CSI: Miami star Khandi Alexander joins Scandal cast as mother of Kerry Washington's character Olivia Pope


Khandi Alexander has joined the cast of ABC's hit drama Scandal and will portray the mother of Kerry Washington's political fixer character Olivia Pope.

The 56-year-old Treme star will play Maya Lewis and will begin making appearances starting on Thursday in flashback scenes.

Khandi currently stars in HBO's Treme as bar owner Ladonna Batiste-Williams who is trying to put her life together after Hurricane Katrina.

Scandal mother: Khandi Alexander, shown in February in Los Angeles, will portray the mother of Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope character on Scandal

Scandal mother: Khandi Alexander, shown in February in Los Angeles, will portray the mother of Kerry Washington's Olivia Pope character on Scandal

Khandi has been booked for a recurring role on the current third season of Scandal, according to an article on Tuesday in The Hollywood Reporter.

The political drama created by Shonda Rhimes follows Kerry's character Olivia, who runs a crisis management firm catering to the political elite after serving in the White House.

Audiences learned last week that love interest President Fitzgerald Grant, portrayed by Tony Goldwyn, shot down a civilian plane 20 years ago with more than 300 passengers aboard, including Olivia's mother.

Political fixer: Kerry's Olivia character, shown in a May episode of Scandal, will be coping with new information about her mother's death in upcoming episodes

Political fixer: Kerry's Olivia character, shown in a May episode of Scandal, will be coping with new information about her mother's death in upcoming episodes

Olivia's mother will become a 'major issue' in her life, Goldwyn told The Hollywood Reporter.

'You can only imagine what that would be like to find out that your mother did not die in the way that you thought she died, in terms of it being a willful act. It's surreal for Olivia,' he said.

Khandi's show Treme takes its name from a New Orleans neighbourhood and made its debut on HBO in 2010.

Bad boyfriend: Tony Goldwyn, center, portrays President Fitz Grant and Olivia's love interest in the hit drama

Bad boyfriend: Tony Goldwyn, center, portrays President Fitz Grant and Olivia's love interest in the hit drama

The series' fourth and final season will premiere on December 1.

Khandi previously had a major recurring role on ER as Jackie Robbins.

She also starred as drug-addicted mother Fran in the HBO mini-series The Corner.

Always stylish: Kerry, shown in October in Beverly Hills, California, has won critical acclaim for her work on Scandal and her keen fashion sense

Always stylish: Kerry, shown in October in Beverly Hills, California, has won critical acclaim for her work on Scandal and her keen fashion sense