-I don't think people fully understand
the sacrifice you're making to be here, though,
because you are on Broadway.
You have one day off a week, and it is right now.
-And usually I try to rest on my day off.
-That makes a lot of sense.
But because of you, I'm working. -Dragged you away.
What do you do -- What did you do the rest of your day off?
-Honestly, the play is very intense,
so it's kind of like being dropped into a nightmare
for 80 minutes.
So I try to do stuff on my day off
to calm my nervous system and my adrenals.
Like, this sounds so Hollywood, but, like, get a massage,
and go to Pilates and also like, just play with my kids,
and hang out with my husband.
-But first the massage. -Yeah. Yeah.
[ Laughter ]
-Mommy needs her massage. -Listen.
Put your own oxygen mask on first, you know?
-Exactly. That's right. -Right.
-They stress that. -It's true.
-This is, I guess, the first time
you've been on Broadway since 2009.
-Yes, yes.
-You mentioned the intensity of this play.
This is about topics like race, gender, class, police brutality.
-Yes. Yes.
-What drew you to deciding to do this after such a long break?
-So, the play is about -- I play a mom of an 18-year-old son,
and it's a black mom and a white dad.
And they are desperately looking for their 18-year-old son,
who has disappeared and had some kind of incident with the cops,
but we don't know what.
So it's like our 80 minutes of fear and anxiety.
And it's us and the cops.
And it really is like people
having all of these very private conversations.
But in public, like saying things that some people
say to the people they're closest to,
but may not say to somebody outside of their comfort zone.
And so I love that.
I think -- I feel like in today's world,
we spend a lot of time only talking to people
who agree with us. -Yes.
-And, like, only watching the version of the news
that makes us feel better.
Which I understand 'cause these are stressful times,
but I also think it's really important
that we make time to listen to each other,
To matter to each other, and for these 80 minutes in the dark,
like, you are forced to really listen to
people who agree with you and also people who don't.
And I feel like the play's kind of a prayer.
It's like an adventure in mattering to each other and,
like, opening our hearts to really hear each other.
-That's quite an undertaking. -Yeah.
-It sounds really impressive. -Yeah.
-I do want to ask this -- -So impressive.
-Yeah, so. [ Laughter ]
-That's what we try to do.
I don't guarantee that it happens.
That's what we go for.
-But if you go to the show, at the end, just stand up
and say whether or not Kerry did what she tried to do.
-Yeah, let me know. [ Laughter ]
Let me know.
Hold me accountable like I'm a politician.
Hold me accountable.
-Obviously it's very intense. -Yes.
-And obviously you have a lot of friends come see the show.
-Yes.
-What's it like when friends come
and see a really intense show,
and then come backstage to see you?
'Cause I mean, I've gone to shows of both kinds, but, like,
ultimately you want to come back and be like,
"Oh, my God, that was awesome." -I know.
-This is sounds like a weird thing to be like,
"Oh, my God, that was so cool."
-Yeah. It's really funny actually 'cause I am so happy
when the show is over because I don't have to do it
for another day. -Yeah.
-It's a very hard show, so when it's over, I'm like --
Oh, I'm relieved,
and I don't have to work myself into that nightmare.
So my friends come backstage, and they're like...
[ Laughter ] "What was that?"
And I'm like, "What's up?!" [ Laughter ]
"It's so good to see you!" And they're like, "What?"
-But you -- so your co-star --
One of your "Scandal" co-stars, Tony, he was backstage.
He's doing a show on Broadway right now as well.
-Yes. He's doing "Network." -He's doing "Network."
-Everyone should go see it,
with Bryan Cranston and Tatiana Maslany.
-Is it nice to -- -To pick each other's noses?
-Yeah. -That's a tradition we have.
-Yeah.
-Picking each other's noses in pictures.
-That's a lovely tradition.
-It started on "Scandal," and it continues. Yes.
-Your mom I know is a big "Scandal" fan. Yes?
-Yes.
-And she had opinions about how your character, and how --
-Yes, my parents have a lot of opinions.
-Really? -Yes. Love you, Mom and Dad.
[ Laughter ]
-Where would they -- Would they share them with you privately?
Or would they -- -No, publicly.
-Okay, that's good. -Yeah, big groups.
-Big groups. That's where they should --
-In the beginning of my career, they'd be very shy about, like,
"What's that?" And, "Oh, oh." Like, they were so impressed.
By the end of "Scandal," they'd be in the director's chair like,
"How many more takes you got?
You going to land this line or not?"
But they actually -- They were with us
on our very last night of filming,
and we shot until 3:00 a.m.
And my sweet parents were with us all night until 3:00 a.m.
on the very last scene of the show.
-That is a wonderful thing to be around for.
-It was really beautiful, yeah.
-Another lovely thing is the last time you were on Broadway,
I think this is correct -- that your husband, Nnamdi,
you met backstage on your first play.
-Yeah. -And he --
-He says hi. He loves you. -Oh, please say hi to him.
-He is a -- He was in the NFL. -He was.
-He was very good at it. -He was.
-And now he is also doing a play right now.
-Yes, he is. -That's so cool.
-And you should go see it. It's called "Good Grief."
It's at the Vineyard. He's amazing.
The whole cast is amazing. The whole company.
It was really sweet 'cause the whole cast of "American Son"
went to their opening night,
and then they all came to our opening night.
It's very, very sweet.
-Now, what was it like?
Obviously, because when you met him, he was not an actor at all.
-No. -And now you go and see him.
What is your -- what does it feel like to watch him
participate in your craft?
-It makes me feel like I need to start a touch football team
or something to balance it out. [ Laughter ]
-Yeah, that's true.
Yeah, now that you only do one thing,
it's just really unimpressive. -I know. I'm super unimpressive.
-Yeah. -That's what it makes me feel.
-It's not sports, but is it true that your director
on "American Son" will make you do push-ups if you're late?
-It is very true. Not only you. He makes everyone do pushups.
-Oh, no. -So you never want to be late
because then everybody's mad at you
because everybody has to drop and do 20.
-And this is an actual thing
that's happening in this day and age?
-Yes. Yeah, yeah. Kenny Leon. -Wow.
-That is my torturer's name. No, no.
He is the best director ever,
and his grandmother used to say this thing.
"Everybody in the bed or everybody on the floor."
Meaning like, you're in this together.
And he says,
because he's a fantastic, very acclaimed director,
so he's like, "Don't feel ashamed of doing push-ups."
Denzel has done push-ups with him.
Phylicia Rashad has done push-ups.
And now Kerry Washington. -There you go.
Well, you all look fantastic, so it's working.
-Oh, good.
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