Kerry Washington
| Kerry Washington | |
|---|---|
 Washington at Hollywood Life Magazine’s 2007 Breakthrough Awards |
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| Born | January 31, 1977 The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1994–present |
Kerry Washington (born January 31, 1977)1 is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles's wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray (2004), as Idi Amin's wife Kay in The Last King of Scotland, and as Alicia Masters, love interest of Ben Grimm, The Thing, in the live-action Fantastic Four films of 2005 and 2007. She has also starred in the critically acclaimed independent films Our Song and The Dead Girl.
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Early life
Washington was born in the Bronx, New York City, the daughter of a real estate broker father and a professor and educational consultant mother.2 She performed with the Tada theater teen group in 1985, when she was 15 years old. She attended the Spence School in Manhattan, graduating in 1994. Washington went on to earn a B.A. degree in theater in 1998 from The George Washington University. She also studied at Michael Howard Studios in New York City.
Career
Washington made her screen debut in the ABC telefilm Magical Make-Over (1994). She was in the cast of the 1996 PBS sketch comedy-style educational series Standard Deviants, and she appeared in the short "3D" and the feature film Our Song in 2000. She went on to appear in several movies, including Save the Last Dance (2001), The Human Stain (2003), Spike Lee's She Hate Me (2004), Ray (2004), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Little Man (2006), I Think I Love My Wife (2007), and as a wife of 1970s Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the UK historical drama The Last King of Scotland (2006). Washington has also appeared in the recurring role of Chelina Hall on the ABC television series Boston Legal, and in several episodes of the A&E cable-TV series 100 Centre Street.
She is the new spokesperson for L'Oréal, appearing in commercials and ads alongside fellow actresses Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria Parker, and model Doutzen Kroes.
She also co-directed and appeared in the music video for hip-hop artist Common's song, "I Want You", the fourth single off of his album Finding Forever.
Washington narrated the critically acclaimed documentary about the New Orleans-based teenage TBC Brass Band, From the Mouthpiece on Back. She also appears in Maxwell's "Bad Habits" video.
She is currently making her Broadway debut in David Mamet's Race, alongside James Spader, David Alan Grier, and Richard Thomas.
In 2009, Washington performed in The People Speak a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historian Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States”.3
Personal life
Washington was engaged to actor David Moscow from October 2004 to March 2007.4
As a sort of souvenir or memento, she usually tries to keep something from every character that she plays, such as an item of wardrobe or a piece of furniture from the house the character lived in.5
She is at times referred to as a political activist and was a supporter of Barack Obama's presidential candidacy.6 Washington has also spent time volunteering through the Adopt-a-Classroom program in New York as well as with Co-Op America7, now known as Green America.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Our Song | Lanisha Brown | |
| 3D | Angie | Boyz n Da Hood | |
| 2001 | Save the Last Dance | Chenille Reynolds | |
| Lift | Niecy | ||
| 2002 | Take the A Train | Keisha | |
| Bad Company | Julie | ||
| 2003 | The United States of Leland | Ayesha | |
| The Human Stain | Ellie | ||
| Sin | Kassie | ||
| 2004 | Against the Ropes | Renee | |
| Strip Search | Unknown | TV film | |
| She Hate Me | Fatima Goodrich | ||
| Ray | Della Bea Robinson | ||
| 2005 | Sexual Life | Rosalie | |
| Mr. & Mrs. Smith | Jasmine | ||
| Fantastic Four | Alicia Masters | ||
| Wait | Maggie | ||
| 2006 | Little Man | Vanessa | |
| The Last King of Scotland | Kay Amin | ||
| The Dead Girl | Rosetta | ||
| 2007 | I Think I Love My Wife | Nikki Tru | |
| Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer | Alicia Masters | ||
| 2008 | Woman in Burka | Kerry | |
| Lakeview Terrace | Lisa Mattson | ||
| Miracle at St. Anna | Zana Wilder | ||
| 2009 | Life Is Hot in Cracktown | Marybeth | |
| A Thousand Words | TBA | post-production | |
| The People Speak | Herself | Documentary | |
| 2010 | Mother and Child | Lucy | |
| 2011 | For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf (film) | ||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | ABC Afterschool Special | Heather | Episode: "Magical Make-Over" |
| 1996 | Standard Deviants | Kerry | |
| 2001 | NYPD Blue | Maya Young | Episode: "Franco, My Dear, I Don't Give a Damn" |
| Law & Order | Allie Lawrence | Episode: "3 Dawg Night" | |
| 100 Centre Street | Unknown | 5 episodes | |
| 2002 | The Guardian | Drea Westbrook | Episode: "The Next Life" |
| 2005-2006 | Boston Legal | Chelina Hall | 5 episodes |
| 2008 | Psych | Mira Gaffney | Episode: "There's Something About Mira" |
| 2009 | The People Speak | Voice of Sojourner Truth | |
| Black Panther | Voice of Princess Shuri | ||
Awards and nominations
- BET Awards
- 2007- Best Actress The Last King of Scotland: Nominated
- Black Reel Awards
- 2009- Best Ensemble Miracle at St. Anna: Nominated
- 2007- Best Supporting Actress The Last King of Scotland: Nominated
- 2005- Best Actress, Drama Ray: Nominated
- 2003- Best Actress, Network/Cable Lift : Nominated
- 2002- Best Independent Actor Lift: Nominated
- 2002- Best Supporting Actress Theatrical, Save the Last Dance: Nominated
- Image Awards
- 2007- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture The Last King of Scotland: Nominated
- 2006- Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Boston Legal: Nominated
- 2005- Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Ray: Winner
- Independent Spirit Awards
- 2002- Best Female Lead Lift: Nominated
- Satellite Awards
- 2005- Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical Ray: Nominated
- Screen Actors Guild Awards
- 2005- Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture Ray: Nominated
References
- ^ "Today's Highlights in History: January 31". New York Times. January 31, 2009. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/20090131.html. Retrieved August 6, 2009.
- ^ Kerry Washington Biography (1977) Film Reference
- ^ http://www.thepeoplespeak.com/pages/credits/
- ^ Washington indicated she was dating again during her appearance on the March 16, 2007 episode of The View
- ^ We Love Kerry Washington Crave Online
- ^ "Kerry Washington voices support for Senator Obama in Georgia". Organizing for America. January 26, 2008. http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/cheryljewell/CGxkG.
- ^ "In Step With: Kerry Washington". Parade Magazine. July 7, 2004. http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2004/edition_07-25-2004/in_step_with_0.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kerry Washington |
- Kerry Washington at the Internet Movie Database
- Kerry Washington at TV.com
- The People Speak at the Internet Movie Database
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