Kerry Washington gets two-day hangovers because she's such a "lightweight".

The 38-year-old actress admits she's nothing like her fixer character, Olivia Pope from TV show Scandal and if she hits the booze in a big way, it takes her a long time to get back to feeling her best.

Alter ego

In an interview with SELF magazine, she revealed: "I'm such a lightweight that if I drink, it takes me a couple of days to recover. So I prefer to do it on a beach, not when I have a three-page monologue the next day."

Although she can't match her alter ego's drinking prowess, Kerry is convinced aspects of her character, Olivia, have seeped into her own personality.

The screen star - who has 16-month-old daughter Isabelle with her husband, Nnamdi Asomugha - added: "It makes my heart smile to think that maybe part of the reason I'm taking all this on is because of Olivia. She truly believes that she can handle every situation, and I do feel that has bled into my life. I have more of a sense of my capacity to do anything. Of course, the actress isn't like her character in all aspects."