'Scandal' Sneak Peek: Lena Dunham (and Her Wig) Is Olivia Pope's Problem
What’s it like to meet your idol in real life? For Lena Dunham, guest starring on Scandal was a dream come true. For her character, encountering Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) is an absolute nightmare.
The Girls creator and star is appearing on the ABC drama — one of her favorites — this week, and already, she’s causing a firestorm of discussion (when has Dunham ever done something and not caused one?). Mostly, the talk is about her dreadful auburn wig — which Dunham said “looks better on screen than it does in photos.”
In the episode, Dunham plays Kinky Sue, a woman who writes a juicy, salacious tell-all about the politicians she’s had sex with — including ambassadors and senators. In this exclusive sneak peek, Olivia is trying to shut the whole thing down.
“Do you know what they’re going to call you? What they call somebody who gets paid millions of dollars for what they did?” Olivia asks.
“You mean, a whore?” Sue responds with a shrug, then proceeds to call Olivia “weak.” GASP.
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Sue continues, “You make Rumsfeld look like a nanny, that’s how badass you are. You and Ruth Bader Ginsberg are all we’ve got.”
But now? Olivia is nothing more than a “dried-up prude.” #OhNoSheDidn’t!
The clip also gives us a better look at the wig, which Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes admitted is “a crazy choice.”
“But it’s a choice, but it’s there,” she told Vulture. And surprise, surprise (not) — it was Dunham’s idea! “Lena’s fantastic. It’s been really great having her, it’s a really fun episode. It has a very surprising ending. It’s a good time.”
Lena Dunham, with Kerry Washington on the set of Scandal: “Finally at liberty to reveal this pic of me on the #scandal set as “Kinky Sue” with my true @lenadunham
Scandal airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. on ABC.