Kerry Washington

So in my lifetime, I had never seen a black woman as the lead of a network drama.

Hmm.

And and so that's all my pressure was my fear of like, if I screw this up, they're not going to let another woman of color be the lead of a network drama for another 40 years.

Like I knew that we had to get it right.

And I just had to work as hard as I'd ever worked on anything in my life.

But luckily, I've worked with amazing number ones like Jamie Foxx is the best number one in the business.

No offense to you other number ones on here, but he's just no one better than Jamie Foxx.

Jango, Ray, like having worked with him in those, he's just a fun, he's so generous.

He's a team leader.

He's a coach.

He's a cheerleader.

He's everybody's dad.

And so you picked up stuff from him and like- Yeah, I tried to collect, like Forest Whitaker's a beautiful number one.

Julia Stiles was an incredible number one.

Like I just tried to remember the things that I admired about the leaders.

The good leaders.

Yeah.

I got a call.

I was asleep in my apartment in New Orleans.

We were like halfway through filming and I got a call at like two or three in the morning and I pick up the phone.