When the role of Scandal's DC fixer Olivia Pope was written, producers initially had Nashville's Connie Britton in mind. However, show creator Shonda Rhimes stepped in and insisted that the role of Olivia — who was inspired by real-life lawyer Judy Smith — belonged to a Black actress. "When the show got picked up [to pilot], I got a phone call from somebody who said, 'This would be the perfect show for Connie Britton.' I said, 'It would be, except Olivia Pope is black,'" Rhimes told The Hollywood Reporter in April 2017.
After testing Kerry Washington, Jill Scott, and Anika Noni Rose, Washington was eventually cast, making her the first Black woman to play the lead in a TV drama in 37 years. "It was Kerry from the moment I took her to meet Shonda," casting director Linda Lowry recalled to THR.