Keeping up with appearances isn’t a concern for Kerry Washington. Granted, she’s naturally beautiful: Her delicate features and voluptuous figure have made her the object of desire in films such as Chris Rock’s I Think I Love My Wife. But when she shows up for lunch at the Rustic Canyon Wine Bar in Santa Monica, California, the actress looks like she could be taking a lunch break for a 9-to-5 gig at one of the nearby office towers.
She doesn’t have a stitch of make up on, and her gray and black sweater ensemble is downright dowdy. There’s none of that self-conscious preening that usually happens when a movie actress sits down for a meal at a crowded restaurant. Washington would much ratter discuss her involvement in Barack Obama’s campaign and how she helped drum up votes in nine states during the primary season.
“When I met Obama I realized that he’s the same person face to face that he is when speaking to an audience of thousands,” she says. “So I was like, ‘count me in!’”
No doubt her effortless charm won over the senator as it does strangers, whether they’re casting votes or watching one of the 20 feature films the 31-year-old actress has made.
