This generation may know Kerry Washington from Shonda Rhimes’ hit series, Scandal. But she been outside!
The veteran actress penned a tribute in honor of the 20th anniversary of Save The Last Dance. “OH EM GEE!!!!! Save the Last Dance turns 20 years old today,” she wrote. “Playing Chenille changed my life.”
Kerry continued explaining what it meant to her to portray the stereotyped character. “I read that script and I felt like I KNEW her. At the time, I also knew the narrative that was being served in culture about who Black teen moms are. And I knew that if done right, this was an opportunity to transform some stereotyped thinking and make this young woman REAL. And human. And deserving of love and attention.”
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The 2001 film tells the story of a young, white girl who moved in with her father after her mother passed away en route to her daughter’s audition to Julliard School. She befriends a Black girl named Chenille, played by Kerry Washington, and eventually falls for her brother, portrayed by Sean Patrick Thomas.
Save The Last Dance was met with mixed reviews and is still critiqued today, but it’s no doubt that it was one of the most talked-about films of its time and made a cultural impact.
What are your thoughts on the 2001 film?