Kerry Washington Plays 'Pop Quiz' With Marie Claire

For actress, producer, and director Kerry Washington, finding enlightenment doesn't mean slowing down. This last year, she starred opposite Delroy Lindo in the newly-released Hulu dramedy, UnPrisoned, in which she also served as producer. Meanwhile, she's busy running her production company Simpson Street, which she founded in 2016, and working to find new projects that overturn the idea of what a protagonist looks like.

In Marie Claire's Identity Issue cover story, Washington chalks up her work ethic to her hometown of the Bronx. “We are sort of the underdog borough,” she tells Marie Claire. “I don’t think you’ll ever meet somebody from the Bronx who doesn’t have a little bit of a hustle. We are always ready to build, create, figure it out.”

That Bronx-girl attitude shines in the latest episode of MC's Pop Quiz, our series in which we ask burning questions of our cover stars. During the game, Washington revealed the advice she would give to her younger self. "I would want to tell myself that it's going to be okay and to just try to enjoy the journey, but I know some of that desire and drive is part of how I have the life I have today," she admits.

Washington also admits during the game what's on her so-called "live it list," her go-to late-snack snack, and her secret talent, which we bet you'll be surprised by. "I'm learning that I have a really good capacity to love lizards cause my son has a lizard named Spiral," she shares. "And I love Spiral more than I thought I could love an amphibian...reptile? Not sure, but I love him."

Watch Washington in Pop Quiz, above, and then check out our cover story and full Identity issue.

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Brooke Knappenberger is the Associate Commerce Editor at Marie Claire, where she specializes in crafting shopping stories—from sales content to buying guides that span every vertical on the site. She also oversees holiday coverage with an emphasis on gifting guides as well as Power Pick, our monthly column on the items that power the lives of MC’s editors. She also tackled shopping content as Marie Claire's Editorial Fellow prior to her role as Associate Commerce Editor.

She has over three years of experience writing on fashion, beauty, and entertainment and her work has appeared on Looper, NickiSwift, The Sun US, and Vox Magazine of Columbia, Missouri. Brooke obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism with an emphasis on Magazine Editing and has a minor in Textile and Apparel Management.