As the star of ABCs hit series Scandal, Kerry Washington knows a thing or two about political scandals. The wild crap that unfolds on that show make the real-life 1991 trial pitting Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas against Anita Hill tame by comparison, but there were enough crazy moments that the case has gone down in infamy. Now HBO is bringing that story to the small screen with Confirmation, and they've got Washington taking on the role of Hill.
Penned by Susannah Grant (Erin Brockovich), Confirmation will center on the controversial court case that was like a Murderer's Row of hot-button issues. Thomas was looking to be the next Supreme Court justice, and as an African-American his nomination was already being put under the microscope. He was accused of sexual harassment by Hill, who worked under him at the Department of Education. The case was racked by claims of racism against both Thomas and Hill, plus this was one of the first high-profile trials (that I can remember) where victim shaming really became part of the national discussion. Thomas called the entire process a "high tech lynching", she talked about pubic hair on soda cans...it was crazy. And after it was over Hill became something of a pariah while he was (unfortunately) confirmed for the Supreme Court.
Washington will also exec-produce the film which is currently seeking out directors. The frontrunner appears to be Rick Famuyiwa who is hot right now after the glowing response at Sundance for his urban comedy, Dope.
I'm surprised it took HBO this long to get around to telling this story. Hopefully this leads people to check out the terrific 2013 documentary, Anita, which brought Hill out of the shadows for the first time in years.
