'She always knows a way to win': Kerry Washington reveals she looks up to her Scandal character Olivia Pope as she smolders for Elle

PUBLISHED: 19:12, 15 March 2016 | UPDATED: 19:33, 15 March 2016

Kerry Washington owes a lot to her TV character Olivia Pope.

Not only has that Type A woman helped her make the TV series Scandal a success, but she has also helped the actress in real life.

In the new issue of US Elle, the 39-year-old star said: 'Even though Olivia Pope has obviously made the decision that she is not a mom, playing her made me feel like I could be a mom. Because she knows there's always another way—there's always a way to fix it, there's always a way to solve it, to win.'

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In fine form: Kerry Washington looked pretty in a little dress as she posed on the beach for Elle

Gushy: The 39-year-old star said that playing Olivia Pope in Scandal has inspired her to get things done

She added: 'And I feel like playing her made me feel like, All right, I can do it. I will figure out how to juggle it all.'

The beauty also gushed over show creator Shonda Rhimes.

'She's been such an amazing resource, as a mom, and as a working mom...I am on one show and I have one kid, and she has three shows and kids,' she said.

In her words: She said: 'Even though Olivia has obviously made the decision that she is not a mom, playing her made me feel like I could be a mom'

Pope knows: Kerry also said: 'She knows there's always another way—there's always a way to fix it, there's always a way to solve it, to win'

And even though Kerry has a rule to not talk about her family, she did tell the Elle reporter that her husband of nearly three years, Nnamdi Asomugha, was at home 'listening to the audio version of Rhimes's book, the first-person self-help journey.'

She said: 'We bought it for a bunch of people for Christmas because I feel like it's a little bit of required reading.'

Her Elle cover is coming out just after the star hit a panel at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

Done up: Washington sure knows how to light up a LBD. While stopping by a panel at the South By Southwest Festival in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, the 39-year-old actress showed off her curves in her mini

Her dress was sleeveless and had glamorous daisy diamond buttons down the front below the waist. There were eight in all.

Washington also held onto a black structured handbag with a gold clasp.

Her lips were painted ruby red and her hair was pulled to one side. Large silver hoop earrings proved she is indeed from the Bronx.

Glam slam: Her lips were painted ruby red and her hair was pulled to one side. Large silver hoop earrings proved she is indeed from the Bronx

According to The Hollywood Reporter the star talked about social media while on the panel.

When she was shooting her first season of Scandal, her social media consultant showed her a list of the top-tweeted shows on TV.

'I was like, "I want to be on this list a year from now,"' she said.

She asked Scandal creator Rhimes to get the cast on Twitter.

With a fashion guy: When she was shooting her first season of Scandal, her social media consultant showed her a list of the top-tweeted shows on TV; here she is seen with InStyle editor Ariel Foxman

'To this day, I know we would not have had a second season were it not for social media,' she said. 'There is no way we would be in season five today if it wasn't for social media.'

Twitter and Facebook caught her eye early on. She has more than 3 million followers on Twitter, but follows just 480 accounts.

'I had a movie coming out that I was really proud of and really excited about,' she said.

The film was 2010's For Colored Girls.

On the go: Washington seen at LAX airport in Los Angeles before she headed to the Lone Star state

'I knew it would be a film that required reaching out to the community in a different way,' she added.

'Twitter is really a conversation. So I do occasionally engage with things that people say. Sometimes I post something specifically because I know it will engender action and then, almost for fun, I read comments.'

Some things are off limits though. 'I have these itchy fingers where I want to post a photo of my daughter so instead I send it to my shrink or my mother.

'I want her to be able to make those decisions in her time. She already has a lot to navigate in life as the daughter of an actor and a former football player. She should be able to enter this world in the way that is right for her.'