In the captivating pages of “Thicker Than Water” by Kerry Washington, the essence of a true role model comes to life. This compelling narrative delves into the complexities of relationships, unveiling a profound story that is both heartwarming and thought-provoking. Brace yourself for an exploration of the extraordinary, where the concept of a role model takes on new dimensions.
Dive into the pages of this remarkable tale to discover a fresh perspective on role models that will leave you inspired and enlightened. Read on to unravel the layers of “Thicker Than Water” and redefine what it truly means to be a role model in today’s world.
“Thicker Than Water” follows the intertwining lives of characters navigating the complexities of family bonds and societal expectations. Against the backdrop of a gripping mystery, the story unfolds, revealing the true measure of relationships. As the characters grapple with challenges, the narrative explores the evolving dynamics of role models, showcasing resilience, love, and the pursuit of authenticity.
Kerry Washington weaves a tapestry of emotions and revelations in “Thicker Than Water.” The narrative not only captivates with its mystery but also serves as a mirror reflecting the nuances of human connections. The characters are expertly crafted, each contributing to the overarching theme of redefining the traditional role model. Washington’s storytelling prowess shines, delivering a narrative that resonates long after the final page. “Thicker Than Water” is a triumph, offering a profound exploration of what it means to be a role model in the face of adversity and self-discovery.
Table of Contents
Genres
Biography, Memoir, Drama, Family, Romance, Mystery, Thriller, Multicultural, Contemporary Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age
Introduction: A story of life in the making: discover Kerry Washington’s mid-journey memoir
Thicker than Water (2022) is an intimate memoir by acclaimed actress Kerry Washington, who opens up about the childhood experiences, activism, and personal challenges that shaped her groundbreaking career. With courageous vulnerability, Washington shares her winding journey to amplify underrepresented voices and make an impact as an artist, mother, and role model.
Throughout her journey from growing up in the Bronx to Hollywood stardom, Kerry Washington has been defined by her dedication to acting, activism, and amplifying diverse voices. Though perhaps best known for her groundbreaking role in the television drama Scandal, Washington has long been an advocate for social causes off-screen, too. Her memoir provides an intimate look at the experiences that shaped this multifaceted talent.
In this summary, we’ll explore Washington’s early life and family influences growing up in New York City that instilled her community-oriented values. We’ll then examine her rise to fame, from studying acting in college to landing her star-making role on Scandal and becoming a household name.
Beyond acting, Washington’s activism – from championing racial and gender equality in Hollywood to becoming a passionate voice for mental health awareness – has demonstrated her vision beyond entertainment. Her work to normalize conversations about infertility and pregnancy struggles for women starting families later in life has helped many.
Additionally, Washington’s reflection extends to her current projects on and off-screen. This includes her production company aimed at amplifying diverse stories and creators in film and TV. In other words, this summary will provide an insider perspective into the experiences that have shaped Kerry Washington into the groundbreaking, multi-talented role model she is today.
So, if you’re curious about the scenes behind the screen, and one young woman’s story of success beyond personal achievement, let’s get started.
A meteoric rise
Kerry Washington’s path to fame began like many – with big dreams seeded in childhood. Born in the Bronx in 1977, Kerry grew up the daughter of a real estate broker and professor. Her parents divorced when she was still young, leading to a childhood split between two very different worlds.
Kerry spent weekdays living in more affluent suburban Bronxville with her mother, while weekends were in the city with her father. She credits her ancestors for giving her the strength to adapt and thrive in diverse communities early on. This experience of navigating contrasting worlds shaped Kerry’s worldview.
Though life was stable thanks to her middle-class upbringing, these years also influenced her activism later on. Kerry was aware of the privilege she carried compared to her ancestors who endured slavery and oppression. She felt driven to use her opportunity to make an impact.
In high school, Kerry’s creative side flourished when she landed the lead role in a play. The thrill of performing set her on the path to pursuing acting. She was accepted to George Washington University, where she earned a double major in anthropology and sociology. But Kerry couldn’t shake her passion for the stage.
She soon realized acting was more than just a pipe dream – it could be a viable career path. Kerry began intense study of her craft in college, while also booking early roles in productions like ABC’s Magical Make-Over and indie film Our Song. She spent a semester training in New York City too.
After graduation, Kerry began the tough work of grinding out auditions while studying acting further at Fordham University. She supported herself with side jobs between roles.
In 2002, Kerry got her first big break on television in the ABC legal drama 100 Centre Street. More TV and film roles followed, but it was her recurring part on Boston Legal that really opened doors.
Still, Kerry paid her dues with many small roles over the next few years. She never lost faith she could make it as a black actress, even when parts were slim. Her motivation was both personal and political – to expand limited opportunities in Hollywood for women of color.
Kerry’s persistence paid off in 2012 when she landed the career-defining role of Olivia Pope on Scandal. As a complex lead character, Olivia was a rarity. Kerry’s nuanced acting earned critical praise and mainstream fame. Over seven seasons, Scandal cemented her as a pioneering actress – and household name.
Behind the biography
But if the rags-to-riches story of her biography seems overly simplistic, that’s because it is. Washington opens up in unprecedented detail about adverse experiences during childhood that profoundly shaped her. One of the most impactful was her parents’ divorce at a young age – one that fractured the family forever.
Kerry was just seven when her parents split up, but she recalls many early memories of tensions simmering beneath the surface of family dinners. Her parents slept in separate rooms and avoided being affectionate in front of Kerry and her brother.
After the divorce was finalized, the family split between two very different worlds. Kerry’s middle-class life with her mother in Bronxville contrasted with weekends in her father’s cramped Harlem apartment. She walked on eggshells trying not to upset either parent as their relationship frayed.
Kerry’s life was a struggle during these years – she felt torn between two identities and sets of expectations. She became adept at code-switching to fit in with both black and white peers. Kerry worked overtime to keep up the appearance of a happy, stable childhood, while inside she struggled immensely.
Her mother, a professor focused on education and achievement, wanted Kerry to excel academically and socially. Meanwhile, her father emphasized connections to Black culture and excellence. The immense pressure she felt both to succeed and positively represent her community wore on the young Kerry.
Both parents dealt with their own pain through disengagement. This meant that Kerry often felt alone and without comfort or guidance when she needed it most. The experience ingrained in her a belief she couldn’t rely on others’ support. So, she learned to put on a brave face, suppress her struggles, and forge ahead.
But she now sees the sad girl behind the composure that she projected during those tumultuous years. The coping mechanisms and perfectionism she developed to mask challenges followed into adulthood. Only through reflection and therapy did she unpack the lingering traumas.
Opening up is still uncomfortable for the once intensely private star. But sharing her past illuminates why Kerry built up protective walls and became fiercely independent. Her wounding childhood experiences fueled her tenacity and compassion for others who felt unseen.
She hopes her honesty about parental divorce will help families dealing with transitions and change in more positive ways. She urges children to know that pretending to be okay only causes more hurt in the long term. Healing happens by embracing vulnerability and feeling one’s feelings.
Though divorce fractured her world, Kerry believes in redemption and has learned the power of honesty and authenticity through her own difficult journey.
Becoming a role model
Washington’s meteoric rise to fame with Scandal quickly thrust her into the spotlight both as a leading lady and a role model. Though playing glamorous Olivia Pope came naturally, life off-screen brought new challenges for the newly minted star.
Having reached the upper echelons of Hollywood so quickly, Kerry felt it was her responsibility to extend opportunities for those still struggling to break through. She became increasingly vocal about issues like equal pay, diversity, and inclusion in entertainment.
She grew more confident and comfortable asserting herself as a black woman in an industry where few held power. She pushed back against unrealistic beauty standards that pressured her to conform – and resisted the pressure to change her looks to suit the limited imagination of Hollywood.
Behind the scenes, Washington leveraged her clout to improve representations of people of color on projects like Confirmation and American Son. It was no longer enough just to land coveted roles for herself. She had to lift others as she climbed.
By listening to and amplifying marginalized voices, Kerry aimed to drive systemic change in Hollywood. She co-founded the nonprofit Color of Change to hold the media and corporations to account when it comes to diversity. Kerry wanted the next generation of artists to face fewer barriers.
Her Scandal character Olivia Pope lived by the motto: “It’s handled.” But Kerry realized some matters can’t be fixed behind the scenes. She embraced a new responsibility as an influencer to spark difficult public conversations about injustice.
When turmoil erupted over police brutality in Ferguson, Missouri, Kerry joined protests on the ground using her high profile to raise awareness. She helped launch the grassroots collective We Stand United against discrimination. Her activism soon spread beyond Hollywood to the campaign trail, too.
The 2016 election marked a pivotal moment for Kerry to expand her advocacy. She took the stage at the Democratic National Convention and joined the campaign trail to rally voters.
Washington reflected carefully on how to ethically leverage her celebrity, aiming to inspire political engagement without seeming preachy or privileged. Her main goal was to give visibility to issues impacting real people, all in a way that empowered them.
A journey to motherhood
After years in the spotlight, Washington was ready to take on a new role in her personal life: motherhood. Though she loved her career, family life called her in a new direction beginning in her late 30s. Her early adulthood was intensely focused on education and career, making motherhood a dream that she had to put on hold.
She knew bringing a child into the world would be life-changing, and yearned to give her baby the nurturing childhood she didn’t have amidst her parent’s divorce. However, she knew that starting a family later in life posed many challenges.
At 40, after months of trying unsuccessfully to become pregnant, Kerry sought out fertility treatments. She was determined to have a biological child, yet the emotional and physical stress of IVF took its toll. She struggled to maintain her energy for acting while keeping her physical struggles private.
Finally pregnant, new concerns over miscarriage weighed heavily on her. She leaned on meditation and therapy to manage her anxiety over impending motherhood. Despite lacking a parenting role model from her own childhood, therapy helped her build a strong emotional foundation for parenthood.
In 2014, Kerry welcomed her daughter into the world. Motherhood shifted her perspective entirely. First, she developed a real appreciation for caregivers and how difficult their role is. Still, she worked to spend more time with her daughter despite a busy schedule.
However, after giving birth, Kerry faced periods of depression and isolation. She found the perfectionism that drove her career didn’t translate to parenting, and that having a child didn’t eliminate her loneliness or insecurity, as she’d expected. Opening up about these experiences was uncomfortable, but she leaned into therapy to process them.
As her daughter grew older, Kerry began yearning for even more children. She pursued surrogacy and, in 2018, a son joined the family. Though family life became even more challenging, Kerry was careful to balance acting with quality time reading, playing pretend, and instilling values. She felt blessed to give her children the childhood she once dreamed of.
Throughout her journey to motherhood, Kerry learned self-acceptance and vulnerability. And by sharing her struggles with postpartum depression and infertility, she’s helped break stigmas around these topics for many.
Kerry models self-care for her children too – showing them the power of confidence in one’s worth beyond appearances. Though fame and beauty standards pressure women to meet unrealistic expectations, Kerry empowers her daughter to love herself as she is.
Becoming a mother expanded Kerry’s activism, too. She now advocates for maternal health, especially for women of color facing disproportionate risks. She even co-founded a company supporting new parents and families.
Washington’s motherhood journey reveals that every part of life requires courage. By speaking openly about her challenges, she encourages others on their own path to parenting and wellness. For Kerry, family fulfillment is life’s greatest role.
It’s never too soon to reflect
Writing a memoir at just 45 years old is unusual for someone still early in their career. But for Washington, sharing her life story right now felt right. She’s reached major milestones between career heights and motherhood, and so writing offered perspective on the long road behind – and ahead.
Looking back on her journey to fame and professional success, Kerry better understands the experiences that shaped her drive and values. She sees now how childhood instability, as well as painful auditions, powered her work ethic. And speaking her truth has helped her make peace with the past.
Kerry also wanted to humanize her story beyond the glossy Hollywood facade. Opening up about infertility, depression, and self-doubt dispels the misconception that fame brings the perfect life with it. And she knows firsthand the pressures women face trying to have it all.
Being honest took courage for the once private star. But authenticity with fans feels more genuine than maintaining a public persona. In other words, the author has embraced her full self – flaws, quirks, and all.
Parenthood provided motivation to share her history, too. Kerry hopes passing lessons from her memoir onto her kids will keep them from repeating past traumas. She wants to model openness and vulnerability as strengths for her daughter.
Kerry recognizes that writing a memoir is a privilege many don’t get, either. She aims to use it not just for reflection but to help nurture change. Being candid about issues like discrimination, parenting challenges, and mental health can shift cultural conversations.
While acting remains Kerry’s first passion, writing has ignited her voice in new ways. She won’t rule out doing more books someday. Additionally, she’s motivated to help increase the representation of diverse authors in the publishing industry.
Though just mid-career, Kerry’s journey shows it’s never too soon to reflect and share your unique story. She took a leap few would at just 45. But vulnerability doesn’t come from age – it comes from the courage to unzip yourself and let lessons emerge in due time. Kerry’s memoir demonstrates that at any stage of life, reflecting on the past can provide clarity for the future.
Conclusion
Kerry Washington’s journey reveals how her early life experiences shaped her activism and passion for amplifying diverse voices. Though known for acting, she has championed social causes and inclusion in Hollywood for years. By opening up about her challenges with infertility, mental health, and her difficult childhood, Washington hopes to champion the power of vulnerability. Regardless of age or career stage, having the courage to share your unique story authentically at any age is what matters most.