There's no doubt millions of homes across the U.S. tuned into Shondaland Thursday, with the return of Shonda Rhimes' three must-see ABC TV shows, "Grey's Anatomy," "Scandal" and "How To Get Away With Murder."
Details of the season premieres of all three shows have been closely guarded, but when comes to everyone's favorite water-cooler topic "Scandal," we do know that Olivia Pope and Pres. Fitz are getting it on and enjoying some scandalous time together.
That is until a visit from the Queen of Caldonia and her family turns to tragedy and Olivia is hired to make sure the Royal family's private life stays private.
Not even Emmy Nominated actress Kerry Washington, who plays Olivia Pope, knows what to expect this season beyond the episode she is working on.
"I know nothing," Washington told HNGN and a small group of reporters when asked what we can expect from the show fifth season. "All I know is what I'm working on."
Something she says in the beginning was a little hard to adjust to.
"I'm a type A student and coming from film I'm used to having a dramatic approach to a beginning, middle and end. I can only do that for an episode. Now with a little bit of time I just learned to trust our writers and say, 'You guys know what you're doing' and taking one episode at a time."
So it's not really a case of the star just keeping mum - she actually doesn't know.
What we do know is First Lady Melody Grant (Bellamy Young) has been elected to the Senate and the White House Chief Of Staff Elizabeth North (Portia De Rossi) is put in the hot seat, declaring she's unwilling to aid anymore - thanks to the preview below.
And there's the possibility of a divorce in her immediate future, freeing up Fitz to spend more time with Pope.
One thing Washington, 38, is not staying mum about is being a mom. The actress gave birth to daughter Isabelle (with hubby Nnamdi Asomugha) last April and is happy taking her to work on the show and juggling the challenge of being a working mom.
"Last season was my first full season with her," admits Washington. "But this working mom stuff is no joke - It's the real deal."
We don't have to tell you to tune into "Scandal" Thursday at 9 p.m. EDT/8 p.m. CT on ABC.
And for more with Kerry Washington and what she thinks about Olivia Pope, check out our conversation below.
How harrowing was it for you to do all the prison-capture scenes last season?
It was emotional, but actors are weird people. We are the only people who sit around all day waiting for someone to give us a reason to be miserable [laughs]. So it was really hard but also really gratifying.
What's the greatest thing about being a working mom?
Well, one of the greatest things about it is having Shonda Rhimes as a boss. She's a mother and loves being one; she has four shows but also three kids and she's a wonderful role model.
What do you like most about Olivia's fashion?
The Prada bags! We keep a closet for Olivia's fashions because we try to use a least one item of clothing every episode so it feels like a real closet. I don't get to keep anything. Also her style is very different from mine. I play a lot more with fashion; she's more conservative in a way. Even when I'm in Washington, I don't wear suits the way she does. But I do love her wardrobe, Our brilliant costume designer and I work very closely to make sure that it's not just fashion profession sake and that it's also telling the story. That the pallets and silhouettes are giving you clues about what's going on for these characters.
Has playing Olivia taught you anything?
It's taught me a lot; it's taught me the importance of a tailor. Tailoring is very important. I think the other thing for me is I've learned a lot from Olivia about courage. It's not that she never gets scared, but when she's afraid, she still moves forward and I feel that's something I've really tried to take home with me, that there's always another solution and you can seek another solution even when you are afraid.
How much time do you spend thinking about Olivia Pope when you're not on set?
I think about her a lot, because the pace is so intense. When I'm not at work I'm still try to break down the episode, analyze it and arc it out. Also to discover what the themes are for my character and discover what the trajectory is and figuring out what the underbelly emotionally is. So I'm processing a lot of the time. It's also important not think about and spend time with my loved ones. I do have other things I do in my life.
Are you good compartmentalizing?
Not as good as Olivia, she's really good at that.
Do you ever raise your finger and say, 'I've been playing Olivia a while, this doesn't feel right?'
Our writers are really open to feedback. We have such a great deal of respect for every word they write and also have a great respect for our understanding of the characters, so we don't really come to heads. Often we might say, "I don't know about this," and they'll say, "Let's look at it," and every once in a while we are right.
You've said you're a good multitasker; what do you do with the hours in hair and makeup?
A lot of times I run lines because our show is very language-intensive, so I'll run lines for not that day, but maybe the next day because I always try to be at least a day ahead, or that day and the next. I also record my lines because I work a lot by listening to them. Sometimes I'll record them while I'm in the makeup chair. Then I'll try to make phone calls and occasionally have a conversation.
Do you ever get a chance to go on vacation?
I do get the chance and I think my honeymoon was probably my favorite vacation. How could it not be special? It was amazing, I always say the two best weeks of my life so far, not including every second I'm with my kid, would be my honeymoon and doing Saturday Night Live.
You've said that some days you'd like to just pack it all in and let the ensemble takeover, so what brings you back?
I'm not sure that I specifically said that, more I'd like to quit acting all the time. Not necessarily the show. It's not that I would ever want to walk away from "Scandal;" it's more that I think I'm done with this acting thing.
So what does bring you back?
The stories, just being able tell stories that matter.
Now, you have a lot of super-fans; is there a good way to approach you?
I try to be open but I will say when I'm with my family I like to be with my family. Often I'll unfortunately deny a picture because I think it's important for me to be with my loved ones when I'm with them.
