By now, the world well knows Kerry Washington can keep a secret both on- and offscreen. But what you probably didn't know was the Scandal actress wasn't always so tight-lipped.
"I learned through experience that it doesn't work for me to talk about my personal life. I've had earlier times in my career when I did talk about it. I was on the cover of a bridal magazine [InStyle Weddings, in 2005, when she was engaged to actor David Moscow]," she shares in Glamour magazine's 2013 October issue. "But I couldn't just turn around and say, 'I only want to talk about the good stuff, but not the bad stuff.' So I just thought, 'OK, no more.'"
That's not to say she's ever go so far as to deny the truth (that she is indeed married to football player Nnamdi Asmugha). "I'm walking around in the world with my ring. And when people say congratulations, I say thank you. But I'm going to continue to not talk about it and just let it unfold." Adding, she doesn't judge her A-list pals who do talk about their love lives. "I don't want to sound smug about it…but the point is to do what's best for me. I have girlfriends in this business who talk about their personal lives, and it works for them, and I love it. But not for me."
Another talent the Django Unchained star had to learn? Fashion.
Yes, as shocking as it is, the gal who just topped Vanity Fair's 2013 International Best Dressed List swears she wasn't always so stylish.
"It started out as, like, Good-Student Kerry. OK, I'm going to admit this: There were a couple of actresses whom I felt were having the upper hand career wise—because they knew how to work that red carpet. I was like, "I'm missing a really important tool. If I am the CEO of the Kerry Washington Corporation, my marketing department is really lax." So I sort of developed a new character: Red-Carpet Kerry."
She goes on to say she put in real work too: "And I researched her like any other character. I actually called Tracee Ellis Ross, who's a good friend, and literally asked, "How do you pronounce Hermès?" Red-Carpet Kerry needed to know."
Now the actress is so skilled she even works with Scandal costume designer Lyn Paolo on her character's onscreen ensembles. Which are so popular, fans ask for her Prada bag as "the Olivia Pope purse." Even Kerry's own mom is in on the trend!
"My mother was like, 'I think I want an Olivia Pope watch for Mother's Day.'" She says of her Movado timepiece, of which, Washington is the spokesmodel.
Luckily fans hoping to add Olivia's latest looks into their fall wardrobe only have one month until the season three premiere. Let the countdown begin!