Which Celebrities Will Attend The DNC? ‘Scandal’ Stars Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn And More

Kerry Washington and Tony Goldwyn are trading the fictional Oval Office of ABC’s Scandal for the real-life political stage of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. This week, they’ll share hosting duties at the DNC alongside actress and comedian Mindy Kaling and The View co-host Ana Navarro.

Starting Monday, August 19, in Chicago, the DNC will feature celebrity hosts each night who will kick off the broadcast with opening marks and make special appearances throughout the evening. Goldwyn will launch the event on Monday, followed by Navarro on Tuesday, Kaling on Wednesday, and Washington wrapping things up on Thursday, The Hollywood Reporter confirmed.

For seven seasons, Goldwyn and Washington starred as President Fitzgerald Grant and crisis manager Olivia Pope, respectively, on ABC’s hit drama Scandal. Currently, Goldwyn stars as Manhattan district attorney Nicholas Baxter on Law & Order, while Washington plays marriage therapist Paige Alexander in Hulu’s UnPrisoned. Kaling is widely recognized for her role as Kelly Kapoor on The Office and for creating popular shows like Never Have I Ever and The Sex Lives of College Girls, among other credits.

This isn’t the first time Washington will speak at the DNC. She previously appeared in 2012 (when Former President Barack Obama accepted the nomination) and 2020 (when President Joe Biden accepted the nomination). As for Goldwyn, in 2016, the actor directed a commercial for the Clinton campaign with stars from the Shondaland universe, including Washington, Ellen Pompeo, Viola Davis, and Shonda Rhimes.

The View co-host Navarro expressed her excitement on Instagram on Sunday about being chosen for the hosting role. “I can’t tell you how much it means to me,” Navarro said in the video. “Look, I’m a little refugee girl who fled Communism, who fled Nicaragua at the age of 8, found freedom, found opportunity, found a home in America. And for me to have the chance to stand on that stage and help my girl Kamala make history and become the Democratic nominee, it’s just such a mind-blowing moment.”

What Other Celebrities Will Be At The DNC?

Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who played the first fictional female vice president of the United States on HBO’s Veep, will host a panel of female Democratic governors on Wednesday. The panel will feature the country’s eight Democratic women governors: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, Maine Gov. Janet Mills, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek.

Stephen Colbert will be airing “The Late Show” in Chicago during the week of the convention. On Monday, the opening date of the DNC, he’ll be joined by Clinton and Louis-Dreyfus. Tuesday’s episode will feature Nancy Pelosi and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, while Wednesday’s show will have Pete Buttigieg and a performance by Chance the Rapper.

Forbes previously reported that celebrities expected to be in Chicago that week, though not confirmed to appear at the convention, include “John Legend (who will headline a party hosted by Pritzker), actress Octavia Spencer (hosting a multi-act concert), Jon Stewart, Uma Thurman, Iain Armitage and Uzo Aduba.”

The Harris campaign told the New York Times that they were “all for celebrities and big-name musical guests,” but they hope that inside the convention, the focus would be on “ordinary Americans carrying Ms. Harris’s message, or going after Mr. Trump.”

What Time Is The DNC Airing Each Night?

The DNC will start on Monday and run through Thursday in Chicago. The convention will begin at 6:15 p.m. ET on Monday and 7 p.m. ET every other day.