Kerry Washington Said "I Didn't Grow Up Thinking I Was Pretty"

We're willing to bet that almost everyone
thinks Kerry Washington is absolutely beautiful
(because she is), but to our surprise, the
actress admits she didn't always think she
was much of a looker.
Chatting with Lena Dunham for a special
interview in Marie Claire's April issue, the cover
star confesses, "I didn't grow up thinking I was
pretty; there was always a prettier girl than
me."
But that encouraged Washington to really hone
in on her other qualities, giving herself more
substantial qualities to offer than just good
looks. "So I learned to be smart and tried to be
funny and develop the inside of me, because I
felt like that's what I had."
And when it comes to her daughter Isabelle,
Washington wants to make sure that her baby
girl is always "heard."
"I just want [daughter Isabelle] to know that
she's heard. Really heard, because I feel like
that is what we all really want," she tells
Dunham.
"When I think about any of the missteps in my
life that I've made, all of which I'm grateful for,
it's because I just so wanted to be truly seen
and heard for who I am and was afraid I wasn't
or wouldn't be. I see you, I hear you, I'm with
you as you are."
Washington is known for being extra private
about her personal life, and she explains that
her caution with sharing too much comes from,
well, once sharing too much with the public.
"Earlier in my career I was much more super-
sharey. There were moments when I wanted to
process things that were happening to me
more privately, and I didn't have the space to
do it, because once you let people in, they're in
and you don't get to say, 'Oh, I want this for
myself.'"