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Watch Kerry Washington and the ‘Scandal’ squad reunite for COVID-19 relief

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The “Scandal” reunion is handled.

On Wednesday night, 2020 Emmy nominee Kerry Washington and the cast of ABC’s hit political drama returned for an episode of James Wesley and Seth Rudetsky’s “Stars in the House,” which has raised more than $400,000 for the Actors Fund’s COVID-19 relief efforts.

During the livestream, Washington (Olivia Pope) was joined by costars Tony Goldwyn (President Fitzgerald Grant), Bellamy Young (President Mellie Grant), Jeff Perry (Cyrus Beene), Kate Burton (Vice President Sally Langston), Dan Bucatinsky (James Novak), Norm Lewis (Edison Davis), Katie Lowes (Quinn Perkins), Guillermo Díaz (Huck), Cornelius Smith (Marcus Walker), George Newburn (Charlie), Joe Morton (Rowan Pope) and executive producer/director Tom Verica.

Shonda Rhimes’ “Scandal” starred Washington as a former White House communications director who launches her own consulting firm and manages various personal and political crises involving her D.C. clientele. The popular series ran for seven seasons from 2012 to 2018 and was nominated for six Emmys.

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On “Stars in the House,” Washington recalled meeting super-producer Rhimes in “Shondaland,” auditioning to play Pope and the camaraderie between the actresses in the running for the groundbreaking role.

“It was a really coveted role,” Washington said. “There hadn’t been a Black actress as the lead of a network drama in almost 40 years, so Shonda really saw every Black actress between the age of, like, 18 to 74 at this point. ...

“It was actually this very powerful moment for Black women in Hollywood because ... we knew how special this was. We knew that none of us had seen a role like this in our lifetime — and for us — and so there was really a sense of, like, ‘May the best woman win, and whoever gets it, we will all have her back.’”

Throughout the conversation, the “Scandal” alumni gave hundreds of viewers a glimpse into their off-screen bonding activities, which included going on late-night tours of Washington, D.C., and throwing cast viewing parties for new episodes.

When asked whether fans could expect a “Scandal” movie in the future, Verica was evasive, explaining that only Rhimes could make such a project happen.

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“It would be very hard to say no to the opportunity to work with these people again,” Washington said of potentially reprising her role on the big screen. “I don’t even want to say it was lightning in a bottle because ... we still spend time together. We all really love each other.”

Emmy nominees Cate Blanchett, for “Mrs. America,” and Regina King, for “Watchmen,” will face off in a field crowded with worthy performances.

July 28, 2020

On Tuesday, Washington received a 2020 Emmy nomination for lead actress in a limited series for her performance as Mia Warren opposite Reese Witherspoon in “Little Fires Everywhere.” Hulu’s small-screen adaptation of Celeste Ng’s bestselling novel marked Washington’s first major TV series role since “Scandal.”

The “Scandal” squad is the latest of several beloved TV casts who have reunited in recent months on the “Stars in the House” YouTube channel. Other high-profile virtual reunions have included “Melrose Place,” “Glee,” “Frasier,” “Glee,” “30 Rock” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.”

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