Kerry Washington had ''serious hustle going on'' before she made it as an actress.

The 37-year-old star studied for a degree in anthropology and sociology before pursuing a career in acting and she's revealed that during the year she gave herself to try and secure her first role, she was working a number of jobs.

When asked whether it was true that she was teaching yoga at the time, she confessed: ''I was, yes. I lived in India right after college and got certified to teach. I was also a supply teacher for New York City public schools. I loved it.

''I had to limit myself to teaching no more than three days in a row at the same school so I wouldn't be seduced.

''Oh, and I was working in a restaurant. I had serious hustle going on.''

The 'Scandal' actress - who admits her parents wanted her to become a lawyer because they were ''terrified'' of her being a failed actor - claims she learnt a lot from her mother and father when she was growing up.

Quizzed on how her parents influenced her, she told Stylist magazine: ''They influenced me immensely. I've learned very different things from each of them. My mother is more of a quiet soul but she walks in the world with a great deal of grace, intelligence, refinement and dignity.

''I've tried to embody those things in the best way I can. My dad is much more gregarious. He is one of the most generous spirits I've ever met and he truly is interested in the people and the world around him.''