Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn love Olitz as much as you do.
Ironically, the first timeKerry WashingtonandTony Goldwynmet, he was the president.
Well, co-president … of The Creative Coalition.
Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington on ‘Scandal’.Ron Tom/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
“I had been a really big admirer of Kerry’s work.
I just thought she was fantastic,” Goldwyn says.
“Every time I’d see her in a movie I’d be like, ‘Who’s that actress?
Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn on ‘Scandal’.Richard Cartwright/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
I got to see who that is.'”
So whenScandalcreatorShonda Rhimesasked Goldwyn if he was interested in running the fictional Oval Office, he was sold.
“It was surprising when we started working together.
Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington on ‘Scandal’.John Fleenor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
We just vibed as actors.
So I think we were like, ‘Wow, this works.’
It had that magical quality to it.”
Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington on ‘Scandal’.Kelsey McNeal Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
TONY GOLDWYN:It was immediate.
I remember in the pilot there were two scenes that stood out out to me.
There was this electricity between us and also between the three of us.
Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn on ‘Scandal’.Mitch Haaseth/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
Maybe a couple weeks before.
And everybody in the room got weirdly quiet and they were like, “Holy s—.”
We were just standing around chatting on camera, but everybody was like, “What’s happening?”
Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn on ‘Scandal’.Mitch Haaseth/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
GOLDWYN:What was funny immediately was we just vibed as people and actors.
WASHINGTON:Yeah, instant friends.
GOLDWYN:Very at ease with each other.
Tony Goldwyn and Kerry Washington on ‘Scandal’.Kelsey McNeal Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
WASHINGTON:Yeah, completely.
And it felt mutual.
If it wasn’t, you’re a better actor than I thought.
GOLDWYN:No, it wasn’t.
I was just pretending.
[Laughs]
WASHINGTON:[Laughs] Yeah, exactly.
I feel like respect goes a long way when it comes to chemistry.
Richard Cartwright/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
GOLDWYN:I think that’s right.
We always just seemed to have the same perspective on it.
WASHINGTON:Oh, true.
GOLDWYN:It was weird.
With some actors, you’re like, “So what do you think about this?”
But Kerry and I just were like, “Yeah, we’re good.”
We just did it.
It was always a nonverbal kind of understanding of our approach.
And he was like, “Who’s your therapist?”
And we realized that we had the same therapist.
GOLDWYN:This therapist speaks in a very specific kind of vernacular.
And we were using that vernacular.
WASHINGTON:We were like, “Wait a second.”
It explained so much.
GOLDWYN:Yeah, that’s right.
That was so funny.
John Fleenor/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
That’s amazing.
What do you remember about that experience?
WASHINGTON:It was so great.
I remember the table read and it said, “They just sit there for one minute.”
And this is not like an edited minute.
It’s an actual entire minute of television where they’re just going to sit together.
And what a treat as an actor to have that.
They could just truly be together.
So it’s really special.
And because we’re very comfortable with each other, it was easy.
It was a very cool opportunity.
Was the first one on the couch in your apartment, Kerry?
WASHINGTON:It was.
It also really stood out on this show, which was known for its fast-paced dialogue.
She said, “The only time this show slows down is when Fitz and Olivia are together.
Then it slows down.”
Everything else goes like a bat out of hell.
Isn’t that right, Kerry?
WASHINGTON:Yeah, yeah.
WASHINGTON:That is correct.
She also did a lot in the cutting room.
She did a lot of rewriting in the cutting room so she always overshot.
But she also wanted us to speak much faster than we normally would.
Because we weren’t having to stop and think about things.
We only stopped for feelings.
We didn’t stop for thought.
GOLDWYN:That’s generally a pretty good rule of acting.
It’s pretty much the opposite of the minute of silence, as you scream at each other.
I’m curious what you remember about that one.
WASHINGTON:I feel bad for men sometimes when I think about that scene because Tony’s everything.
He says everything you ever want a man to say to you.
I was like, “Good luck, fellas.”
WASHINGTON:I think so, in a way, yeah.
It was just fun to have Shonda write these really meaty scenes.
And Tom [Verica] directed that.
I felt lucky to do it.
WASHINGTON:We really understood each other and understood the characters.
So there was also this safety in taking these big emotional swings.
It’s cool to love somebody so much and be angry at them.
We think of those as opposite ideas, but that’s the complexity of being a human, right?
And so that’s the kind of thing that Shonda lets you do.
Mitch Haaseth/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty
GOLDWYN:Yeah, we had some really great ones.
I can’t remember the exact story, but I remember we had another epic battle in our bedroom.
WASHINGTON:Oh, yeah.
It’s when Olivia has the abortion and didn’t want to tell you.
GOLDWYN:Oh, yes, it was that episode.
WASHINGTON:Oh, it’s so devastating.
GOLDWYN:We had a few of these really amazing scenes.
The other one in Vermont thatAva DuVernaydirected.
There was just so much contour to those scenes that she would write for us.
It was so cool.
WASHINGTON:Have I ever told you the story that I worked with Ava on that Apple commercial?
And she called me before and she was like, “Hey, you have a side, right?
Like I shouldn’t shoot you on your left or your right?”
And I was like, “Oh God, no.
it’s possible for you to put the camera wherever you want, I don’t care.”
Then she called me back two hours later and she was like, “I remember what it was.
You were pregnant so I couldn’t shoot you below the chest.”
Remember we were doing all those love scenes?
The camera’s in the full circle around us and coming off the helicopter and all that.
But she couldn’t shoot me below the chest because I had this baby bump.
GOLDWYN:That crazy love scene we did that was quite intimate with the camera going.
WASHINGTON:I was four months pregnant.
GOLDWYN:There were a lot of flower boxes in front of Kerry.
GOLDWYN:That’s amazing.
Those were my two moments, but are there any other Olitz moments that stand out for you?
WASHINGTON:I have two.
I think it’s because I had to learn how to tie a tie backwards.
And it was just such a telling behavior that I was tying your tie on the campaign trail.
But it led to such a really nice dynamic that felt so real.
WASHINGTON:Oh my God.
GOLDWYN:And the hands.
WASHINGTON:And that came back.
GOLDWYN:Shonda called it finger banging or something.
[Laughs]
WASHINGTON:[Laughs] Something like that.
We were like, “We thought it was more romantic, but okay.
Way to reduce it, Shonda.”
The White House was a very a grown-up environment.
Then there was Olivia Pope and Associates and it was like being in middle school.
They would all be goofing around and laughing hysterically.
And I was suddenly dad and I would have to be like, “Stop talking.”
WASHINGTON:We would have to tell people, “You know what Tony does?
He doesn’t attempt to get us to stop talking.
He just yells action and we’ll fall into line.”
GOLDWYN:It was great.
I felt very lucky to have that.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
