Carrie Washington shares her journey from growing up in the Bronx, where a culture of hustle and resilience shaped her values, to becoming a prominent figure in television and activism. Her early experiences in the Boys and Girls Club, guided by mentors like Jennifer Lopez and Larry Maldonado, fueled her passion for art and community. She credits her decision to pursue acting to a pivotal year-long conservatory experience that confirmed her artistic calling. Her role on *Scandal* was a transformative experience, where she learned leadership, empathy, and the power of being a “number one” at work—stepping into charge without hesitation. Carrie emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, collaboration, and authenticity in both her professional and personal life. She balances her demanding career with being a devoted mother of three, often working on set during childbirth and parenting while maintaining a strong connection to her community. Her activism is not just performative but deeply rooted in real-world action, such as organizing community events and advocating for women’s rights. She also shares how her personal journey—revealing her birth via artificial insemination—has brought healing and deeper family authenticity. Carrie’s approach to life is guided by a belief in resilience, joy, and seeing beauty in imperfection, which she exemplifies through her work, her parenting, and her commitment to helping others thrive. Her new show, *Imperfect Women*, reflects this ethos by centering three strong, complex mothers and emphasizing shared leadership, emotional honesty, and collaborative storytelling. Through interviews with Tony Goldwyn and personal reflections, Carrie demonstrates how passion, presence, and authenticity are at the heart of her life and career.
Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Very, very excited about our guest today. It is the one, the only Carrie Washington. Carrie is so talented. She is so good at so many things. And we're going to talk about a lot of those things today. We are going to talk about growing up in the Bronx, the Bronx and how it shaped her and what she learned from being from there. And we're going to talk about her activism, how she stays connected in a turbulent and often depressing world. We're going to talk about scandal because of course, and we're going to get to the nitty-gritty in a lot of that. And we're going to talk about an amazing race, a random show that we talk about and talk about how good it is for kids. We're going to talk about her new TV show, Imperfect Women, with Elizabeth Moss and Kate Mara that's coming out on Apple. All of these things are going to be discussed today. But most importantly, we're going to discuss her with someone who loves her and who is that person? Fits. That's right. Tony Goldwin, writer, producer, director. Just coming off of directing Shay Joey, a new musical with Savion Glover. That is hopefully on its way to Broadway. We're catching Tony right after rehearsal. He's tired. And still he can't wait to profess his admiration for his co-star. So let's see if we can get him on the Zoom horn. Tony, are you there? This episode is brought to you by Caesar. Dog parents, what do you have on the menu tonight? If you're looking to serve your favorite four-legged friend, high-quality, wet dog food, they'll be genuinely excited about. We say, just eat Caesar. Whether it's a protein-rich beef recipe on Monday or a savory chicken and vegetable dinner on Wednesday, Caesar offers a variety of delicious meals made with freshly crafted, slow-cooked ingredients all designed to support your dogs everyday nutrition without compromise. That's real variety, real ingredients, and real excitement at meal time. So if you're looking to serve a meal, your dog actually looks forward to every single day. They should totally just eat Caesar. Learn more at Caesar.com. Your dog will thank you. Tony? Hi. How are you? Thank you for talking to us today because I have to say that the relationship that you and Carrie had on screen and off screen is really, really wonderful to watch. And people are very invested in it. And what I have to say is what I glean from the way you two interact with each other is like, deep mutual respect. Deep, deep respect for the way you work and the kind of people that you are. Can you tell us how you first met? My first recollection, we may have met briefly before this, was that the Democratic Convention of Obama became president in 2008 in Denver, which was a really incredible experience. And then we kind of became friends through kind of social activism and stuff, but didn't know each other well. But for me, when Sean asked me to do scandal and she told me Carrie Washington was doing it, I, Carrie was an actress who every time I saw her in a movie, I found myself going, who is that actress in that role? Because she was still different in every movie she did. And at the end of the credits, I'm looking to go, my God, that's Carrie Washington. She's just was so great. And everything I saw that was Ray or last king of Scotland. I remember seeing her in her. But again, totally different than anything. So I was just like, God, I hope I get a chance to work with her. So when Sean said to me, she's like, are you playing the president in my new show? I was like, well, Shonda Rhymes writing a president, that's pretty pretty interesting, which is a Carrie Washington. I was like, you and Carrie Washington, I'm in. Had you known Shonda before? Had you worked with Shonda before? Yeah, I met Shonda. I directed the, I think the second or third episode of Grey's Anatomy. Oh, wow. Yeah, it was one of the first TV things I'd done. I directed a couple of movies and then Betsy Beers, Shonda's partner called me and said, you know, we'd like, would you consider doing Grey's Anatomy? And I saw the pilot of that show and said, wow, this is amazing. Of course, and I was just getting used to directing TV. So I did that. And Sean and I met. And she was brand new to television. Little did we know she was going to become Empress of the universe. Yeah, totally. But I knew the second I met Sean to two. I was like, Oh, this woman's the real deal. It's so interesting that you and Carrie met in real life doing political work. I'm really in awe of how she stays connected to the real world while also playing these people and those two things don't always happen. She does. I mean, first of all, she's like, she's got this amazing husband, Nandi. She's got, she's a totally fully devoted mom of three kids and a, you know, and, and, and her perfect. And yet she's a, she's like a thousand percent in everything she does. I don't know how she does it. And I can't ask her because she's too modest. She just like laughing my face. If I was like, you're amazing. How do you do it? You know, she, she wouldn't take it. So, you know, I, I, I, I, I, I learned a lot. I learned, I always learn a lot from her. What was it like? She was kind of the leader of the show. She was number one on that call sheet. Carrie from the get go. We had an amazing cast of great people all grown up snow, you know, jerks and in the cast, but Carrie set a tone by example. She works harder than anybody. And then that role, she works so hard. I have a funny story we have. I talk about leading by example. And I think it was maybe our fifth season or something like that. To promote, we are going to premiere the season. Good morning, America. Wanted us to be on the show. But they want us to be on as they're opening at 7 a.m. to do it. So we're like, great, great, great, great, great. And then I was in the makeup trailer and some of the archers like, wait. So we're in LA. Wait, 7 a.m. means we're like 4 a.m. We have to be here. And wherever we're working, everyone's sort of bitching and moaning about, I mean, the, let me see if you have to be in the girls or like, and that means we got to get up at 2 30 to be in here and make up. Like, I don't know. Do you want to do it? I'm not sure. Well, did you and I'm kind of like, well, I don't know. You guys want it. So I don't have to get made up that much. So we're going to what should we do? What do we think? Well, let's see what. So it was one of those things of actor is kind of like, like children. And we go to the mom's set and one of the Darby and I, Darby stands filled with wonderful Darby stands for was in our cast. We're talking about it. And Carrie walks into the set under the stage. She wasn't working. She just walks to say hi. And Darby's like, Oh, you know, I wonder if Carrie wants to do good morning America. Like he was like, well, once you go ask her, she feels about it. So Darby goes up to Carrie. And this is classic Carrie watching. And Darby goes, Carrie, you know, this good morning America thing that's happening at like 7 a.m. And I think we got to get there like two o'clock in the morning. And I'm just wondering what and Carrie's like, of course, we're doing it. Darby, we're in season five. And ABC wants to promote us by putting us on good morning America. Like, of course, we're getting up to in the morning to do this. Like, isn't it amazing that they want to put us on their opening up their show? And Darby goes, yes. I think it's so fantastic. Here comes you going to me. And I'm like, yeah, machine. That's Quinn is in. I mean, I want to talk to her about that because she has this work ethic that's really, really, you can feel it. And it's, you know, it feels very collaborative and inclusive. It doesn't feel like strident, but I'm really curious where she gets it from. I don't know. It's for real. It comes out of a kind of joy and passion and some intense inner drive that she does have. I mean, you know, no one works as hard as she's just something drives her part of it. I think is, I mean, she's a, she has a lot of gifts to give the world, you know, and a limited amount of time together. Well, I want to ask her about that. How does she stay, you know, how do you stay, how does one stay involved in this time of like deep fatigue and deep like every day is really feels really harder and rougher than the next. And there's a lot of people hurting and a lot of people struggling. How do you stay, how do you stay in it? It's a, it's a big question. And she's got an answer for herself, which I think can be useful to all of us. I mean, I want to ask her about that. I sort of that two things that I, yeah. What do you, what do you want to ask? Well, there are things that I, as I told you, if I asked her myself, she'd laugh at my face. You know, we talked about her activism and carry as an activist. She's not a, a normal celebrity activist, which is a great thing, you know, people to donate their time and their money and their image and their passion to, two things that they care about. Carry doesn't a level. I've next to maybe Jane Fonda. I've never seen anybody like that. She's, it's, it's, it's become a fully professionalized, fully operational part of her business. It's like she doesn't do anything. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it for real and have a major impact. And, uh, yeah, so I just would love to hear her talk about how that became so professional, so full on, you know, yeah. And then I guess the second thing I was wanted to ask her, which I could never, she would never answer to me, is the drive we talked about. Like, and I wonder is a parent, like, when you have that much drive as a human being, I'm curious to know that she liked him.
part that to them or is it someone who just lays back and has to dial that back in order to let them kind of be them or find it for themselves. I wonder. It's such a good question. No, we do this. Yeah. How do you lead by example? How do you figure out what is the right thing for your kid? Before you go and those are great questions and I want to talk to her about both the things and their areas that I want to get into with her. What does it feel like to have done a show that's so still so beloved? I mean, people feel such a connection to that show still. It is and end of those characters. I'll just say it reminds me a little bit of when me and Adam Scott talk about our characters on Parks and Rec, like we love Ben and Leslie's love. Like we love their love. And it feels like you and Carrie both get that where people are into your character's love. Yeah. It's a beautiful thing. It is. It constantly amazes me. I mean, I guess because of Netflix and whatnot, people just this past month or two have been coming up to me a whole lot going, oh my god, I just finished scandal. I just discovered, like it was just discovering it. I'm like, didn't we finish that seven years ago? And we had such a beautiful, like you said about you and Adam, we had such a beautiful time doing it. And a group of deep friendships were made, which more than any other job I've ever done, you know, I have some really close friends from over the years that I've worked with. But that group was like your high school best friends for seven years. And we're all still really tight. Well, I so appreciate you talking to us. Thank you for the questions. Carrie will be so happy that we talked such a fan. Congrats on the musical Cannot Wait to see it. Cannot wait till it goes to Broadway. Cannot wait till it wins the Tony and eventually turns into a film that you do. Thanks. I will. I will. Thank you so much, Tony. Thanks for your time. Bye. You too. All right. Listen up. Ralph's King Super's Harris Teeter food for less croaker and more are now on Uber Eats and you get 40% off your order of $30 or more. Maybe you're trying a new recipe and needs some last-minute ingredients or maybe the kids made a mess and you're lower on cleaning supplies than you thought. Whatever you need, you can get it delivered in as little as 25 minutes. So order now on Uber Eats and get 40% off your order of $30 or more with code croaker 2026 plus Uber 1 members get $0 delivery fees. Orders of $30 or more save up to $25 and May 31st, 2026. See app for details. We're in a denim sandwich. I am so happy that you're here. Thanks for doing this. I'm so excited. I want to start because I'm obsessed with New York kids. I mean, I grew up in the suburbs of Boston. Kids who grew up in New York, they're just weird, different breed. You are and you grew up in the Bronx. I did. What was it like growing up in the Bronx little carry? What was the Bronx like when you were growing up? The thing about being from the Bronx and I just did a speech about this. A whole entire speech because I was presenting Jennifer Lopez with an award and she and I went to the same Boys and Girls Club in the Bronx and I was saying in the speech that the Bronx is like the underdog burrow. It's like the forgotten burrow. Brooklyn had Spike Lee and Queen says all the airports in the cemeteries and like a story but the Bronx is like the forgotten burrow and people don't expect much of you when you're from the Bronx and so there's like a hustle. There's a certain kind of hustle and determination to make it if there's something you want to do. There's a different kind of strength and resilience, I think, from people who are from the Bronx. I agree. It feels and also Fred Armason does a really funny bit about this. Fred does all the accents of different parts of New York and he always talks about the Bronx. Yes. Even the word with an accent. Yes, it has an accent. It's also the only burrow that has a "the" in front of it. You don't think the Brooklyn. The Bronx. It's like a thing. Yes. It's a whole thing. It's so true and there's a vibe. I mean it's a working class vibe, certainly. Yes, for sure. And a sense of pride, but you're right. It's like a scrappy, scrappy hustler vibe to it that I'm really proud of. Super. I don't think I would, you know, have the things I have or have done. But I have to tell you, this is a little bit of a tangent, but I have to get, I don't want to forget to say this. This morning when I got up I was thinking about I was prepping for this interview. You're such a good student. I was like, I remember my first time 100 dinner that I ever had the blessing to attend. You were one of the time 100 recipients. And your speech changed my life. It was extraordinary because you got up. It was like you stood up at the tables. Do you remember this? Everybody stood up in the room in the tables and you thanked your nanny. That's who you thanked in your speech. Yeah. I owe my own my nanny. Nanny is a lot. And I, I was thinking about it this morning because it really moved me. I got very emotional at, but I was like, I wasn't even a mom then. I wasn't a mom yet. And I think like now when I think about it, it's one of the things I love about you because you do credit the people who make it possible, right? And I know like I've been nothing without the support that I have with child care, at home, all that. But also I think growing up in the Bronx, my grandmother, like I went to a very fancy Upper East Side School. I went to the same school as Gwen at the one two. I went to fancy Upper East Upper East Side School. My grandmother used to cook and clean houses in that neighborhood. And so I think there was a part of me that when you got up and thanked your support team, your home staff, it made me feel like my family was seeing. It made me think of my grandmother. That's so nice. And like that you were thinking the people that other people like to ignore or pretend don't exist or want to like marginalize. It just was so moving. Carrie, thank you for saying that. But I think people like to make the hard work in class often invisible. Yes. And also it's just mean to other women because it's like nobody's doing this a lot. Nobody's doing this by themselves. That's right. Now you don't get more credit by making human other humans invisible. Like it doesn't make you more perfect. Well, I feel like a lot of the work that you do is exactly that is making sure that people feel visible and feel seen. Like whether it's the art you're making or the stuff that you're fighting for. Yeah. Yeah. And it makes sense to me that like it would impact me that way. Yeah. And I heard it that way. Yeah. Before I passed by JLo. Yeah. Yeah. Just a little mic drop on JLo. Yeah. She taught me how to dance. Can you just tell us what do you mean? So we had this dance teacher named Larry Maldonado. And Larry was a dream. Larry taught me so much. He was like this very eccentric gay man dance teacher. And he ran the dance program at the Boys and Girls Club. And he got really sick in the 80s. Like a lot of people did. And Jennifer is not that much older than me, but she's a little bit older than me. So she was one of the big girls at the club. And so when Larry went into the hospital, she started teaching dance. Wow. She was teaching the little girls classes. So I mean, if I was like eight, she was 16 or something like that, but she was teaching. So I learned like hip-hop and flamenco and like off. I learned to dance from Jennifer. She's never hired me to dance in any of her videos, but yeah. I don't know what that says. Yeah. That's wild. It's so crazy. Because when you're that age and there's like a 16 year old girl, they're just and they're good. They're the most beautiful talented. Yes. Yeah. I remember right before she left to go off to LA to pursue her dream of being famous. She did this duet dance with Larry. So he must have gotten better and was back. And it was like very risque. We weren't supposed to watch it. The little girls were like, no, this is not for you. It was like later on in the dance program. But we all hid in the wings because we couldn't not watch it. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. And it was just, yeah, she's always been a real inspiration for me. That's so cool. Yeah. What a fun that like like to use a Gwyneth term like sliding doors moment. Yeah. To see you again in 20 years in a different world. So wild. And you went to spend and you were in mid-Summer night's dream with Gwyneth. With Gwyneth. It's the only time I've ever worked with her. You've not worked with JLo or Gwyneth since. No. You guys are good. We have history. I'm available. Gwyneth, Jennifer. Who were you in mid-Summer because I was also in that play? Where were you? You were Pock. I wish. Who were you? I was Peas Blossom. Of course you were. One of the fairies. I was a fairy too. And I don't remember which one. All the names. You might have been Peas Blossom. And then I was. So me. So I just kind of, I was like a just like a background dancer. Yes. Same. Did you? No. I mean, I feel like you could do many things well. You do do many things well. So my kids would argue with you. But I like that you think that. And I feel like, you know, there's probably a point in your life where you had to have a real like, you know, you grew up around a lot of artists. You knew from an early age you were a creative person. But did you make a decision? Like I'm going to be. I'm going to be an actress. Yeah. I did. And what age? So I was halfway through college. Okay. Yeah. Pretty late. Yeah. Pretty late. And I went to college on an acting scholarship, which I didn't even know existed. But. And it was sort of like being on a basketball scholarship. Like I went. I had to watch.
audition for all the plays, I really got benched, I got to do a lot of theater. And so that was maybe the beginning of being like, oh, people will give me money, like significant amounts of money to do this because it was helping to pay for my education. But then halfway through college, I did this summer conservatory program at Michael Howard Studios in Chelsea in New York. And that was the first time in my life that from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed, all I did was act. There was no like hiding behind other class work or being an academic or it just was like I was just an artist all day long every day and I was so happy. You loved it. I was so happy. And I was doing like clown work and improv and scene study and acting as a business class. And I just was like, I couldn't get enough. Yeah. I wanted to sleep there at night. I just I was like, I so I thought, okay, I'm going to try to do this. But I gave myself one year after college and I was like, if I can get a significant job in this year, then I'll go for it. But at the same time, I had like the workbooks next to my bed to study for the LSATs. That's what I get for LSATs. Interesting. Yeah. I thought maybe grad school for psych, but I, but that even what it's like, well, I'm going to try for law school first. And in a, again, sliding doors way, you would be what kind of lawyer right now I'm thinking of like all spare, I'd be like a badass divorce lawyer, sexy, Sarah Palson type of sexy. But I don't know. I know. Whatever it is. Sexy. Sexy. I'm her heels. I don't know. Maybe I'd be like an Olivia Pope. Yeah. Maybe the maybe the like the souls or the energy in your life gets to no matter how you know. So maybe I would have been a crisis person and I figured I had to be that person. I mean, my mom who desperately did not want me to be an artist because she's a professor of education. And she was like, I just, I don't want you to starve. You know, she just the idea of a starving or that I brought my parents with me the first time I was at the Emmys. The first time I was nominated at the Emmys, I brought them and we were sitting at the governor's ball. My mom's like cutting into her steak and I was like, anybody starving? She was like, you're doing okay. But I, I think, oh god, I lost my trade of thought. You know what? I was like, that was not a humble story to tell. No, I love that story. Okay. And also what I feel like is, is you gave yourself a year and in that year something's big happened. Yes. What was the break? You're good at this. Yeah, I'm good. I'm going to say. Wow. Thanks. Let's brag about ourselves for a second. You're so good at this. You kept track. That's really like a tangent because you're not intimidated by the tangents. I like the tangents. I like the tangents. And I honestly, it's, if you care to know, I think about the tangents. I don't know if you think I'm much more of a visual, great, learner and remember. So I think about a tangent when, when you're talking, I think about literally a line going out like this. And I picture it going out like that. And I'm like, just don't forget to get it. Oh. I actually visualize it. So I don't forget it. Do you do that in your improv work? Like when you're doing, when you're doing a scene, it's really so easy, right? More and more, I'm learning that I visualize things in order to remember them. Like I try to give it some kind of like picture in my mind because you have to, in the scene work, let it go some, you have to be open to the exploration. But then also remember, you got to land the plane. So your first big break, see? Did you see that? That was magic. Did you see that happen? Oh my god. Oh my god. So would you consider your, because there's a lot of things that could be here for a big break. Yes. I think so I gave myself this year. And in that year, I booked my very first film, which was called The Hour Song, which is actually having its 25th anniversary this year, and it was about that film. It was this really tiny, scrappy independent film. I mean, our entire transport department consisted of like four metro cards, and we all took the subway. Yes, exactly. Exactly. We had no wardrobe department. I mean, it was, it was, it was an incredible experience because it was, we were stealing shots on the subway. We didn't have permits. But it was a story of these three girls going up in Brooklyn and I wanted this part so badly, I learned to be in a marching band to be in the movie because it was about a summer in these three girls' lives in Brooklyn that are all part of this marching band. It was the best experience. When I was a kid, we lived in this high rise that was across the water from LaGuardia airport and we were like in a flight path where at the 12th floor, with the top floor, these airplanes would fly by when I was a kid and I would always want to be on those airplanes like where they going. I wanted to be on those planes, like explore other places and have adventures. And when we were filming our song, we were stealing shots on the A train in Far Rock away, close to Kennedy airport. And I remember sitting on the train and a plane going over and thinking, nope, there's nowhere else I want to be. Wow. I want to be right here. How cool. Doing what I'm doing. You can't put me on a plane right now. I am like in, this is it. This is it. I'm in the pocket. That's such a cool feeling. I mean, you kind of wish it for everybody. You do. That whatever they're doing, they realize like this is exactly what I want to be. Yeah. I wish that for my kids. I wish it for myself. Yeah. Like project to project. Because sometimes you sign on for something and you're like, oh, this is exactly what I thought it would be. Or better. Like this is better than I could have imagined. And it feels so good. And sometimes you're like, what time is lunch? Yeah. I know. When you, when did you first, we're lucky, we're super lucky to be doing what we do. We're blessed. I think it's really hard. I think it's as hard as coal mining. Yeah. I think acting is brain surgery is harder than brain surgery. I don't know why more actors don't win the Nobel Prize. Yeah. I agree. Because we bring peace. When people talk about brain surgery, I'm like, try acting. Honestly? Seriously, for one thing. Because I'm like in your brain doing surgery. Exactly. I'm at a 4x brain. You know what I mean? Yeah. Multiple patients. See there. A year. Who's starving now? See what I mean? Do you see what she does? It's brilliant. Okay. Yeah. Tell me when you first heard about scandal, was it written for you? Uh-uh. I mean, Shonda, one of one. She's one of one. What an incredible, like, norm of a human. Yes. Phenom, truly. So it was an idea out there that you heard about and did you feel like I, I have got to get that? So, you know, there's been a lot of talk when scandal came out. A lot of the headlines were like, this is the first time that a black woman is leading a network drama in almost 40 years, like it hadn't happened in my lifetime. I'd never seen it. Crazy. And that drama. So you can imagine that when word on the street was that there was a show that was starring a black woman that was going to be on ABC, like, people went crazy. Everybody wanted to read for it. And God bless Shonda. She was like, I didn't have the heart to say no. So she read everybody from, like, 15 to 85, everybody wanted to be Olivia Popeye. She read everybody. She met with tons of people. I heard about the project and I was really a film actor. It was that time when, like, filmmakers were starting to do television. I had done Chris Rock. I had done Ray. I had done Ray. I had done Ray Scottland. Yes. Great film. So I was like, I was like, the good luck charm. Like, if you hire me to play your wife, you'll win an Academy of War for a swittaker. Jamie Foxx. So I wasn't hesitant to do television because I was starting to see that there were these incredible women, like, Glenn Close was doing damages and, you know, you were starting to see it that there were opportunities for women to play anti-heroes and have, like, more rich experience in television and movie stars were doing more TV and so I wanted to read the script. I was like, if it's great, I'll consider it. And I read it. And I was like, oh, it was one of those things where like I threw the script across the room because I was like, this is, I have to play her. It's for me. Like, no, I have to be unfortunate thing where they were like 10 other actresses who felt the same way. And so we all auditioned and auditioned and come in and come in and come in. I met with her first because I was at a certain place in my career. I could do a meeting first, so I met with her. And I remember getting off the elevator and there was a huge sign that said, shonda land and I was like, oh, I don't know about this. Right. Like, it's your land. Right. Like, what is that mean? Right. I have a country I live in. Yeah. You always want to be careful when people say their own name too much. It can be. You never know. And then I sat down with her and I was like, I'm in. Yeah. Like, I will give up my citizenship to live where in this land of yours. It was just, I loved her. It's interesting. You have to play a character who has to kind of like take care of other people. Yeah. Like in playing that character, you learn anything about how you take care of other people in your life. Like, are you a fixer? I could and almost did write an entire book on the things I learned from Olivia Poe. Ooh. She taught me. Tell me a couple chapters. So, the biggest thing was she, and I feel like you'll really understand this, she taught me how to be a number one, like at work and in my life. She taught me how to, like, step into leadership and not shy away from it and to be team captain to not be afraid of it. That whole, like, it's my name on that door, like she taught me to not be afraid of that. Because I always thought, I mean, I had this role model of Jennifer Lopez, but I was like, I'm not that, like, I'm not that pretty and I don't dance like that. And I just, I thought, I'm never going to be the kind of actor who's like on the cover of magazines. And I'm just going to, my goal was to have a career where I could pay the bills, do a few commercials a year, do a lot of theater and just live a happy artist's life. So she really taught me, like, to not be afraid to step into more. Yeah. And that was.
extraordinary. And yes, I think there was, there is with her. I don't know if she taught me how to be a fixer. I think I brought a lot of that to her. Yeah. Like it was written that way. I don't mean to say I invented it, but I already understood the need to want to make things around me better. Yeah. And to help people and to like, that's in me. It's a little bit of like an only child thing. And maybe a little bit of my own codependency. There is something in me that wants to help other people. I mean, even that joke I made about like if you hire me to play your wife, you'll win an Academy Award. Like I do take a lot of pride in the fact that I think when I go home at night, I want to know not only that I did my best work as an actor, but I take a lot of pride in helping other actors do their best work across from me in the scene. Sure. Like I want my scene partner to be like, whoa. Yeah. I didn't know I like, you know, you can do things to like push each other and and make it better. And like that idea of the water we all rise together. Like I love that. I love helping people win. But I think that's the best thing about TV is like when you're locked into a part that you love and with people that you love. Like I know you love Tony and you love your cast. Like you're in a marriage. You're really in like a long marriage where you have to like each other. Yes. Yes. It's family. It's really interesting because this is like what the fans don't want to hear. But I, I really am so grateful for the healthy relationships that I was able to have. Yeah. Also with the men on that show. Like it's not fully and Tony Goldwyn. Like I love their wives. They love my husband. Like there's so much. Okay. Well, let's talk about this. Yeah. Let's talk about this. What's underneath about this is people ship you guys all the time. I'm so hard. And we, by the way, we like to fuck with people. Like we, I, of course, I post stuff all the time with Tony. And that's how you can tell everyone's secure. Yeah. Yes. That's how you can tell. That's the key. Because you can tell that everybody's feeling totally fine and enjoying it. And it, because when people don't do that, then you can't fuck around. That's the scandal. Hey. No, but I mean it's, it is, it's like what that's what the sense I got from watching you two work together. And, and full disclosure, we talked to Tony for this podcast. What. Why did he tell you? I'll tell you. Tell me all the things. I love him so much. I know. And if you said anything, that I'll kill him. And, um, let it tell you that he likes my husband better than he likes me, because that's the truth. Well, I'm obsessed with your husband. I am too. No, he was so funny on the cruel show by the way. So funny. He's really funny. I love him. Yeah. And two. Okay. So you're saying like you guys were able to have a healthy working, appropriate, um, platonic relationship where you were able to discover these characters together and enjoy the fact that people love them together. Yes. We, I love that people ship them. I love it. I love it so much. I love that people get into arguments like, oh, lake, oh, lits, all that stuff. It's, I love it. And I love that, you know, that we gave people romance. You know, that we gave people escapism that we, that we made people think that we made people feel. I love all of that. You had two kids while you were doing your show. Yes. I also had children when I was doing a show. It's very hard. Isn't it wild? By the way, never really, I don't think I really knew that. I mean, I never really sunk in that you, you were, because my kids were being hidden behind boxes and Prada bags. So you had them both. So you were, you had, you were pregnant and gave birth on both, with both during show. Yes. Dang. Yes. That's hard. That's hard. I'm just gonna, that's all I have no question. Because it's a thing. It's a thing. But also I was so, so blessed because Shonda also had young kids. And we built a playroom on the lot. And Viola had a daughter and how to get away. It was on the same lot. And so we would, we had this play, like I had my kids at work with me all the time. That's awesome. I figured I had a nurse during, you know, camera turn around. So I was like, I need 15 minutes. Get on. And I just, I loved it. I love my, my kids are set kids. They're set kids. Yeah. They, they are comfortable on a set, which is important because I went with my mom to when she was teaching. I went to her office and I would sit in her lecture halls. And I want them to know that what I do is work that I'm working, you know. Okay. We talked to Tony. Yes. Okay. Oh, yeah. How did I forget? Okay. What did he say? I mean, he's, he is your biggest fan. Oh. And, you know, there's so many things about you that like, you know, I mean, we talked about like, the fact that you're, the, the amazing activist that you are, the way that you stay engaged with the world, the way that you make sure that you use your currency for good. And how important it is to you and how impressive it is to people. I mean, you have been working tirelessly for a long time and talking to people about what matters to you and what matters to this country and what matters to the world. How do you stay engaged right now, Carrie? It's tough. It is really tough. And people are feeling super fatigued and really feeling numb and checked out. Yeah. And feeling disconnected and feeling discouraged. How are you staying connected and not opting out any advice? You know that toxic positivity thing that people talk about of like Delaware of it. Yeah. Right. I'm, I'm see. I don't want to do that. I know. I mean, I, I, I don't want it, but this is not that. No, I don't think it is, but it is. You're right. It's always like, you don't want to be like, it's gonna be great. I mean, no, no, it's very horrible. Y'all, y'all, it's bad. Yeah. But I also don't want to bury my head in the sand because I think it's really important to stay open-hearted and to ask myself, what am I willing to do? Because that's changed also. Like, I think every day, at each person and every day, there's a different level of what we can give. So I keep trying to ask myself, like, what am I able to do today? And some days it's like, March for six hours for no kings with my entire family and make seven posters and do it all. And some days it's like, I want to donate five dollars to a community organization. You know, like, there's different, but to not do nothing. It's a treat, really, like, ask of myself to, to not do nothing. Because we can all be doing something, whether, and, you know, that it's time, treasure, or talent, like, no matter who you are, you have something you can give and it can change over time. But I think we all have to be leaning into solution in little ways. The other thing I just want to command you on is, and it's definitely from a social media perspective, is you also make things seem fun. Oh. And I know that that word fun can feel like, I don't know, not weighted enough. But it isn't important. Because when you ask people for their time, their energy, it's really hard. I mean, people have really complicated lives. Yeah. And when you ask them to join into something, if it looks like it's a drag, a drag, yeah. If it looks like it's a drag, they're like, I'm already pretty sad. Yes. You know, like, so true. Like, I can take care of my family. And like, I hope those other sad people are also hanging on. But I'm sad too. Yeah. But there's something about the way I find and how you talk about things. And like, and, and like, thinking about Tony showing up for thing is a good example of that instinct to want to make it interesting for you. Like, just this idea of like, how can I involve people is it's, it's not an easy thing to do. So I would say two things about that. One is that I learned from two extraordinary women, Eve and Slur, who are the vagina monologues. And Jane Fonda. And I used to be on a board like the board, the V board, we called it for the vagina monologues. And which was went from being a play to being a global movement to end violence against women. And those two women really throughout my life have taught me that when you're feeling isolated alone and afraid, if you plug into community and community activism in particular, but when you plug into community into like, baking bread for somebody else or making cookies or driving somebody else's kid to school or just checking on a girlfriend who you haven't heard from for a long time, like, plugging into community actually helps you feel better. Yeah. Like it being a part of something bigger than you actually is like a balm for your soul. Tony talked also again about like, your incredible mothering. One of his questions was, oh, we had a question. Yeah. So I was taking questions. Okay, good. So you've directed that by the way, you shouldn't take a question. Just be like, I'd rather not answer. No. I remember doing one of our first, it was like our first all cast appearance on Good Morning America with a scandal cast and none of them had done a lot of press before. Right. And I had done all these movies. And so I was like, you guys hear the number one thing to remember because they came into the green room and they were like, something was going on with Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt or something. And they came in the green room and they were like, do you got, do you mind if we ask you and I said, we'd rather not talk about that. And the whole cast was like, oh, you can say that no matter what anybody asks you, just say what you want to say. I always say whatever you want to say. Answer whatever question you want. If someone says, if someone says you've had it, you know, there's difficult things going on at home. You can go, I mean, I think at the end of the day, what's important about us as a community. There you go. Answer whatever you want.
That's it. That's right. It's your interview. The person forgets what they even asked if you're good enough. You know why? They don't know to come back. They don't know. They don't know to do the tangent. That's right. They don't know how to get back in it. And if they come back with like, but what I asked about, then you're like, oh, I think we're out of time. You're like, I can't. It's weird. I can't hear you. Yeah. Speaking of therapy, my therapist used to say something that was always like, make me laugh. Because when someone asks a really inappropriate question, like, we're talking not like reporters, but let's say like a friend or a colleague who has something inappropriate. And if you want to stall for time, because you know, like our instinct is to like react to. Yes. You can go, what an interesting question. I say it all the time. I love that. I'm so curious why you ask that all the time. All the time. That's just like, that's a great question. What a good question. What a great question. I wonder what made you ask that question. Yeah. Yeah. I'm going to pack that for me a little bit more. Where did that come from? Where did that question come from? And then they go, oh, that's a good question. Okay. What was Tony's question? His question was, your intense inner drive when it comes to, you have this inner drive, which really respects. Okay. When it comes to being a mom, is it something you like want to instill in your children? Oh. Okay. And it's kind of what we talked about. Like, how do you push or do you push? How do you figure out? You have a very strong work ethic. I do. I'm like a long shorman of acting. I mean, I promise we will cut this part and not keep it in. But have you ever done the anyogram test? You can keep it in. I've done it. I don't remember. I don't remember. What are the anyogram three to me? Really? Achiever, do you? Oh, interesting. But anyway, I feel like Reese says, I feel like she told me she's a three. Oh, she's a big tie. I would say so. Whatever I am, I remember. I told Rashida and Rashida was like, oh, I don't like those. And I was like, but we're friends. And then it like changed her mind. So many. Anyogram seven, wing six thing for Rashida to say. Oh, see. I love this about you. I didn't know. We're cutting all of this out. Do you? Now, are you an astrology person? Also, we're just in any of them. No, that is nonsense. No, it's me. No, it's me. No, it's me. No, it's me. I believe it. No, it's me. No. - Numerology. (laughs) - But he was wondering if your drive, how do you try to instill that in your kids? You wanna lead by example. How do you, 'cause I think what's underneath that, and what I think is interesting is what I started with, is that you can do many things well, and you work really hard. - How do you instill that in your children? - I do. - Or do you? - I think about this, because I feel like they don't have that thing of being from the Bronx. - Right. - They don't have that scrappy hustler, at least they weren't born in the neighborhood that I think produced it in me. And so I wonder where they'll find it. - Yeah. - I see, my kids are really resilient, and I see it mostly in sports. That's like their opportunity, their place where that gets- - So what kind of sports mom are you? - Do you go to the games? - I go to the games. - And do you cheer? - I do, I'm much to the dismay of my children, 'cause I'm like a loud cheerer. - Are you, after the game, let's say they have a game, and it doesn't go well, what do you say to them? - There's no wrong answer here. - Really? - I mean, unless you like berate them, which I know you wouldn't. - I'm like, get it, get it, get it. - How do you, how do you like to approach, I really try to be directed by them. Like I try to figure out how they're feeling about it. - Yeah. - And ask a lot of questions. I don't try to make it better immediately. I try to just like, if there was a visual metaphor for it, I try to like sit on the bench with them. - Oh, that's great. - And just like look where they're looking, just give it some time. - It's funny that you do that. I find that there's a lot of good conversations when people are looking forward in the car. - Yes, with kids especially, walks in the car. That like thing of like, I'm just gonna be here, like, let me know, like, was that hard? Do you feel good? - Yeah. I heard a really cool thing one time again, probably just read it on Instagram. - Definitely didn't read it in a book. - Definitely. - I read it in a book. - I heard it on a commercial or on a new team lately. I've been like, where did you get that? And she's like, well, not to sound like you, but I read it in an article. (laughing) I'm like, what article, like time for kids? She's like, an article. But I read something one to, or again, saw something one time that was like, actually, I loved this metaphor. Act like a small town reporter with your kids. So, just repeat back to them what they just said as if you're writing it down in a small notebook. - It feels so hard. - It really works. - Yes. And it was like the less questions you can ask the better. So, that was a bad game. That was a bad game. I sucked. I didn't play well. You didn't play well. Like you don't say why? The questions can sometimes kind of stop the, because all you want them to do is talk. - Yes. - Oh, that's so good. - And then if you want, you can kind of give them a headline back. So, it was a bad game and you didn't play well. - Oh wow. - And they're just like, yeah, and then pause. Because the coach said whatever. - Yes. - So, like, it says, oh, we just want to be witnessed. Like, human beings, we just want to be witnessed and heard. And that's such good. Like, I hear you, I see you. I'm going to give it back to you. Like, that's good. - Is that a good way to think about it? - That's really good. - And as opposed to what my instinct sometimes to do is like, well, you know what I would do. - Yes. You know what I think you should say. - Yeah. - Yeah. - Yeah. - And I always ruin it at the end. - Yeah. - You've directed a lot. You loved writing. - I think you loved directing. - What do you love about it? - I haven't directed it as much as I would like to. So I need to do more. I'm saying that here. - And you walked in, kind of, you walked in other people's shows. - Yeah. - Like, you walked in and you did. Smell if you did. - Insecure. - Insecure. - Yeah. - I love directing. - What's it like to walk in a show that's already running? - It's so fun. I mean, especially if I love the show and love the creatives. And I just, I think the thing I love about directing is that thing I was talking about with acting. Like I love to help other, I love to help create an environment where other people can do their best work. And to help push people toward excellence to like unlock the things that are gonna make other people better, whether it's set design or acting or a score, like just getting into a situation to help other people do what they do best. - Yeah. - I love. - I love that. - Yes. - I love it. - Yeah, and do you think you wanna, I mean, have you directed a feature? - I haven't. - So that should be next, yeah? - I think so. - Yeah. - I think so. - It's a lot of time away from your family. - It's a lot of time. - So I did this movie with Ben Affleck this year and he was like, you need to find a feature to direct. - Yeah. - And I was like, I have to find a feature that I like enough to spend that much time away from my amazing husband and children. - Have you ever heard Sarah Polly talk about any of this stuff for Amazing Director? She talks a lot about me too. And when she did women talking, which I thought was amazing, she talks a lot about how, you know, there's this, you know, we taught, obviously we're always trying to like, write the imbalance of not enough female directors. And there's not enough discussion about the fact that like, women and with kids, it's very, you have to give up a lot of time and that she was like hoping and kind of working towards this idea that you could have these humane ways of working where more women could direct and she talked about that movie. - Yeah, that she had women on her crew be able to kind of like, what Shonda did, like bring kids to work, try to keep our shorter, try to keep prep more remote, whatever it was so that more women were incentivized 'cause it is like, it's like, it's really, really hard to be away. - It's a life choice. - So on this film with Ben, he likes to be home with his kids at for dinner. And so we were done filming every single day by 6.37. And then I was out before drop off, but I was home for dinner and bedtime and homework to the point where my son was like, mom, is your part not big? Like why are you, you're like, he was worried from my career, like he's like, are you home every night for dinner? Did you get fired? Are you like pretending to act during the day? (laughing) You're putting on an outfit and sitting in your car. He was like, mom, he's like being honest, be honest. (laughing) I was like, no, I have a really big party. He was like, mom, mom, mom, mom, it's okay. It's okay, there are no small parties, mom. (laughing) But that's so mean, and so on imperfect women, it was this extraordinary experience of all three leads were all moms. - Let's talk about this. Who's in imperfect women with you? - It's easy, mom, I can't marry it and myself. I mean, our, most of our directors, our moms, all of our producers, I mean, it was such a family, friendly, set, and it was great because the show is really told from three points of view. So basically for like a third of the show, I was number one on the call sheet. A third of the show, Kate Marra was number one on the call sheet and a third of the show, Lizzie was number one on the call sheet. So we got to all like star in a show, but we all had lots of time. - Yeah.
things. Like in Lizzie's episodes, I'm sort of a glorified extra. Like number six, even though I'm not, but it feels like I'm one of the ensemble. And so it was a really wonderful way to share the load of the pressure of what it takes to lead a limited series because we were, we really shared that responsibility. That's really cool. So fun. And also it's really great because you got to flex. Like everybody got to do really meaty. I mean, these women Kate, Mara and Lizzie Moss are, they're forgetting this of acting. Just extraordinary talent. I mean, I've just, we rewatched the madmen recently. Oh, so good, Lord. So good. Elizabeth Moss is. She's extraordinary. She's a treasure. She is an incredible actor. And another amazing director. She's an incredible director. I'm not surprised. Yeah. You like me. You've been in the business a long time. And you've seen it, and you've seen it change and like, and expand and grow in the way things that I just did. You just seen it all. All time, baby. Okay. Remember, did you ever smoke cigarettes? So that's a yes. Casually weak. I was like a weekend smoker. Yeah, you never bought cigarettes. No, never bought cigarettes. Well, no, not really. Only felt like a boy I really liked and we shared them. But I wasn't like a real, yeah. And then always it was because I would start smoking because of a character. And then get, you know, I was like kind of method with the smoking. Nothing else. Just the smoking. Yeah. No. Do you have any like vices right now that you try to get rid of? Anything I try. Honestly, so this question, like, I don't like the guilty pleasure question, because I feel like if I'm not killing anybody, then I don't want to feel guilty about my pleasure. That's right. My pleasure. Like, pleasure is good. What about your hobbies? Like, do you like fake food? No, but this I know came from. Yes, I know that. And there's three. Yes, should I have brought you fake food? Not at all. But I just realized something today and not to put you on the spot. It's not a psychological test and your therapist, Julie. No, nope. Well, mine, but you've got three different types of burgers. One for candle. And I would love to know which one you'd like to pick. And for people that are listening, we've got a candle cheeseburger. We've got a wooden cheeseburger and we've got a squishy. Oh, that she went for the squish. You know who else went for the squish? Michelle Obama. Oh, I mean, water seeks its own level. This is so satisfying. Yeah. Just wait and have a moment. Yeah. ASMR. And I'm not going to feel guilty because it's pleasure. Yeah. Do you enjoy it? Do you have any, like, I love dark chocolate? I'm a big dark chocolate girl. And are you, um, are you like a, is there anything knitting hobby situation? I really like Kitsungi. Excuse me? I did not sneeze. Oh, my. Um, you want to Google it? Well, well, you tell me what it is. So it is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery back together again with gold. Oh, wow. It's so beautiful. Oh, wow. The pieces are so beautiful. And so I had read about it a long time ago. And then I had this beautiful pottery that my mom and dad bought for NAMDI and I for our 10-year anniversary. It had like a Bible verse on the edge. It was handmade. It was beautiful. And my kids were playing ball in the house and they broke it. And they, I was, I was able somehow miraculously to regulate my nervous system in the moment and not yellow. I was like, Oh, and they were devastated. My son was like crying. And I remembered Kitsungi. And I was like, I'm going to put this back together. And so I found this private teacher. It was the last year of my birthday. And I went and brought her these pieces. And we put this bowl back together. And the art, the, the philosophy of this art is that by not making the cracks disappear, but by highlighting them with gold, you actually bring beauty to the broken spaces. And you honor that the places where we are wounded and broken are what make us most beautiful. It's just so special. So it's very like meditative and beautiful. And so now my friends give me their broken plates and bowls and things. But yeah, I really enjoy that. What a great, by the way, what a nice thing for your kids to also see too. Like we make mistakes. It's okay. And now actually what they say to people when they ask about is they're like, so now we're part of the bowl too. Because it's like it's our anniversary bowl. They, of course, they had to be a part of it. Oh, that's so nice. And honestly, it reminds me of your memoir. It reminds me of thicker than water, which was amazing. I mean, this, that was very artful. What you just did there. That was super. It's a little Kitsungi. But it does because it reminds me of what you speak about, spoke about, and you spoke about, you've spoken about your experience recently, learning more about your family, and learning, and you wrote beautifully about it, about in an attempt to kind of find your roots, your family kind of informed you like, hey, the way maybe you thought this family was to be, to be with a little guy. You've been lied to for four decades. And that you were born with artificial insemination from a donor from a donor, and you spoke so beautifully about it, and honestly about it. And I guess my question to you is now with some time, you've kind of the books out, you've spoken about it. How do you like to talk about it now? I really enjoy talking about it because it's been such a healing journey for my family. Like, we're in such a better place than we used to be. And we were, we kind of had a picture perfect to ask for a working class family from the Bronx. We were like as perfect as it gets. Or so we performed to be. And now there's like a real genuine closeness and authenticity and truth between us. That's so special. I'm just so, so grateful. So I really like talking about it. There's just, my mom said this thing, we were being interviewed. I think by Robin Roberts, and my mom said, you know, we're just not as afraid to hurt each other as we used to be. And that's huge. That's huge. That's safety in relationship. That trust that like things are hard, but you'll get through it. I don't know. There's just like so much allowing now in our family and grace. So much more truth and grace than there used to be. It's just such a gift my parents gave me by telling me this truth about who I am and who we are. Yeah, it's so awesome. Well, from what I know about you is you love to laugh. I do. I really do. What is making you laugh these days? What is like a way where you practice tuning out or enjoying yourself for like who, what do you watch, read? Is it a, is it, you have something? Well, I think of something. This podcast does everybody say that? No, not enough. This podcast is amazing. Carrie, thank you. The big thing is my kids. Yes. Really? Because now they're people. So I have one that's 20. My bonus baby's 20 and then an 11 and a 9. And they're like now they have their own wit. Yeah. And it's sharp. Yeah. And I love that. Like I actually, this is so I want to be really clear. I love when my kids get a good burn on me. Yeah. But it's different. I'm not saying that I want my kids to be disrespectful. Like there's a different thing about like like I see some of these other households that my kids hang out and sometimes where there's no discipline or respect in the house. Like that does not fly in my home. It's really important. But like a good well timed comedic burn. It just makes me love that more because maybe teasing is a little bit of a love language for you. I think so because I share that like a well placed tease that is well observed is a sign of intelligence that your kids are paying attention to. Yes, but they see you that they know you can take a joke. Yes, they go safe with me. Yes. They see me. Yes. They feel comfortable. It's like flexing their own mental prowess. Yeah. I just love that. Yes. And they're trying to figure out what goes too far. And they're supposed to practice with you. Yeah. They are. Yeah. So I love that. And I love also that it humbles me. I guess they're so not impressed with me, which I love. Yeah. Have you guys started watching any stuff, any comedy together? Because that is the age around 8 and 11 where you start being like a start sharing comedy shows. The number one show that we obsess over as a family. Even so we go back and watch old episodes because it doesn't come on enough is amazing race. Let's talk about amazing race. We it's not talked about enough. It's still on. It's still on. And they're still facing. They're still still. He's still traveling the world. I I've never met him. If I ever meet him, I'm going to pass out. He's amazing. And so what? He's amazing. He's amazing. He's amazing. And he races. The thing I love about watching it with our kids is so there's all this kind of learning going on. First of all, we're learning geography. Right. We're learning culture. We're learning languages, dance around the world, food around the world, music around the world, landmarks in important places. Yeah. So there's that. You're also learning like just travel resilience because we're a big travel family. So they're learning like sometimes the hotel is closed. Sometimes you miss the train. Like they're learning that kind of stuff. But the biggest thing are these relational dynamics. Oh, yeah. Because I love when my son turns to me and he's like, he is not a good husband. Right. Like you see these teams where you're like, why is he talking to her like that? Like two siblings where you're like, they do not really
get along. Or two sisters, we were like, I love their relationship. Like that. It's so, they're really learning about what makes a good team, what partnership looks like, what respect, what it's so, so we love them and we laugh a lot in amazing ways, because inevitably in the first couple of episodes, there's always the people that are like, they have no business being on me. Those people have no, and you're like, we're gonna make it. But they're having a good time, and we have a good time with them. Do you, okay, do you think, when you watch amazing race, do you think you would do well on it? It was, so here's one of the really sweet things. And I, I don't talk about my relationship often. I know, I love not anything. So cute. It's the first show we watched together. Like even when we were dating. We were watching amazing. We were crushing, amazing. Crush, amazing. We would. He has all of the physical prowess. There's so many retired athletes on there, but he has the athlete anything, any so smart and funny, and you have the drive. You have, you'd be there. I'm scrappy. I got the Bronx. I'd been the Bronx with me wherever I go. My mother's like, why do you make everything the Bronx? Whenever I'm like, come on! She's like, watch it and think I would do well. The only thing I know I would not do well on is the running, uh, what is a race? What are we talking about? You have to run. What do you mean? Do you have a run? I mean, I run okay. Sometimes it's a foot race. It's true. Sometimes it's two keys. Like you can be so great. And then at the end, you just have to run with your bag to the next thing. That's true. That's not nice. I would kill. You what? Are you a good runner? No, but I would make myself a good runner. See, this is our difference. I, I think I would struggle with, um, the driving. Oh, I could do that well. Yeah. We would be a good team. Okay. Because I would be like, at the end, when they'd be like, run to the thing, I'd be like, you got it. Yeah, yeah. And I would go, go in the car. I'd be like, go for it. I get nervous on the highway. I'm going to the people like, as you approach the moment where it splits, I'm like, I don't know. GPS, people are clear. Oh, yeah. No, I could lock in on the driving, but the running, I know I would try as fast as I could. I would try as hard as good. And I would just get so far behind. Oh, we always make the mistake of falling in love with a team that's like a father daughter or a mother's son. And they do so well. And they're so smart. And they're so on it. And then there's a foot race. It's the running. It takes them now 87. They're not going to win. And that is why I don't think it's fair. There's too much running and that show about racing. But also anything can like the thing, the great that we're not going to talk about this forever. But the thing that's so magical about the amazing race and the other thing that my kids really are absorbing is anything's possible. True. The final challenge could be all mental. And you think you're the team who's got it. But if you can't figure out how to make that special Portuguese sausage the way and then you're done. And to the point about teamwork, when people are at their lowest point, when they're very, very stressed, they're real, the real personality comes out. It's so true. So when someone is kind. Yes. And when they're kind to each other at their lowest point, then you know they're going to be okay. Yes. We always, because we watch old episodes and we so Google, like, are they still together? Do they think they're married still? Did they ever get married? We're like super famous. You and I need to go on. All right. No, I can't we can't and like compete with all the big brother, people. Remember battle of the network stars. I do remember that. You might be too young for that. But I do have a memory of that. There was an amazing moment in TV where all of the stars in TV had to put on really short shorts and do like Olympic events and just do truck and field events and be and it was the most famous people in TV and they all did it. And they all, I mean, I would do it today. I would do it. You would say all but the running. I would do all but the running. And I wouldn't do very well in any of the events, but I would have so much fun. I'd be a good, like, mouth. I'd be like, I'd be able to trash talk. Oh, yes. That's important. And that was important. In battle of the network stars, there was a little bit of like, aha, I'm going to get you kind of thing, but they insurance would never let this happen. That's true. Are they wouldn't do it now? No, you beat the teams we that I'm proud that my kids don't like because I got nervous. They would just be focused on the winning. But there are like occasionally there are teams who lie about what to do next. They're like, they figure out a challenge and then they lie to the next team. I know. And those teams come back to the karma karma. Yeah. When they take the thing, they're like, don't show them. That's right. That's right. They're like, oh, yeah, the clues are over there. And it's really over there. And they're like, see you in hell. That's right. That's right. See you in amazing ways in the ass. Yeah. And Phil's going to be like, you've arrived. You've been, you're the last to arrive. You and amazing to inform you. So good. Thank you so much for doing this. So fun. Thank you so much, Kerry. It was so fun talking to you. And I'm always just impressed by your range and ability to do so many things so well. Thanks for being an awesome guest. And it's just great talking to you. And I feel like I want to just plug this YouTube show, the street that you grew up on. Because you have, there's great guests like Michelle Obama and Yisrae and Sarah Paulson. And it's a great idea. This idea of just figuring out where you grew up and digging deeper. And it feels like Kerry's always trying to do that in her own life and in her characters. And so check that out on YouTube. And I've heard that you can get YouTube without commercials. If you pay a little extra, which I'm not willing to do. But if you if you want to do that, that's up to you. So thank you so much for joining us, Kerry. Thanks so much for listening to Good Hang. And we'll see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss-Burman and me, Amy Poler. The show is produced by The Ringer and PaperKite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spalaine, Kaya McMullen, and Alayah Zeneres. For PaperKite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss-Burman. Original Music by Amy Miles.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Carrie Washington grew up in the Bronx, where she developed a strong work ethic and resilience rooted in the community’s scrappy, hustle-driven culture.
Her deep commitment to activism is not performative but fully professional and impactful, involving sustained, meaningful engagement with social issues.
Carrie’s leadership and work ethic, especially on *Scandal*, are rooted in mutual respect, collaboration, and a passion for excellence, which she models through consistent effort and emotional presence.
Summary:
Carrie Washington shares her journey from growing up in the Bronx, where a culture of hustle and resilience shaped her values, to becoming a prominent figure in television and activism. Her early experiences in the Boys and Girls Club, guided by mentors like Jennifer Lopez and Larry Maldonado, fueled her passion for art and community. She credits her decision to pursue acting to a pivotal year-long conservatory experience that confirmed her artistic calling.
Her role on *Scandal* was a transformative experience, where she learned leadership, empathy, and the power of being a “number one” at work—stepping into charge without hesitation. Carrie emphasizes the importance of mutual respect, collaboration, and authenticity in both her professional and personal life. She balances her demanding career with being a devoted mother of three, often working on set during childbirth and parenting while maintaining a strong connection to her community.
Her activism is not just performative but deeply rooted in real-world action, such as organizing community events and advocating for women’s rights. She also shares how her personal journey—revealing her birth via artificial insemination—has brought healing and deeper family authenticity. Carrie’s approach to life is guided by a belief in resilience, joy, and seeing beauty in imperfection, which she exemplifies through her work, her parenting, and her commitment to helping others thrive.
Her new show, *Imperfect Women*, reflects this ethos by centering three strong, complex mothers and emphasizing shared leadership, emotional honesty, and collaborative storytelling. Through interviews with Tony Goldwyn and personal reflections, Carrie demonstrates how passion, presence, and authenticity are at the heart of her life and career.
FAQs
Carrie grew up in the Bronx, where she experienced a strong sense of hustle, resilience, and determination. The community’s underdog spirit instilled in her a deep work ethic and a belief in overcoming challenges, which has influenced her approach to both her career and personal life.
Carrie emphasizes leading by example, showing her children resilience and emotional intelligence. She values open conversations, active listening, and emotional honesty, often using metaphors and reflective questions to help her kids process emotions and build self-awareness.
Carrie treats activism as a professional and deeply personal mission. She doesn’t rely on superficial gestures but instead engages in meaningful, sustained action—such as organizing community events or supporting organizations—making her work both impactful and authentic.
Carrie initially studied theater and was undecided about her career path. She made the decision to pursue acting halfway through college after attending a summer conservatory program in New York, where she realized her passion for performance and the joy it brought her.
Playing Olivia Pope taught her the importance of leadership, authenticity, and being a team captain. She learned to step into leadership roles confidently and to support others, skills she now applies in both her career and family life.
Carrie found 'Imperfect Women' to be a deeply collaborative and inclusive project, where all three leads shared the leadership role. The show reflects authenticity, and she appreciates how it showcases the complexity and strength of being a mother in modern life.
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