You can be the lead in your own life. — Kerry Washington

I don’t have to be perfect. All I have to do is show up and enjoy the messy, imperfect and beautiful journey of my life. — Kerry Washington

We became the epitome of ‘black lives matter,’. — Kerry Washington

Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential. — Kerry Washington

I’m not interested in living in a world where my race is not a part of who I am. I am interested in living in a world where our races, no matter what they are, don’t define our trajectory in life. — Kerry Washington

It’s interesting how much people long to fill in the gaps when someone in the public eye doesn’t share their personal life. I understand their frustration. — Kerry Washington

That’s what acting is–it’s about having the courage to allow your audience into the private moments of your characters’ lives. — Kerry Washington

Shoes define how you walk in the world and how you stand: like, what is your posture in life? — Kerry Washington

I think everything in life happens for a reason. I always think there’s room for me to improve as a person. — Kerry Washington

For the red carpet, I’m totally a stiletto girl. But in the rest of my life, I’d say I’m 50/50. I love a good heel, but I also have a really great sneaker collection. That’s the Bronx girl in me. — Kerry Washington

Whenever I talk to survivors [of a domestic abuse relationship] who have lived through that and are on the other side and their whole perspective on life is a complete 180, I’m just so inspired. — Kerry Washington

I guess because I came to it later in life, I realized, ‘Oh, going to a fashion show is like going to the opening of Degas at the Met or going to see Swan Lake.’ — Kerry Washington

You and you alone are the only person that can live the life that writes the story that you were meant to tell. And the world needs your story because the world needs your voice. — Kerry Washington

You see the transformation that the arts have on young people. It changes their lives for the better. That’s where my engagement is. — Kerry Washington

I don’t gravitate toward any one designer because I think of fashion as the costume of the everyday woman. — Kerry Washington

The No. 1 reason women stay in abusive relationships–because they’re not able to take care of themselves financially. It’s also the No. 1 reason why women go back. — Kerry Washington

I bring something to the table as a woman; I bring something to the table as a woman of color. — Kerry Washington

There are so many untold stories when it comes to great women of color. — Kerry Washington

My mother is one of seven kids, so I have a lot of strong women in my family, and I have supportive, beautiful relationships with all of them. — Kerry Washington

As a young girl, my real dream was to be the woman in the shows at SeaWorld. — Kerry Washington

As long as anyone anywhere is being made to feel less human, our very definition of humanity is at stake, and we are all vulnerable. — Kerry Washington

I choose to feel optimistic, because I don’t think I could get out of bed if I didn’t. — Kerry Washington

I think my first big heartbreak made me more compassionate about other people’s heartaches. It enabled me to feel more for others when they are in moments of pain. — Kerry Washington

I really love research. It’s one of the things I love most about my job. I feel like it’s me in the lab cooking up the character. — Kerry Washington

I feel like I barely survived Django (Unchained) emotionally–the violence, hearing the N–word every day. It cost me a lot psychologically, but it was worth it to tell that story. — Kerry Washington

For me, 40 feels like a beginning. I’m in the middle of so much new–with this career, the kids, and I’m still sort of a newlywed. I’m excited to be at this stage in life. — Kerry Washington

I think all of us in our lives feel like we can’t make a difference or we can’t make a change or it’s too late or we’re too tired or we’re too scared. — Kerry Washington

You may not be thinking about politics, but politics is thinking about you. — Kerry Washington

If I ever have a family one day, everything else will pale in importance to that. — Kerry Washington

I get through the tough times through prayer and meditation. And I have really good friends and family, and a great therapist. — Kerry Washington

It is important to have friends and family around that I love and trust and who love and trust me. — Kerry Washington

To meet somebody who’s able to harness the level of courage it takes to walk away and to choose your own life and your own health, the well–being of your family, is really inspiring. — Kerry Washington