To many outside the independent world, the emergence of Kerry Washington seems to have come out of nowhere. But the youthful, talented, and drop-dead gorgeous actress has paid her dues performing on stage and appearing in small films before breaking into large Hollywood movies. Most notably, Washington has had the talent of playing characters younger than herself. Though a challenge for most actresses of lesser caliber, Washington’s liberal arts education and thorough research techniques has allowed her deeper insight into the characters she’s played. Ambitious to a fault, Washington has determined not to rest on her acting laurels: she’s made plans to write and direct her own material. Washington grew up in the Bronx, NY, and left public school to attend junior high and high school at the Spence School for Girls in Manhattan. She later attended the theater program at George Washington University. As a presidential performing arts scholar, Washington created a personalized major: performance studies. This allowed her to examine the role performing arts plays in a community. While attending GW, Washington worked with the local theater community, and created Shades of the Fine Arts, a support system for people of color in the arts. After graduation, Washington spent three months in India to immerse herself in a foreign culture and touch-up on her yoga skills.
She returned to the United States and moved back home with her parents, where she lived while starring in her first feature film, "Our Song" (2000). Though twenty-two at the time, Washington played a wise, but vulnerable 16 year-old from the projects in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Despite the difference in age, Washington felt a special connection to the character, and it showed, as raves for her performance echoed across the film festival circuit. In "Save the Last Dance" (2001), Washington gave a breakthrough performance as a street-smart teenage mom who takes in a suburban white girl transferring to an inner-city school. The surprise hit positioned Washington to play meatier roles.
In "Lift" (Showtime, 2002), Washington convincingly played a petty thief forced to give up her way of life to mend a broken relationship with her mom. Washington was nominated for a 2002 Independent Spirit Award for her performance. She next appeared in the blockbuster disappointment, "Bad Company" (2002). Purported to be an action-comedy, the movie starred heavy-hitters Chris Rock and Sir Anthony Hopkins ("Sir Tony" to Washington) and failed to make a connection with both audiences and critics. Washington moved on to smaller fare once again, appearing in "The United States of Leland" (2003), a sullen drama about a suburban teen who commits a shocking crime. The film was widely criticized for being another maudlin and self-important independent film. Meanwhile, Washington reunited with Sir Tony in "The Human Stain" (2003), a critical and box office flop about a university professor hiding his true identity.
Despite the flops on her resume, Washington continued on her career track with typical charm and good cheer. She had the lead role in "She Hate Me" (2004), a Spike Lee Joint about a down-and-out biotech executive (Anthony Mackie) who’s offered some easy money when his ex-girlfriend-turned-lesbian (Washington) offers cash to impregnate her and her girlfriend. Once again, critics and audiences failed to appreciate the film. Washington scored big, however, with her performance in "Ray" (2004), a biopic about the late great genius of soul, Ray Charles, played by Jamie Foxx. The film was lauded by critics and frequented by audiences, and generated serious Oscar buzz for Foxx. Washington received kudos for her performance as Della Ray Robinson, Charles’ strong and resolute wife who endured his drug abuse and infidelity. Meanwhile, Washington got another crack at major exposure when she was signed on to play Alicia Masters, the blind love interest of the Ting (Michael Chiklis) in the big screen adaptation of the comic book classic "The Fantastic Four" (2005). Though the comic book character was originally a blonde-hair, blue-eyed white girl, Washington nonetheless got the part as an African-American—a tip of the hat to her obvious talent.
Prior to the comic book adventure, she played the only friend and cohort of an assassin (Angelina Jolie) who’s married to a seemingly boring husband (Brad Pitt) and trapped in a ho-hum suburban life in the action-thriller, “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” (2005). She next played an unsuspecting Chicago suburbanite who comes into possession of a stolen diamond, leading three-foot-high jewel thief (Marlon Wayans) to pose as a baby to get back his prize in “Little Man” (2006), another tasteless and unfunny comedy from the Brothers Wayans. In a dramatic turn, Washington costarred in “The Last King of Scotland” (2006) as the out-of-favor wife of Idi Amin—played by an intense and charismatic Forest Whitaker—who embarks on a risky affair with the genocidal dictator’s personal physician (James McAvoy). Returning to comedic fare, Washington starred opposite Chris Rock in “I Think I Love My Wife” (2007), about a happily-married office worker who daydreams about other women until he encounters the mistress of an old friend who tries to seduce him. Washington then revived Alicia Masters for the inevitable sequel, “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer” (lensed 2006), set for release in summer 2007.
