Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Khandi Alexander to play Olivia Pope's mom on 'Scandal'



Scandal just got juicier -- if that's even possible.

Khandi Alexander has been cast as Olivia Pope's (Kerry Washington) long-dead mom on TV's hottest prime time soap.

As we found out last week, Olivia's mother was aboard a civilian airliner that was blown out of the sky as part of Operation Remington, the same shadowy operation, it appears, that got President Kennedy killed for asking too many questions.

What?????

If that's not bad enough, we also learned that Olivia's main squeeze, Fitz The President (Tony Goldwyn) was the guy who shot down the plane under orders from Olivia's evil father (Joe Morton).

What: Part II?????

So, that means Olivia's mom, Maya Lewis, will only be seen in flashbacks. But that's OK as long as she's being played by Alexander.

Talk about a casting coup. Alexander is a fierce actress who has been underrated way too long. Just go back and check out her work on HBO's compelling miniseries The Corner as a tough-talking mom trying to go straight to her powerful role on Treme as a bar owner in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Too bad CBS never really recognized Alexander's talent. I'm still upset at the CSI: Miami writers for never giving her Dr. Alex Woods character anything to do except talk to dead bodies in a loving tone.

"It's gonna be alright, bay-bay" was about the extent of Alexander's lines on that show.

Speaking of lines, Alexander, had the best one in CB4, a "rockumentary" film that covered the rise of a fictitious rap group headed by Chris Rock's MC Gusto. In the movie, Alexander played Sissy, a gangsta rap-loving hoochie who slept with hip hop stars -- and took pictures to prove it.



After giving MC Gusto's wiry frame the once over Sissy, rolling her eyes to the max, blurted, "Small men drown in my s--t."

Yes, that's the kind of sass and 'tude I want Alexander to bring to Scandal.


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