The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Kerry Washington Talks 'Shadow Force,' NAACP; Tyler Perry, Producing Vs. Acting, Unprisoned + More

Episode Date: May 1, 2025

The Breakfast Club Sits Down With Kerry Washington to Discuss 'Shadow Force,' NAACP; Tyler Perry, Producing Vs. Acting, Unprisoned. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Are you in? Let's go. I want you to ask yourself right now, how am I actually doing? Because it's a question that we rarely ask ourselves. All of May is actually Mental Health Awareness Month. And on the psychology of your 20s, we are taking a vulnerable look at why mental health is so hard to talk about. Prepare for our conversations to go deep. I spent the majority of my teenagers

and my 20s just feeling absolutely terrified. I had a panic attack on a conference call. Knowing that she had six months to live, I was no longer pretending that this was my best friend. So this Mental Health Awareness Month, take that extra bit of care of your wellbeing. Listen to The Psychology of Your 20s on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's nostalgia overload as Wilmer Valderrama

and Freddie Rodriguez welcome another amigo to their podcast Dos Amigos. Wilmer's friend and former That 70s Show castmate, Topher Grace stops by the Speakeasy for a two-part interview to discuss his career and reminisce about old times. We were still in that place of like, what will this experience become?

And you go, you're having the best time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was like such a perfect golden time. Listen to Dose Amigos on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, I'm Jay Shetty, and my latest interview is with Michelle Obama. To whom much is given, much is expected. The guilt comes from am I doing enough? Me, Michelle Obama, to say that to a therapist.

So let's unpack that. Having been the first lady of the entire country and representing the country and the world, I couldn't afford to have that kind of disdain. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Yes, it's the world's most dangerous morning show, The Breakfast Club.

Charlamagne the God, Jess Hilarious. Envy is not here, but Lauren LaRosa is filling in, and we have the legend, the icon living, Kerry Washington here, how are you, Kerry? I'm good, I'm happy to be here, always good when I'm with you all. What's your energy like this morning?

I feel good, I feel centered, I feel grateful. Yeah, I'm curious. Did you have an intention this morning when you woke up? I didn't state an intention when I woke up this morning, but I woke up with a lot of gratitude. Yeah. What's the gratitude for? You know, I feel like this is going to sound so cliche,

but I'm very aware lately, maybe I'm trying to cultivate more awareness lately, that as much as things are challenging in the world, I feel like the circumstances in the world are tough at the moment. I feel like the circumstances in the world are tough at the moment for a lot of people. But also, two things can be true. There's so much of my life that is truly answered prayers.

I know when I wake up that the career I have, my marriage, my children, my health, that I am living, I am walking in prayers answered. Mm-hmm. It is a time for, I am walking in prayers answered. It's just a time for, I mean, it always, never a time, but I want people to return back to God in this moment. I really do. Because if you are a person of faith, then you gotta believe everything truly does happen

for our greater good, right? Or at least for some reason that we may not understand. I do believe that. I do, I think that I try to remember though also that that faith is not just about being like handing your power over. That for me, faith is about listening for God's will, which is also pointing me in the right direction toward action. Right?

Like faith is not just about like sitting back and saying like other people will do or somebody else will provide. It's also about like, how can you use me today, Lord? Right? How can I be of service today? How can I show up? Because faith isn't just about being inactive. It's about like really stepping into your purpose. Your calling, your responsibility. Action. Is that your word for this season since you're in Shadow 4? I think it's funny. I feel like the last time I was here may have been to talk about my memoir, Thicker Than Water. And when I was writing Thicker Than Water, I was making this movie.

And so there was like an awareness of a strength that was growing in my life, like an emotional strength, a spiritual strength with my family. And I feel like the film allowed me to put that in my body like in my cells to be like what is fierceness really look like feel like on me. Now that I know that thinking about back to that conversation I can I've seen a movie so I can kind of see what you're talking about yeah but did you ever think that you'll be taking on because this is your first action film you'd be taking on action in your career in a role like this. So I mean I'm just gonna be honest with you.

I did an action film 20 years ago. I was Angelina Jolie's best friend in Mr. and Mrs. Smith. And I got to climb that mountain with Angelina and shoot some guns and I was like, I love this. I loved it. Oh, so you loved it. But I never had a chance to do more. How long you remember that?

You said it just now. Yeah, until I, then I like, my career kinda took a different turn and I was doing drama and TV and movies and comedy but I'd never had a chance to do action again and I really wanted to. So my production company, Simpson Street, when Scandal ended, I was like,

we need to find a great action film. And when I read this one, I was like, this is it because I feel like my favorite action films are the ones where you know why the explosions are happening, right? Where you care about the characters, where there are real emotional stakes. And so I felt like to have a big... This film is like a crazy, big-ass splashy action adventure, but at its heart, it's about

love. It's about family. It's about the sacrifices you make for the people that you love the most. It's about what it means to be a parent. And like, I think most parents know what it feels like to be like, I would go to the ends of the earth to protect this child. But if you are a trained mercenary like my character,

and you kill people for a living, what does that look like to really do whatever it takes to protect your little black boy Joy? What was the training like at this point in your career for this action film versus that first action film? I don't even remember the training for that one. And you know, maybe because I'm older or just it was so new for me, but this was intense.

It was great. I mean, there was a lot of just weightlifting and Pilates, even just to get in shape, to be able to learn the choreography. And then there was stunt training and weapons training because we're not just shooting guns, we're loading guns, we're cleaning guns, where there was the fight choreography.

I mean, it was hours and hours of training. Did you know how to bust your gun before? No, I didn't. It was the first time you learned how to shoot? Yeah. Wow, wow, wow. I mean, I had done a little bit, but I really, and on all different kinds of guns, and I'm a really good shot.

Did it make you want to own one? It didn't make me want to own one, but it made me grateful that I could use it if I needed to. Absolutely. Yeah. Was it ever challenging? What part of it was ever challenging? The shooting was not challenging, weirdly. It was weird. Like that it came.

I mean, I have one of our targets that I'm framing for my office that I got like a bullet in each eye, like crazy. I don't know why I'm such a good shot, but I'm I'm not complaining. I think the physical like learning the martial arts, especially because a lot of my fights were with people much bigger than me. So to learn how to fight Omar Sy,

who plays my husband in the film, who's the actor, many of you may love him from Lupin, or Lupin if you're seeing it the French way. But he's so much taller than me. And so to figure out like what is my fight approach to be able to take him on was fun and hard. I'm gonna be honest with you, sounds very tiring. Like what was the recovery process like?

Was it a lot of ice packs, icy hot? It was, it was. Cause you're also on a press tour while you're doing all of this. Yes, but I loved it. I mean, it was useful to have a husband at the time, my husband who was a former professional athlete to be able to kind of help me through some of that.

But I love that. I love challenging myself physically and I love working out. I love getting into the body of the character. So it was exhausting. But I also felt, I don't know, I was really proud that when my kids would get up on a Saturday morning, they would come downstairs and see mommy like with the boxing gloves on kicking ass in the driveway with my trainer. Like there was something really exciting about that.

Does a role like this help you to express your shadow side more? I think so. I definitely, like I think my go-to personality, I'm much more of a lover than a fighter. I'm not a person who likes to argue. I'm not really combative. I'm not avoidant, but I'm definitely not an aggressive person. So this did help me tap into a level of anger and aggression and courage more than anything.

Oh, courage, that's a strong word. Why courage? Because I think when you put yourself in situations where you can get hurt, it requires you to face those fears. And you know, it's funny, I was talking to Omar because he's French, and our word courage comes from the French word, coeur, which means heart.

So it's really about like having a strong heart, a capacity to challenge your heart. That's interesting, because I was thinking about something earlier. I was like, what do you think your characters have taught you that no human being or real life ever could? Hmm.

I mean, I'm lucky because every time I play a character, I get to learn her greatest lessons. So it's almost like reincarnation in this lifetime. Like, I get to learn what she learns and then fold it into my life to move forward. A lot of times what characters remind me, they remind me to be grateful. You know, like for this film in Shadow Force,

it's really about what it takes to protect the people you love from the systems that want to cause you harm, which I think is very relevant right now. But this couple, they used to be part of this spy unit. You know, they were trained killers together. They broke the rules, They fell in love. I got pregnant.

So now we have to go on the run to protect our kid from the very unit that we used to be a part of the Shadow Force unit. So for me, the film is about like when there are systems that don't want you to have freedom and love and joy, what do you do to fight those systems? And I think that's a great lesson to be reminded of right now. It's a great question for all of us to be asking ourselves right now. You know, like I too, as a mom, want to protect my black boy joy. I want my son to hold on to his joy in the face of a

world that may not be invested in his liberty and strength. And so that for the film, the film was a great reminder. Also, these two mercenaries, you know, they have to separate. I kind of back off from the family to try to protect them from afar. And Omar plays the dad. It's this beautiful. It's such a perfect date movie because the action is beast. But Omar also plays he's doing the primary parenting as the dad. And that image of a black father who's so like locked in and present is so beautiful in a film. But part of what they learn is about partnership. Like if you're lucky enough to have a partner in parenting, you are so much stronger when you lean into that partnership.

And that partner could be your spouse. It could be your sister. It could be your mother. It could be your stepdad. It could be whoever is part of that village. But leaning into that partnership in parenting is also a gift. So I think I walked away from the film feeling so grateful for my partner, for my kids, for our safety, for our willingness to fight for our joy,

no matter what's happening in the world. I was gonna ask you because there's a lot of different scenes, I don't wanna get it moved your way. I know, I know. The first scene that stood out to me where I was like, I think this is what I'm feeling, I'm feeling like she's fighting. The fact that like, this is a good man

and he loves your son and you as much as you think he does. Just let him do it. Oh, you got it, girl. Y'all were at the gun range. Yeah. And he- Don't give no damn more. Okay.

But that's a little bit of that in the trailer. Y'all in the gun range. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And y'all had the back and forth there. Yeah. And you left and his shot was perfect. Yeah. And I was like, man, it talked a lot about how men have to sacrifice in family and relationships versus how women have to do it and how we view it.

And how we come together because we really kind of twisted the gender norms in this film where the woman is out there working, protecting from afar, trying to, you know, not just bring home the bacon, like bring home the dead bodies to protect this family. But he's, even though he's badass and strong, he's also like the more sensitive parent. He's like really present. I was talking to my girlfriends, like to me, there is nothing sexier than watching a man be a good dad. It is just like so beautiful.

So I just love that we're kind of playing in those gender norms and asking people to challenge your idea of even what family looks like today. Did that cause any conversations for you at home with your family of like, okay, here are some things that, you know, I want to, I don't know, let you do let you I'm gonna I'm gonna lean in and allow you to do because that was like the biggest thing is like, yeah, I don't know that the film caused me to have those conversations in my marriage. But I think one of the reasons why the film really resonated for me is because I do really understand the value

of the partnership that I'm in. And I really do have, you know, I love parenting with my husband, you know? I love our marriage and I love how we are a team with these kids and both are really important, like to cultivate the time to just be a couple and then to cultivate the time to pour be a couple and then to cultivate the time to pour into the family too.

All of that is just so important. So when I read the script, I was like, oh, this just feels so good to see black love portrayed in this way, black power. Like they are so badass, but also to see black love sort of explored in this way. You play so many different roles. Like when you go home, how do you remain rooted

in who Kerry Washington is? Yeah, I have rituals that I do at the end of the day. Like a lot of times, you know, a lot of times I'll play a character, for example, who's married to somebody else, right? And so for me, when I take off my wedding ring and put it back on at the beginning of the end of the day, that's a small ritual that grounds me in who I am

because it's such a big part of who I am and how I walk in the world. And I just, I have like ways that I close out the day because in the beginning of my career, I used to try to live in these characters all day long. But when you get married and have kids, you're like, I don't need to go home and be sharing my shadow self with people that don't deserve that or need that.

So I try to really create containers. You know, some of that has to do with the hair and the makeup. When I take off the costume, I just try to leave what needs to be left there. It's not always perfect. There's you know, I'm a person who thinks a lot about the work, even when I'm not at work. But I do try to make sure that I'm as present as I can be with my family, because they deserve that.

Yeah. Have you ever bought it home and called your man the wrong name? No. Called him the character's name? No. Has he ever called you the character's name? No. Oh, yes, Olivia. No.

No. No. No. Okay. No, no, no. I feel like I got to say congratulations to you too, because the 6888 received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Yes, yesterday.

Right? I feel like the Netflix series, Salute to Nicole Avon and Tyler Honor. I feel like the Netflix series, Salute to Nicole Avon and Tyler Perry, I feel like that amplified that story. That was our goal. You know, when Tyler and Nicole came to me with that project, it was so clear to us that this story needed to be told because these women needed to be celebrated.

And that the most important thing was that we made a movie that really resonated with people so that no one would ever forget these women existed and what they did, the sacrifices they made for this country and the courage they had to do what they did. So the fact that it broke records, it was Tyler's biggest film ever on Netflix,

that 50 million people watched it in the first few months, it was just an insane success for the platform and I'm really proud of that because what that says to me is that at a time when our history is so under attack, that that is a story that cannot be taken away from us and that we understand our role to do good and to make the world a better place and that has been a part of the history

of this country forever. How did that feel psychologically to see this same administration has taken so much from us to also reward the 6888? I don't know if it was this administration that made that decision or if it happened prior to. Cause I just saw the speaker at a house, Mike Johnson and Hakeem.

But I would just say whoever gives them their flowers, they deserve their flowers. It doesn't make me say that the other decisions they're making are okay, right? Like they don't get a pass because they've done this one thing. These women deserve to be honored and celebrated despite whoever is in power at any time.

And then the NAACP Image Award moment. But thank you to Tyler Perry. Congratulations, Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture for a six-point. And then we also won Best Picture, which I'm so proud as an executive producer of that film. Yeah.

The movie was perfectly casted too. Oh my God. Thank you. Y'all like killed it. All those girls, right? Y'all ate that up. Hey! All those girls.

As a producer, I was really proud to be introducing all of that young talent, all those incredible young black actresses to the world. They were so amazing. And in Shadow Force 2, I mean, Jaleel as a producer, when we audition, Omar and I auditioned Jaleel. Yo, K-pop fans, it's your boy, Bom Han, and I'm bringing you something epic. Introducing the K-Factor,

the podcast that takes you straight into the heart of K-pop. We're talking music reviews, exclusive interviews, and deep dives into the industry like never before. From producers and choreographers to idols and trainees, we're bringing you the real stories behind the music that you love. And yeah, we're keeping it 100, discussing everything from comebacks and concepts to the mental health side of the business. Because K-pop isn't just a genre.

It's a whole world, and we're exploring every corner of it. And here's the best part. Fans get to call in, drop opinions, and even join us live at events. You never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K-Factor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This isn't just a podcast. It's a movement. Are you ready? Let's go. This isn't just a podcast, it's a movement. Are you ready? Let's go. Let's go.

Hey, my name's Jay Shetty, and I'm the host of On Purpose. I just had a great conversation with Michelle Obama. To whom much is given, much is expected. The guilt comes from am I doing enough? Me, Michelle Obama, to say that to a therapist. So let's unpack that.? Me, Michelle Obama, to say that to a therapist. So let's unpack that. Former First Lady Michelle Obama

and someone who knows her best, her big brother, Craig, will be hosting a podcast called IMO. What have been your personal journeys with therapy? We need to be coached throughout our lives. My mom wanted us to be independent children and she would always tell me, stop worrying about your sister. Having been the first lady of the entire country

and representing the country and the world, I couldn't afford to have that kind of disdain. What would you say has been the most hardest recent test of fear? Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's nostalgia overload as Wilmer Valderrama

and Freddy Rodriguez welcome another amigo to their podcast Dos Amigos. Wilmer's friend and former That 70s Show castmate Topher Grace stops by The Speakeasy for a two-part interview to discuss his career and reminisce about old times. We were still in that place of like, what will this experience become? And you go, you're having the best time.

But it was like such a perfect golden time. Listen to Dos Amigos on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And the dream season is now complete. The Golden State Warriors are the 2015 NBA champions. On the new limited podcast series Dub Dynasty, it's been 10 years since their shocking run to a championship. We examined the controversial move that made it possible. It's never a great conversation as a player when you hear that you're being benched.

For the entire behind the scenes story of Golden State's incredible 10 year run, listen to Dub Dynasty on the i Heart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Who plays our son in the film? I mean, he like steals the movie. He's so adorable and lovable. And he has to be right because every explosion, every kick, every punch is for him. So you have to fall in love with him.

And he's so good. And then Method Man's in the film, Divine Joy, we were lucky we got her before her fancy Oscar, but the cast is incredible, it's stacked. Cron Down. I love that. Cron Down's in it? Yeah, Cron Down. Yeah, Cron Down's great.

I wanted to ask you, when the NAACP Image Award moment happened where you think Tyler Perry again, and then he posted online talking about how that brought him to tears. I talked after I'm sure we did. Was it an emotional conversation? It was because, again, like we don't you know, we had just made this film to give flowers to eight hundred and fifty two women in heaven

and three who were still with us to honor their sacrifice and their service. And he was like, I'm so grateful that you took the time to give me my flowers now. We can't wait for people to go to say how great they are. We need to let people know in the real. And I just didn't know that I had thanked him twice. Who was going through your mind? Because I blacked out. I really, really, really did not think I was going to win.

I told Nnamdi to stay home. You know how to come to this, baby. I knew that really, really did not think I was going to win. Like I told Nambi to stay home. Like, you know, I got to come to this, maybe. Like I knew I knew that Cynthia Rivo was winning that award. She was nominated for an Oscar. I'm such a crazy, wicked fan. Like I voted for Cynthia. So it was amazing. I really was shocked, like like Beyonce album of the year.

Shocked. Like just couldn't believe that that had happened. Yeah. And then when I got up on stage, I blacked out. So I didn't remember having said him. And the idea when I was walking off stage that I may not have said his name was so devastating to me. I just blew up the whole show. I love that. I love that level of gratitude.

You know what I mean? Because I feel like a lot of people who don't do that. Why was that so important for you to do in that moment? Like, I have to make sure I thank them. I think because Tyler's been such a support for me throughout my career. Like, at a time earlier in my career where I was like, I'm done acting. I don't think I want to do this anymore.

He called me to be in for colored girls. Beautiful film. And I got to work with so many of my heroes, Whoopi Goldberg and Felicia Rashad and Loretta Devine and Janet Jackson and Anika Noni Rose, a young Tessa Thompson. Like he's been there for me even when I've struggled like in my career with paparazzi and fame, he's been there for me, even when I've struggled, like in my career with paparazzi and fame, he's provided safe spaces for me. He's a confidant, he's an advisor, he's a real friend.

And to come to me with this role, I just thought this was an extraordinary gift to be able to play Captain Charity Adams, a woman who was so inspiring and so heroic. It really felt like the gift of a lifetime to be asked to step into this process with him and co-produce with him. So I just, I couldn't imagine not thanking him.

Well, what are the biggest lessons you've learned as a producer as opposed to things you learned as an actress? As an actor. I guess the thing I love most about producing is when you're an actor, you really are sitting around waiting for somebody else to give you an opportunity to do what you love to do, right? Like you're like, please somebody hire me, somebody invite me to your party.

Like I just wanna play, I wanna hang out. I wanna seat at the table. But when you're a producer, it's that thing of like, if you don't have a seat at the table, build your own table. Like I get to build my own table now. And because it's my table, it's the table I know I wanna be at. And I do not build a table for one.

So to have a table where I know thousands of people are getting to work and to pursue excellence and chase their dreams because of what we're doing at Simpson Street, that's such a gift. So I think as a producer, again, it's really about, like, how can I be of service? Not just to find the projects that I want to do and tell the stories I want to tell for me, but also, like, I'm so proud of our show, Reasonable Doubt, which we're shooting in Atlanta right now, season three. Desperate Housewives, you mean?

Yes, so we're really, we are creating lots of opportunities not just for me but for other people and that I love, to be of service. How do you, go ahead. I was gonna ask, how do you pick what you get involved in or choose to do because the Desperate Housewives spin-off, it's like 20 years later. Were you a fan of the show or like, what's the background?

Yeah, I love the show. I'm a huge fan of the show and that showrunner, Mark Cherry. I just, I thought it's just a great time. Like some of the issues of that show, the idea of like living a life of perfection where everything looks good, but underneath, there are secrets and desires and complexities that we're not talking about. Like that still resonates.

So I thought this was a good time to think about how would that show exist now? Who would be in that cul-de-sac now? Because it looks different now than it did 20 years ago. I see people not happy about that though. I saw some backlash. It was like, we don't want a new cast. I think they're trying to say we don't want no diversity.

I think that's what they're really saying. You just said cul-de-sac. I was thinking, I mean, they want some's what they're really saying. We'll see. You just said Kofi said, I was thinking, I mean, they're gonna have some black neighbors. We'll see, we'll see. Now, do you even, when you hear stuff like that, does it deter you in any way? Like, is that a project I wanna touch?

I'm open to feedback. I think it's important to have your ear open to criticism, but I try to only give real power to people who are in the game, right? Like, I don't really take criticism to heart from people who I don't admire and respect. Damn. She said you can't even get in the club.

You're paid from outside. It's like I'm not gonna, I have to like you and like how you're living and what you're doing and what you're creating to feel like you have a say on what I do. But I'm very open, I'm a very collaborative person. I'm very open to feedback. I love getting feedback.

I love directors who challenge me, who make me be better, who ask tough questions. You just have to be careful with your energy and not give it to haters. So just the random folks on social media, you like, whatever. I mean, again, I think you have to stay aware. I think anytime you dismiss human beings,

that's not healthy, because everybody matters. Everybody's a child of God. People's voices matter. People count. But you just have to, for me, as I'm weighing input, I have to make sure that I don't give my power away. But when you were doing Scandal, right? Yeah.

Scandal seemed very absurd. When you think about the government. When you look at the government now, do Scandal, right? Yeah. Scandal seemed very absurd. When you think about the government, when you look at the government now, do you like, what? Like Shonda couldn't even write this. It's wild. It's wild. What would Olivia Pope do right now

if she was part of this government? I don't think she would be part of this government. I don't think she would have, she wouldn't serve this administration. Even to be a spook who sat by the door? Like the- Well, That's an interesting twist. Maybe Shonda would write that kind of version. Yeah, I don't, I really, this administration is beyond

what I can wrap my head around right now. And so I'm really, really trying to pivot my focus on most days to how each of us can show up to participate in this process in ways that really matters. Cause I think we got here because too many people feel like they don't matter. Their voices didn't matter. I think if more people understood the power of their vote, we wouldn't be where we are.

When did you realize, go ahead. No, you go ahead. When did you first realize people were watching you not just as an actress, but as a leader? Oh, that's a good question. I don't know. I think I've always been a little bit of a, you know, I started my activism work when I was a teenager.

So I've always been a person who's kind of been an artist, but also tried to be of service. But I don't know. I mean, even as you said it, I was like, oh, I guess people do think of me as a leader, but that's not first in my mind. I don't think about it in those terms. Yeah.

Interesting. I would say even politically, like people, I don't know your character, of course, because of, you know, Olivia Pope, but even politically, like people look to you to see like who you're talking about, why you're talking about them, what you're doing, what you're not doing. You got off an X at one point.

I did. Yeah, you took a break. I saw you post that as well. Are you back now? No, no, no, no. Oh, it's like for what, right? No. But it's so synonymous with Olivia Pope and who, you know what I mean, the whole scandal show. But that was Twitter. Yeah. That was an X. Twitter was made our show part of what it was, the culture on Twitter and black Twitter.

But X is a different place now. The neighborhood has changed. I don't want to live there. All right. You moved out. I'm not in that neighborhood anymore. I don't agree with the leadership. You want to talk about leadership? Like I don't agree with the leadership there. I don't agree with how the conversations You wanna talk about leadership, like I don't agree with the leadership there. I don't agree with how the conversations are happening. It's not okay. It's not as safe a place as it used to be. And it was never entirely safe.

But now it's like the Wild West and there's a lot of misinformation. And so I don't wanna be at that party. I'm glad you used the word safe because you don't seem to play it safe, but you have this like huge career. A lot of people in Hollywood wanna play it safe cause they don't wanna to play it safe, but you have this huge career. A lot of people in Hollywood wanna play it safe because they don't wanna impact their career.

Why do you take that? I guess risk is the word. It's interesting, because even at my company, when we talk about culture within the company at Simpson Street, we often don't say, we wanna make sure this is a safe space. We try to say, we wanna make sure this is a brave space. Because it's not about safety, it's about truth

and having the courage, being brave to say the things that need to be said so that you can move everybody forward. Safe is about like tiptoeing, eggshells, working around people. It's like, no, no, no, no, no. Let's be real, let's tell the truth. Let's be kind, but I think clear is kind. Was there a brave story you wanna tell right now?

Especially being, like I said, they keep, they're taking a lot of things from us, so I feel like art is going to be the only way to educate and inform. I was just at the Brooklyn Artist Ball last night at the Brooklyn Museum, and they were honoring Darren Walker, who's an incredible leader. And he was saying that artists hold such important meaning in the culture right now, because artists are like a mirror to society. I'm really proud of Shadow Force. I really, I love this film.

I feel like theaters are back. Like I'm so excited about Sinners. I'm obsessed with that film. It's so beautiful. I feel like this is another like really exciting film to see in theaters because the locations are gorgeous and it's not a lot of CGI. Like this is real people doing real stunts,

putting our bodies at risk. I'm excited to be in community with people telling stories about the power of black family and black love and black parenting and black kids and community, you know? Yeah, and then I'm starting a series, Simpson Street is producing a new series for Apple called Imperfect Women that we start in a couple weeks. We're filming in L.A. So, I'm really excited about that project too.

It's with Lizzie Moss from Handmaid's Tale. And that's also really about truth. Yes, and booked and busy. Trying. I love that. And I'm excited that we're shooting in L.A. because we need that. After the fires, we really need for more production to be happening in Los Angeles.

So I just finished doing a film there and now we're starting this series. Are you reprising your role as Alicia Masters in Fantastic Four? I haven't been invited to. Manifestation. But you can put that out there. I do want to do more action films.

I really feel like doing Shadow Force was so fun and I think it's exciting to work in that way, to be, to take on strength, not just intellectually and emotionally and spiritually, but physically. How was Kerry Washington staying grounded, not just in this high pressure industry, but as you said, in just this crazy ass world

we're living in right now? I think therapy is a big part of it. Definitely. Therapy is a big part of it. I think wellness practices, like my workouts are everything. Hydration, sleep, I have really been trying to center sleep this year.

My doctor has been like, this has to be number one. So those are, I mean, I think those are the big ones. And then just, you know, staying connected to the people who I feel like really love me for who I am, you know, people I feel closest to. Absolutely. You do a really good job of like on social, not on X, but your other socials.

For your fans, like we always feel really connected when Unprisoned was canceled. We heard it from you first. Which doesn't normally happen. A lot of times the talent involved is like, we didn't even know that this was happening. But you were honest, you said that you guys were disappointed that it wasn't coming back. Why is that?

Thank you for bringing that up because the interview that you guys did with Delroy was so special. Oh, Delroy is amazing. He's amazing. He don't get nominated for best supporting actress, an actor for centers. It's so great. So I mean, it's one of my favorite interviews

he's ever done. And so thank you for having him on and for supporting the show. I mean, it's one of the gifts of being a producer, right? Is a lot of actors, a lot of talent, don't, they don't know when decisions are being made. But as a producer, I get to be in the room, even when it's disappointing news that I don't wanna hear.

And I feel like the fans deserve that. Cause everything we have is because people show up and watch. You know, I don't wanna hear. And I feel like the fans deserve that, because everything we have is because people show up and watch. I'm very aware that the life I live is because of the people who have shown up to support me throughout the years, and I'm really grateful. So I try to treat that relationship

with as much respect as possible. Do they ever tell you why, like when these things don't get an answer? Yeah, they do. You know. Be a bunch of bullshit. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't, and sometimes we don't see those in. Yeah, they do. You know. Be a bunch of bullshit. Sometimes it makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes we don't see eye to eye about their reasons.

Yeah. So, you know. She's so pleasant. Yes. She basically was like, they gonna talk bullshit. But you know, you just gotta, for me, it's like, that's why we have to keep moving. That's why we just gotta keep creating.

Like the biggest way to heal heartache around creativity especially is to just create more. keep creating, like the biggest way to heal heartache around creativity especially is to just create more. You just gotta get back in there and take more risks. Tell more stories, stay vocal. Got you. Well thank you Queen Carrie Washington, always a pleasure when you pull up.

Shadow Forces in theaters on May 2nd, this Friday. No, no, no, May 9th. May 9th, oh, that's Friday, okay. May 9th, Mother's Day weekend for all the badass moms. Oh, no. All right, okay, Mother's Day weekend. That's when you need to take your mother to go see. Yes. Shadow Force.

Carrie, thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. It's a pleasure. The Breakfast Club. And you can get a chance to jump in, share your opinions, and be part of the conversation like never before. And trust me, you never know where we might pop up next. So listen to the K Factor starting on April 16 on iHeartRadio Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. This isn't just a podcast. It's a K-pop experience. Are you in?

Let's go. I want you to ask yourself right now, how am I actually doing? Because it's a question that we rarely ask ourselves. All of May is actually Mental Health Awareness Month and on the psychology of your 20s, we are taking a vulnerable look at why mental health is so hard to talk about. Prepare for our conversations to go deep. I spent the majority of my teenage years and my 20s just feeling absolutely terrified. I had a panic attack on a conference call.

Knowing that she had six months to live, I was no longer pretending that this was my best friend. So this Mental Health Awareness Month, take that extra bit of care of your wellbeing. Listen to The Psychology of Your Twenties on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's nostalgia overload as Wilmer Valderrama

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