Kerry Washington Reveals How She Deals with Today's Politics

Kerry Washington looks fresh faced and beautiful on the cover of Allure‘s November 2017 issue.

Here’s what the 40-year-old Scandal star had to share with the mag:

On people thinking she’s Olivia Pope being able to “handle it” in real life: “It happens All. The. Time. I mean, part of it is because they know I can connect them to Judy Smith, [the crisis manager] who the role is based on. But people call me to say, ‘I have this problem. Can I talk to you about it?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t even want to know! Just skip over me!’ But I know secrets.”

On how she handles this political landscape: “I have to dip in and dip out, because it suffocates me. Like, I become unable to function. So it’s a tricky balance between staying aware and also staying connected to a sense of hope and productivity and showing up for life.”

On her beauty indulgence: “Massages. I love them because they fall in that in-between for me: half beauty, half wellness. It’s something I do because I’m in heels a lot and I work really long hours. And I have a lot of pressures in my life. So massages are a good way for me to maintain my health and wellness, but also I feel like I’m doing something indulgent. And I’m a deep-tissue girl. I ask for the strongest massage therapist. Unravel me. Get in there.”

For more from Kerry, visit Allure.com.