Sometimes it isn't until later in life that an actress really blooms. While she had a number of minor roles from 2004 onwards, it took Kerry Washington 35 years of her life to have a TV breakthrough in Scandal. As Olivia Pope she has grabbed the attention of viewers and critics alike, and has been nominated for two Emmy awards, a Screen Actors Guild award, and a Golden Globe.
In Scandal, she plays a crisis management expert working with the most powerful politicians in the US. When the makeup comes off, she faces a complexion crisis of her own. The TV must have her taught her well, though. Somehow she loses none of that natural glow and enduring beauty, and her eyes still speak volumes. The greatest shock is that she hasn't been discovered sooner.