Among her many accomplishments, Kerry Washington has just added to her list a huge overall deal with ABC, which will propel her hopefully to showrunner status alongside her Scandal boss Shonda Rhimes, reports Variety.
“I believe strongly in the importance of having a seat at the table which makes starting this production company thrilling for me,” Washington said in a statement. “It’s an honor to be at a point in my career when I can help generate projects that are exciting, necessary, and truly reflect the world around us.”
“I’m grateful to be on this journey with ABC, a network that remains unparalleled in its commitment to inclusive storytelling,” she continued.
The news was revealed through the Scandal star’s production company, Simpson Street, which produced her recent movie on HBO, Confirmation. Initially, the Anita Hill biopic was the company’s first project. In addition to these films, Kerry and her co-star on Scandal, Katie Lowes executive produced a pilot about a team of nannies for Shondaland, but the show wasn’t picked up.
It’s nice to see the network giving more people of color opportunities to occupy seats on an executive level. Back in February, ABC promoted Channing Dungey to head its entertainment division, which makes her the first black woman to hold the prestigious position.
Congrats, Kerry! And major kudos to ABC for opening the doors for diversity.