The actress joined in on the internet trend to poke fun at how Olivia Pope upgraded President Fitzgerald Grant’s looks
Kerry Washington is not afraid to use fans’ love of Scandal to motivate them to take action.
On June 4, the actress, 47, joined an internet trend to show off how her character Olivia Pope influenced Tony Goldwyn’s character’s style — the #BlackWifeEffect trend.
In a montage of photos of Goldwyn from early in his career — and often with unruly hair — Washington said that her character was responsible for the actor’s glow-up, in terms of his looks, as the “Black Wife Effect” took hold. In the second half of the video, she shared photos of Goldwyn with Washington on Scandal, where the pair both looked perfectly photogenic.
“Tony! I’ve upgraded your life in so many ways #BlackWifeEffect, and today I’m adding one more,” Washington wrote in the post’s caption before issuing a plea to her followers to register to vote. “Go upgrade your voter registration status to REGISTERED 😜. Love you!!!!!! #RegisterAFriendDay #Olitz.”
Goldwyn, 64, shared some love for the post, writing in a comment, “I’d be lost without you kw…🤣 Registering NOW!🙌❤️.”
Goldwyn and Washington often tease fans with snippets from Scandal — and their characters’ love story, famously dubbed “Olitz,” a combination of Olivia Pope and President Fitzgerald Grant II.
The actor, who joined Law & Order following Sam Waterson’s exit earlier this year, said that their characters endured a “tortured love affair” during the show’s run from 2012 to 2018, as he expressed his desire for his former costar to give him some tips on crime-stopping.
“I’m a little hurt that she hasn’t called me to give me some tips, but I’m sure they’re coming,” Goldwyn said of her prior role as Washington, D.C.’s resident fixer.
Goldwyn also talked about how he landed his role in the ABC drama, which was a bit of a serendipitous moment thanks to series creator Shonda Rhimes.
“I had met Shonda several years before, when I directed one of the first episodes of Grey’s Anatomy and worked for her for a couple of years on that, and then I didn’t see her for eight years and suddenly she thought, ‘Wow, Tony’d be an interesting choice for Fitz.’ And ‘Tony, you want to play the president on my new show?’” he said of how he ended up on Scandal. “It’s funny how things come around.”
Scandal can be streamed in full on Hulu.
