Kerry Washington: Unveiling Family Secrets and Embracing Resilience | Podcast Summary

Award-winning actress Kerry Washington delves into her new memoir, ‘Thicker Than Water’, and explores the impact of a family secret on her identity, values, and sense of belonging.

This episode offers a deeply personal journey of resilience, healing, and the power of compassion.

Sharing personal journeys without an agenda allows for a more authentic narrative.

Washington emphasizes the significance of delving into the complexities of her story to provide an honest account of her experiences.

Yoga played a pivotal role in helping Washington reconnect with herself.

It allowed her to be present in her body without trying to escape, deny, or quiet her feelings.

Acting provided Washington with a safe space to express her emotions.

Through her characters, she was able to express emotions she couldn’t in her personal life.

While passionate about acting, Washington shares her struggle with the business aspects of the industry, such as rejection, competition, and criticism.

These challenges sometimes led her to contemplate leaving the industry.

Despite her struggles, Washington always found herself drawn back to acting by a script that resonated with her.

She values the creative process and the opportunity to play and be creative.

I think a lot of the panic was me trying to navigate the fear of like what don’t I know. I don’t even know what I don’t know. I just know I don’t have everything I need to feel safe. – Kerry Washington

Washington discusses the concept of Dharma, referring to an inherent calling that is so deeply aligned with a person’s core that it keeps pulling them back.

For her, this Dharma is connected to holding space for emotional vulnerability or truth.

Washington shares how she survived a childhood where truth was kept from her.

This experience made her develop a keen sense for truth and a desire to express and honor it, which is reflected in her work as a director.

For women of color and black women in particular, we haven’t had the privilege of being like damsels in distress. No one was saving us. We’ve always been resilient and strong out of necessity. – Kerry Washington

Compassion plays a significant role in Washington’s journey.

She believes in the power of compassion to heal, connect, and endure, demonstrating the strength of her resilience.