Scandal beauty Kerry Washington graces the cover of the August 2013 issue of Vanity Fair. Washington gives readers her insight into the hit ABC series and her admiration for her character in the show.

Washington dons the cover in a white swimsuit, hair slick back with bright red lips on the cover of the magazine. In her interview Washington dishes on her character, Olivia Pope, telling Vanity Fair, “One of the most profound things for me about the show is the number of white women of all ages who come up to me and say, ‘I want to be Olivia Pope.’”

Furthermore she states, “What I think is cool about Olivia is that she fully owns being a woman. There’s a very nurturing sense of ‘I’m going to take care of you—don’t worry about it. I’m gonna be your mom in this situation. You come stay in my office, have a cup of tea, and let my gladiators take care of you.’ There’s something very maternal about it. But there’s also something very executive about her, and I mean ‘executive’ in a presidential way.”

Washington admits that taking on the role of Pope isn’t as easy as it seems. She does quite a bit of homework in preparation for her role, including reading The Nine to help her understand Supreme Court Machinations. She also speaks to Judy Smith, Washington D.C’s crisis-management expert.

Washington’s full interview hits the stands on August 9.

Image: Vanity Fair