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. The role ended up going to Kerry Washington instead.