Kerry Washington looks in the mirror, approves of the precise waves just added to her hair with a styling iron, and smiles at her hair and makeup team. “You can stand down now,” she says.

Suffice to say that, folks, it’s handled.

The same can be said for Washington herself. After years of supporting parts in 2006’sThe Last King of Scotland and 2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Washington has two Emmy nominati