From April 2012 to April 2018 , Washington starred in the ABC drama series '' Scandal '' , created by Shonda Rhimes , as Olivia Pope , a crisis manager who runs her own crisis management firm called Olivia Pope & Associates in Washington , D.C. . In this position , she works for high-profile figures , most notably the President of the United States , who is also her on-off lover . The show has been a commercial and critical success , and has been called one of the most talked about drama series on Facebook and Twitter . Washington 's performance has earned positive reviews , and in 2013 , she won the award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series at the 44th NAACP Image Awards and was also presented with the NAACP President 's Award . The same year , she was named " Favorite actress " and '' Scandal '' " Favorite Drama " of the year at '' TV Guide '' 's Magazine Fan Favorite Awards and was also crowned 2013 's " TV Star of the Year " by the editors of the magazine . For her work in the second season of '' Scandal '' , Washington was nominated for an Emmy at the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards and 66th Primetime Emmy Awards , becoming the first African-American woman to be nominated in the category of Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 18 years . She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series as well as a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series
66th Primetime Emmy Awards
66th Primetime Emmy Awards
Kerry Washington