Kerry Washington had "serious hustle going on" before she made it as an actress.
The 37-year-old star studied for a degree in anthropology and sociology before pursuing a career in acting and she’s revealed that during the year she gave herself to try and secure her first role, she was working a number of jobs.
When asked whether it was true that she was teaching yoga at the time, she confessed: "I was, yes. I lived in India right after college and got certified to teach. I was also a supply teacher for New York City public schools. I loved it.
"I had to limit myself to teaching no more than three days in a row at the same school so I wouldn’t be seduced.
"Oh, and I was working in a restaurant. I had serious hustle going on."
The ‘Scandal’ actress – who admits her parents wanted her to become a lawyer because they were "terrified" of her being a failed actor – claims she learnt a lot from her mother and father when she was growing up.
Quizzed on how her parents influenced her, she told Stylist magazine: "They influenced me immensely. I’ve learned very different things from each of them. My mother is more of a quiet soul but she walks in the world with a great deal of grace, intelligence, refinement and dignity.
"I’ve tried to embody those things in the best way I can. My dad is much more gregarious. He is one of the most generous spirits I’ve ever met and he truly is interested in the people and the world around him."
Kerry Washington’s ‘hustle’ before fame
