• “If we don’t win, it might be another 40 years before a woman of color has the chance to be number one on a network drama.” — Kerry (05:55)
• “I actually don’t have to sit at home and wait for someone to invite me to a party. I can throw my own party.” — Kerry (11:16)
• (On her abortion) “I’m not a bad person... What you can't do is to make decisions about what I do with my body.” — Kerry (41:45)
• “Every family has a secret... It’s part of what defines us.” — Kerry (61:21)
• "Imperfect is a synonym for human." — Kerry (71:49)
• “You have to win for us.” — Essence luncheon, on being supported by other Black women (79:25)

Key Timestamps

• Olivia Pope’s impact & pressure: 05:55–09:06
• Kerry nearly leaving acting: 09:22–10:49
• Shonda Rhimes dynamic: 12:12–16:25
• Cultural impact of Scandal: 16:49–18:19
• Rapid fire (“Scandal” crises & quotes): 22:37–29:32
• Abortion storyline & memoir: 37:58–44:40
• Eating disorder and recovery: 65:17–71:37
• Body image and women supporting women: 71:49–81:33
• Marriage and family: 83:39–91:46
• Imperfect Women (new show): 92:06–94:57

Overall Tone

The conversation is open, honest, respectful, warm, and occasionally irreverent—characteristic of both Alex Cooper’s and Kerry Washington’s voices. Heavy subjects are balanced with humor, vulnerability, and practical wisdom, creating a deeply relatable and inspiring episode for listeners, especially women navigating their own paths to power, self-acceptance, and authenticity.

Resources

(Links to resources for eating disorders and mental health referenced in the content warning and episode show notes.)