Crave Online: What was it for Marybeth then?

 

Kerry Washington: God, I was just listening to that answer and I would say all of that’s true and the big thing is you want to be able to believe the given circumstance of your character. You want to really try as much as you can to just believe that what’s going on for that character is reality. So for Marybeth, I think it was trying to ask myself how would I feel in this situation and what do I know about that? I don’t know what it’s like to be a trans woman but I certainly know what it’s like to be in relationships where I don't know if it’s the right relationship for me. I certainly know what it’s like to love somebody and be afraid to lose them or to feel betrayed by somebody I’m close to. So even though I can’t specifically identify with all the details of her situation, I can relate to emotional truths and try to lend my own history to that moment.

 

Crave Online: When did you know you’d made it?

 

Kerry Washington: I don't know that that’s happened yet. I know I felt very proud the day I made enough money to get insurance from the Screen Actor’s Guild. That was a big deal. I remember calling my parents because that meant that they didn’t have to put me on their insurance anymore. Yeah, I don't know if I think about it in those terms. I certainly don’t think I’m done or that I’m living the easy life as an actor.

 

Crave Online: Some actors say just working is making it, and you definitely work.

 

Kerry Washington: I would say that’s true. I’m really happy to be a working actor.

 

Crave Online: What is it like to be Kerry Washington right now?

 

Kerry Washington: It’s exhausting right now. There’s a lot going on so it’s a little bit exhausting but also thrilling. I’m a little bit tired today and that is coupled with the fact that I really love my job and I really love my life. So it feels worth it but I’m doing this film called The String Bean and Marcus that starts in Philly in a week and a half, so I was in Philly doing rehearsals and fittings for the last three days, so I got in really late, like 1:00 a.m. and had to get up at like 5:00 to start all this. I’ve got to fly back to New York for a L’Oreal event today and come back for a screening of Cracktown on Saturday. It’s exciting and thrilling and I feel really lucky.

 

Crave Online: It is a nice way to get exhausted.

 

Kerry Washington: Yeah, but how cool, exactly. We just got back from Cannes which is great because L’Oreal sponsors the Cannes film festival, so all of the girls always go which is super fun. We’re pretty close actually, like Eva and Doutzen, we all actually get along, so it’s really fun to be there, to be celebrating film and to be representing the company.

 

Crave Online: What does L’Oreal add to your career and craft?

Kerry Washington: In some ways, I feel like the L’Oreal gig really frees me because it allows me to sort of maintain this image of a movie star, of a pretty girl, but I get to do risky work where I play a trans gendered woman and a prostitute in The Dead Girl. I get to make risky, challenging choices as an actor.

 

Crave Online: Is it good for your ego that L’Oreal picks you as one of the top three women to represent them?

 

Kerry Washington: L’Oreal has like 20 spokesmodels so you’re not one of three, but it is. You know what it is, it’s very surreal actually. All the people I grew up with, they all think it’s hilarious because I’ve never been like the pretty girl at any point in my life growing up, so it’s a little bit funny.

 

Crave Online: All the gorgeous women I interview say that.

 

Kerry Washington: Interesting, but really, you could ask most of my friends in elementary school and junior high school. I was the last one to have a boyfriend. I was a bit of a tomboy and collected frogs. I was not a girly girl.