Kerry Washington "stumbled" into discovering that her dad wasn't her biological father.

The 48-year-old actress previously learned that she was conceived using a sperm donor, after her parents keep it secret from her for decades - and Kerry now considers the revelation to be "a pivotal moment" in her life.

She told InStyle: "It was the perfect time, right? It wasn't planned. We stumbled into this revealing, but when I think about the perfect way things unfold when we're lucky, I was at such a pivotal moment in my life. I was open to redefining myself, what I want, and where I'm going.

"My mom said she felt like the thing that had changed in our family was that we were less afraid to hurt one another. That was so powerful and profound because it speaks to the inevitable heartache that comes with love. This journey that we've been on for the past few years has really made us all more courageous about being who we really are and standing in our truth with lots of love and compassion."

Kerry shared the news with the world in her 2023 memoir. And the actress believes that the revelation has actually made her feel more courageous than ever.

She explained: "As a teenager, acting was so much about escaping myself. I was so uncomfortable in my own skin. In my 20s and early 30s, I started looking for myself in these characters. I didn't know what I didn't know, but I knew that there was something missing.

"When I got this information, this little bit of freedom got planted in my heart. I felt really emboldened. There was a security that came from knowing my full truth that empowered me to be more courageous about taking on characters and stories. I've gotten more permission to just play."

Kerry believes the discovery has made her a better actress, too.

The Hollywood star - who has already enjoyed huge success in her career - said: "When you're lucky, the work is about figuring out how to grapple with hard truths. I now have an experience of grappling with some hard truths."