18 Times I Was Proud To Be A Kerry Washington Fan

My role model pretty much slays on the daily, but here are 18 times I was particularly proud to be a fan of the actress and activist I look up to.

Click the Xs to go to videos of the various moments I mention.

18. When she played the tuba on Ellen and slayed.

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Kerry went to GW on a drama scholarship, so it is no surprise that she's musical. But apparently even if you throw a humongous tuba at her, she will be able to play it. (X)

17. When she empowered us in one of the most important Olivia Pope scenes.

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You are not the girl that the guy gets at the end of the movie. You are not a fantasy. If a guy wants you, he has to earn you. Kerry killed this delivery and this scene has stuck with me since I first saw it. (X)

16. When she gave advice to her 18 year-old self.

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It's no secret that Kerry cares about her fans. She is known to tweet back and forth with fans and is grateful for all of the support she gets. In this recent video, her sincerity bled through as she gave retrospective advice to young people about to embark on their individual journeys. Not only was it damn good advice, but it really has shown how far she has come. (X)

15. When she stood up for her belief in mermaids.

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Kerry is known for always standing up for what she believes in, even when it comes to mermaids. Yes, she was a mermaid in another life. Don't dare question it. Including you Jimmy Fallon. (X)

14. When she was honored as Harvard Hasty Pudding's Woman of the Year.

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I was lucky enough to witness this in person as a reporter for my college's entertainment outlet. Harvard's famous theatrical society chose to honor Washington for being "...a talented and socially engaged film, TV, and stage actress who keeps breaking barriers in Hollywood," according to their site. When I asked Kerry what drove her to so actively participate in the arts and activism, she said her work isn't "...as important as trash collection...if garbage collectors don't collect the trash we all get sick and die." (X) Even when she is being honored she is graciously giving underrepresented people a shoutout. Could I be prouder? Probably not.

13. When she teamed up with Michelle Obama and Sarah Jessica Parker for Glamour.

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Actress, activist, and government employee. Did you know that Kerry Washington is a member of President Obama's Committee on the Arts and Humanities? I genuinely don't know when she finds the time to sleep. (X)

12. When she became an ambassador for Allstate's Purple Purse Foundation.

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Not only has Kerry designed purses to raise money for the Purple Purse Foundation, but she has spoken out in support of women in financial abuse situations. This was an issue I did not know existed until she brought it to my attention. Her dedication to the foundation and giving a voice to the silenced is so inspiring. (X)

11. When she shamelessly powered down pizza in her Jason Wu dress at the 2014 Oscars.

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Yes, she was pregnant, but Kerry was representing us all in this amazing moment. Never turn down free pizza. Ever. (X)

10. When she valued being Ms. Kerry as much as she valued being an actress.

Turnaround Arts Program / Via turnaroundarts.pcah.gov

Ms. Kerry is a well-loved member of the Warren Lane Elementary family. She is known to pop up at performances, run workshops for the students, take the kids on field trips, and more. The children love and value her so much and it shows. They even made a birthday video for her this year (X). Again, when does she sleep?

9. When she became Dr. Washington and gave a powerful commencement address at her alma matar.

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As if she could become any more epic, her alma matar George Washington University honored her with a Doctorate of Fine Arts. Her commencement address was fun and powerful. Yes, the girl who now plays stoic D.C. fixer Olivia Pope once played a frog. And she was just as passionate about playing the part. (X)

8. When she gave a speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

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Let the jokes ensue: both she and her alter ego Olivia Pope have hit the Presidential trail. However Kerry's speech here did not necessarily revolve around voting for President Obama. It's focus was on motivating those watching to get out and voice their beliefs. She had me getting up out of my chair by the end of it. (X)

7. When she put her heart and soul into acting as Olivia Pope in Scandal's Ferguson-inspired episode.

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In the fourteenth episode of Season 4 of Scandal, Olivia Pope was asked to fix a situation that echoed what happened to Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. For the first time, audiences saw the fixer taking a loss. In one of her best performances as Olivia Pope, she left audiences with chills as she dished the simple truth: "You talk about fairness and justice like it's available for everybody." Like she always says, this is why storytelling is important. This isn't a storyline in Shondaland: it's happening in our country. (X)

6. When she won not one, not two, but three NAACP image awards.

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You are always filed with pride when someone you care about gets recognized for their work that you deeply admire, but these award speeches spoke volumes to me. As the first African-American woman to headline a network television drama since 1974, Kerry is opening opportunities for people of color and kicking major ass. (1) (2) (3)

5. When she portrayed Broomhilda in Django Unchained.

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Kerry undoubtedly left everyone in chills after she soulfully played Broomhilda in the Quentin Tarintino movie Django Unchained. Her portrayal and the film itself deeply affected me and I still think about it a lot. (X)

4. When she attended the Oscars while still supporting #OscarsSoWhite.

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Even though she knew it would create some controversy, Kerry still decided to attend the Oscars this year while openly supporting the #OscarsSoWhite movement. While acknowledging that boycotting is warranted and important, she felt as though as a member of the Oscars board and being, well Kerry Washington, her voice is best used at the table. I would have supported her decision either way, but this seemed very her. (X)

3. When she spoke at the GLAAD Media Awards.

GLAAD Media Awards / Via BuzzFeed

This speech just slayed on so many levels; I can't even cover them all. You can't leave watching this uninspired. It's impossible. Kerry is the advocate we should all inspire to be. This speech not only made me proud to be a fan of her, it made me proud to be a fan of Scandal, a show that has represented so many groups of people. (X)

2. When she not only acted in, but produced The Confirmation.

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We still have two days until this drops, but I think everyone knows that it's going to be amazing. I got major chills from just the trailer. And the discussions that have stemmed out of this? Amazing. (X)

1. When she spoke out about her photoshopped AdWeek cover.

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Kerry never fails to speak out with grace and eloquence. She had every right to be mad here (I sure was), but she addressed it to start an important conversation on beauty standards. I chose to carry on the conversation with the #IStandWithKerry campaign, which you can check out here. (X)