Kerry Washington

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Kerry Washington

Washington at Hollywood Life Magazine’s 2007 Breakthrough Awards
Born January 31, 1977 (1977-01-31) (age 31)
The Bronx, New York, United States

Kerry Washington (born January 31, 1977) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Ray Charles' wife, Della Bea Robinson, in the film Ray (2004), as Kay Amin in The Last King of Scotland, and Alicia Masters in the 2005 live-action Fantastic Four film and its 2007 sequel, Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. She has also starred in the critically acclaimed independent films Our Song and The Dead Girl.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early life

Washington, an actress of African American and Native American descent. [1][2] [3] She was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, the daughter of a successful real estate broker father and a professor and educational consultant mother.[4] She attended The Spence School in Manhattan, graduating in 1994; fellow alumni include Gwyneth Paltrow and Emmy Rossum. Washington went on to earn a theater degree in 1998 from George Washington University.

[edit] Career

Washington made her screen debut in the ABC telefilm Magical Make-Over (1994). She was in the cast of the 1996 PBS sketch comedy-style educational series Standard Deviants, and she appeared in the short "3D" and the feature film Our Song in 2000. She went on to roles in several movies, including Save the Last Dance (2001), The Human Stain (2003), Spike Lee's She Hate Me (2004), Ray (2004), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Little Man & I Think I Love My Wife (2007), and, in a departure, an accented, period role as a wife of 1970s Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the UK historical drama The Last King of Scotland (2006). Washington has also appeared in the recurring role Chelina Hall on the ABC television series Boston Legal, and in several episodes of the A&E cable-TV series 100 Centre Street.

She is the new spokeperson for L'Oreal starring in commercials and ads alongside fellow actresses Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria, and model Doutzen Kroes.

She also co-directed and appeared in the music video for hip-hop artist Common's song, "I Want You", the fourth single off of his album Finding Forever.

In addition, Kerry serves as the narrator of the critically-acclaimed 2008 documentary about the New Orleans-based teenage TBC Brass Band entitled From the Mouthpiece on Back, which also lists The Roots as one of the executive producers of the movie.

She has also been known as apart of the African Amercian group 'Negro Hunters' that find troubled black students in schools across the west coast and try to help them regain their way into an education.

[edit] Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2010 Bury Me Standing Mod In Production
2008 Mama Black Widow Sedalia Mama Tilson Pre-Production
Lakeview Terrace Lisa Mattson Post-Production
Life Is Hot in Cracktown Post-Production
Woman in Burka Kerry
Psych (TV series) Mira Gaffney Episode: There's Something About Mira
2007 Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer Alicia Masters
I Think I Love My Wife Nikki Tru
2006 The Dead Girl Rosetta
The Last King of Scotland Kay Amin
Little Man Vanessa
Boston Legal (TV series) Chelina Hall (5 episodes, 2005-2006)
2005 Wait Maggie
Fantastic Four Alicia Masters
Mr. & Mrs. Smith Jasmine
Sexual Life Rosalie
2004 Ray Della Bea Robinson
She Hate Me Fatima Goodrich
Strip Search (TV)
Against the Ropes Renee
2003 Sin Kassie
The Human Stain Ellie
The United States of Leland Ayesha
2002 The Guardian Drea Westbrook Episode: The Next Life
Bad Company Julie
Take the A Train Keisha
2001 100 Centre Street (TV series)
Law & Order (TV series) Allie Lawrence Episode: 3 Dawg Night
NYPD Blue (TV series) Episode: Franco, My Dear, I Don't Give a Damn
Lift (TV series) Niecy
Save the Last Dance Chenille Reynolds
2001 3D Angie
Our Song Lanisha Brown
1996 Standard Deviants (TV series) Kerry
1994 ABC Afterschool Specials Heather Episode: Magical Make-Over

[edit] Personal life

Washington was engaged to actor David Moscow from October 2004 to March 2007.[5]

As a sort of souvenir/memento, she usually tries keep something from every character that she plays whether it is an item of wardrobe or a piece of furniture from the house that the character lived in.[6]

[edit] Awards/nominations

Washington at the Tribeca Film Festival
Washington at the Tribeca Film Festival

[edit] References

  1. ^ Having a moment with...Kerry Washington | Kerry Washington | Movie News | Movies | Entertainment Weekly
  2. ^ Interview With Kerry Washington By Marianne Schnall
  3. ^ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0913488/bio Biography for Kerry Washington]. IMDB (2008). Retrieved on 2008-05-30.
  4. ^ Kerry Washington Biography (1977?-)
  5. ^ Washington indicated she was dating again during her appearance on the March 16, 2007 episode of The View.
  6. ^ We Love Kerry Washington

[edit] External links

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