She is a powerful, smart Black lawyer taking Washington D.C. by storm, always dressed in tailored suits.
To some fans of “Scandal,” the smash hit show that aired on ABC for seven seasons, the protagonist, Olivia Pope, has a lot in common with Vice President Kamala Harris.
One fan, Kimberlee-Mykel Thompson, in a TikTok video thanked the show’s creator for preparing “America for a woman like Kamala Harris.”
Olivia Pope herself, or at least the actress who played her, Kerry Washington, appeared to agree with the sentiment, filming herself listening and nodding along to Ms. Thompson’s video.
On Thursday night, Ms. Washington stepped into the real-life political spotlight as the fourth and final host of the Democratic convention in Chicago. Tony Goldwyn, Ms. Washington’s “Scandal” co-star, was the first host. Ana Navarro, a Republican commentator, and the actress and comedian Mindy Kaling filled the role on the intervening days.
When “Scandal” debuted in 2012, Ms. Washington became the first Black woman to play the leading role in a network drama in almost 40 years. The show was a hit, particularly with Black viewers. For the first half of the second season, more than 10 percent of Black households, an average of 1.8 million viewers, tuned in weekly to watch new episodes.
The Olivia Pope character captivated audiences with her political acumen, striking intelligence and flawless professional style — crisp suits, elegant wraps, red-soled Louboutin heels.
After “Scandal” went off the air in 2018, Ms. Washington increased her own political activity. She told The Hollywood Reporter last year that she was inspired by, among other things, how the character shaped the audience’s own feelings about politics and activism.
“People wanted this imaginary character to fix their problems, and I felt like this was a moment of real disconnect because we’re living in a democracy; we’re the people who hold the power to unlock the change that’s most important, but we keep passing that power off to characters on television,” Ms. Washington said.
Last year, she started a nonprofit, the KW Foundation, to support civic engagement and organizing efforts. On several occasions, she has taken to social media to encourage her followers to register to vote, often with messages sure to grab the attention of “Scandal” fans. In one, she posted what she said was information about a “Scandal” movie. The link actually redirected to a voter registration website.
Ms. Washington endorsed Ms. Harris earlier this summer in the caption of TikTok video of Ms. Washington performing a viral dance to a song from Charli XCX’s album BRAT. The album has become something of an unofficial soundtrack for Ms. Harris’s campaign, with the singer describing Ms. Harris as “brat” in a post on X.
“if Kamala is BRAT, I’m BRAT,” Ms. Washington captioned her video.
Thursday marks the third time Ms. Washington has spoken at a political convention. In 2012, she delivered remarks at former President Barack Obama’s second nominating convention, and, in 2020, she was one of several celebrities to emcee President Biden’s virtual convention.
Ms. Washington has been an enthusiastic convention attendee since at least Wednesday, posing for photos from the area with Mr. Goldwyn, Oprah Winfrey and various politicians including Representative Nancy Pelosi, Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland and former President Bill Clinton.
Ms. Harris and Ms. Washington have met before, when Ms. Washington visited the White House to meet with Ms. Harris last year. It’s not clear what they discussed, but in an apparent nod to her tenure as a (fictional) D.C. operative, Ms. Harris posted a photo to social media with the caption “Welcome back to the White House.”