Scandal's Olitz Ended Up in Couples Therapy, Stars Say
Get the Culture newsletter
Daily culture — film, music, books, the trends and ideas worth your attention. Free.
- Kerry Washington (Olivia Pope) and Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald Grant) co-starred on Shonda Rhimes' "Scandal" from 2012-2018, a series Washington says "revolutionized representation on television" by casting a Black woman as its lead
- Washington stars in and executive produces Apple TV's "Imperfect Women," based on Araminta Hall's 2020 novel, alongside Elisabeth Moss and Kate Mara, with the series structured around three equally-weighted lead perspectives rather than a single lead
- Goldwyn plays "dickhead media overlord" Bob Lipka on "Hacks" — a role he took without reading the script — and joined "Law & Order" in March 2024 as Manhattan DA Nicholas Baxter, replacing Sam Waterston
- Both actors say fans still approach them on the street asking them to run for president, with Goldwyn saying he used to reply that it was "a really bad idea" and Washington arguing he'd assemble "a really wonderful Cabinet"
- Goldwyn believes Fitz and Olivia are still together after the 2018 series finale and "regularly" attend couples therapy, joking: "Olivia taught him how to make jam, but his jam sucks"
- Washington has already filmed three episodes of "Law & Order" playing three different characters, with Goldwyn saying producers keep "trying to get her back"
Why it matters: Six years after 'Scandal' ended, fans still demand the actors run for president in real life — evidence of the show's lasting cultural grip beyond its 2018 finale. The pair's current projects show both leveraging that goodwill into expanded industry roles: Washington executive-producing her own Apple TV+ series, and Goldwyn taking over Sam Waterston's iconic 'Law & Order' DA seat while recurring on 'Hacks.'
Ask SkimNews
