Today is Kerry Washington’s 41st birthday. I’m always bragging about January babies. It’s not about star signs. I’m a Capricorn and Kerry is an Aquarius. I just have this theory that the best people happen to be born in the same month I was (Justin Timberlake excluded.) Oprah is a January baby. Michelle Obama is a January baby. Obviously, Martin Luther King Jr. was a January baby. Mohammed Ali, Mary J. Blige, Sade, Ellen DeGeneres, Dolly Parton, Issa Rae, our Lord and Saviour Blue Ivy Carter, I COULD GO ON. Being born in January even makes you a better athlete, according to Malcolm Gladwell. There is research that shows more CEOs are born earlier in the year. This is all very scientific and totally accurate. My point: Kerry Washington is the best and she was also born in January, which makes her even better. Happy Birthday Kerry Washington, my imaginary best friend and fellow best month baby.
The day before her birthday, Kerry visited Jimmy Kimmel Live to talk about directing her first episode of Scandal and the crossover with How to Get Away with Murder. I’m not caught up on Scandal so don’t tell me if Quinn’s alive (she is right? RIGHT?). I’m also a full season behind on HTGAWM because even The Great Viola Davis can’t save that show from its serious narrative flaws and the cast of deplorable, unlikeable characters that surround her. Still, I will stan for this crossover episode (episodes? Kerry makes it sound like there will be a crossover ep on each series.) When Viola Davis was on Kimmel, she called the crossover, “black girl magic on steroids.” YES, PLEASE. Black Girl Magic on Steroids is basically all I want from my television content. Give me a full season of Annalise Keating and Olivia Pope striding through hallways with the confidence of 10,000 mediocre white men.
Kerry Washington is gearing up for the end of Scandal and her directorial debut comes at the perfect time. The last time I wrote about Kerry, I mentioned that she’s producing a series called Five Points about high school students in Chicago told from five different perspectives. She has made it clear she wants to produce and direct more in her post-Scandal future. Yes, Kerry! Build that empire! She did go to the school of Shonda and she’s a January baby so I have no doubt she can handle it. I almost forgot to mention that SHONDA RHIMES is also a January baby. #Science.
Watch Kerry charm the sh-t out of Jimmy Kimmel below and obsess over these photos of her in the most perfect varsity bomber jacket ever made. GIMME.
