The 'Scandal' actress reveals that she was cast in two pilots which eventually went to series, but she got fired because she didn't sound 'girlfriend' and 'urban' enough.
- Jun 8, 2016
AceShowbiz - Kerry Washington may have earned two Primetime Emmy Award nominations, but she was also a victim of stereotype casting in Hollywood. During a sit-down for Variety's fourth season of "Actors on Actors", the "Scandal" actress and Aziz Ansari opened up about their similar experiences in the industry.
"Before 'Scandal', I was actually cast in two other pilots. Both went to series, but I was fired and recast," Washington revealed. "For both, it was because they wanted me to sound more 'girlfriend,' more like 'hood,' more 'urban.' "
The pregnant star found that stereotype wasn't only limited to race. She recalled, "I've had friends of mine say like they're tired of 'gayface' and I was like, 'What's gayface?' They were like, 'It's the gay version of blackface, like come in and be more effeminate.' "
Ansari chimed in, "It's interesting; like every person that's not a straight, white guy has their version of this." Recalling his own experiences, the "Parks and Recreation" alum shared, "A lot of other minority actors have told me, 'Oh, this so rings a bell' when you go into an audition room and you see a bunch of people that look like you and you just start feeling like, 'Oh I'm not here [for me], I'm here because I fit what looks like the person they want in here,' " referencing a "Master of None" episode titled "Indians on TV" where he addressed auditioning.
Ansari is an executive producer of Netflix's "Master of None". To bring authenticity to the show, he allows the actors to keep their own clothing styles. "I feel like a lot of times people don't do that and then you end up with other people's perception of what certain people are like," he explained.
Washington added, "I definitely feel like I'm at that point where it's nice to not have to sit at home and wait to be invited to the party, but to be creating work for yourself."
