Countdown to Scandal

Devoted fans to the hit TV show have been counting down the days until its return. Though the show has been on hiatus for two and a half months, some fans (like me) feel like it's been two and a half years. But we've almost made it -- just five more days until it's back!

The main character, Olivia Pope, plays a "fixer" in DC. She is brought in by political bigwigs to clean up messy situations and to avoid scandal. She is strong and eloquent, and it's hard not to want to embody some of her characteristics.

It is possible for a real-life women to be like Olivia Pope. Just ask Judy Smith, the inspiration for the role. Her resumé is both impressive and extensive: she has represented NBA players, was Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications at NBC, and was Special Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary for President George H.W. Bush.

via thejasminebrand.com

read more about Shonda Rhimes, center, in this post!

She comments on one of Pope's greatest characteristics to the Washington Post: "The truth of the matter is, when you think about it, we all make mistakes," she said. "And, quite frankly, we all screw up...But I am a big believer in forgiveness and second chances."

Even though I've seen every episode of the show (some of them multiple times...oops) I hadn't given much thought to this trait. But by not judging the choices of others, Smith has been able to focus more on herself and her own career. By doing this, she is ultimately able to help the people that she could've just judged.

-Hayley

Meet the woman behind your favorite shows, Shonda Rhimes!

 (via imdb.com)

Though Shonda Rhimes is off the screen, your favorite characters on the screen are all thanks to her!  Rhimes is the creator and executive producer of the wildly popular shows Scandal and Grey's Anatomy, both of which boast millions of followers.


As the youngest of six children growing up in Chicago, she would make up stories, and her mom, a professor, would write them down.  Her dad often told her as a child "The only limit to your success is your own imagination," to which she said in an interview with Fortune Magazine, "I actually believed that - like, I'm still coming to terms with the fact that I might not be an Olympic figure skater. I'm sure there are barriers. I have just chosen not to acknowledge them."  She was named to Forbes' Most Powerful Women in Business list in 2013!

Rhimes later attended Dartmouth College, where she studied English, and directed plays.  She later earned her Masters in Fine Arts from USC's film school.  She worked on various jobs for a while before writing Crossroads, starring Britney Spears, which grossed $60 million worldwide!
Rhimes next became creator, executive producer, and head write of Grey's Anatomy, based on the fictional surgeons of a Seattle hospital.  Rhimes is quoted as saying she wanted to "make a show that I would want to watch," and that "the idea of having a show about smart women who compete against one another was interesting to me."

(via wikia) 

Most recently, Shonda Rhimes has taken over network TV with Scandal, a political thriller about "fixers" in Washington DC!  Check it out on Netflix!

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Rhimes has an optimistic energy and strong voice that comes across in her characters and in her shows.  When asked about balancing the Disney exec's requests for Grey's with what she wanted to write and produce, she said "That first year I was doing Grey's, I didn't know it was possible to fire the creator of a show off their own show, so I didn't behave like somebody who was afraid of being fired. If somebody gave me notes that I didn't like, I said, "I don't like it and here's why," instead of just feeling like I had to take it."  Now that is a leading lady!

Keep an eye out for Scandal to return Feb 27, and for more shows and writing from Shonda Rhimes in the future!

- MCS

Kerry Washington is a political force on and off the screen!

 

via lamag.com

   
     On and off the screen, Kerry Washington has taken Hollywood and politics by storm!  Most famous for portraying the brilliant Olivia Pope in Scandal on ABC, Washington is something of a real-world "Livvie" herself.  She was born and raised in the Bronx, and her intelligence lead her to George Washington University in D.C., where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, the highest academic honor.  On screen, she uses her brain as Ms. Pope, the political "fixer," a lawyer and consultant who runs her own company cleaning up politician's messes in Washington D.C.  Check her out when Scandal returns on Thursday, Feb. 27!
    Washington is also known for her support of President Obama.  She worked as a volunteer on his reelection campaign, focusing on mobilizing youth to engage politically.  She gave a passionate speech at the Democratic National Convention, and also starred in an ad alongside celebs Scarlett Johansson and Eva Longoria that accused nominee Mitt Romney for not paying attention to women's issues.  This leading lady is a force to be reckoned with, on and off the screen!

More trivia! 

Kerry Washington:

1) was also accepted to Ivy League schools Dartmouth College and Yale University, but declined.

2) is of Jamaican descent (her mom's side!)

3) attended private girls' high school in NYC, the Spence School.

4) is married to Nnamdi Asomugha, an NFL cornerback.

5) is expecting her first child with Asomugha in the spring!

via IMDB