Kerry Washington didn’t just play Mia Warren. She inhabited her, side-eye and all.
When Little Fires Everywhere hit Hulu back in 2020, people were ready for a showdown. You had Reese Witherspoon—the queen of "organized-to-a-fault" suburbanites—facing off against Washington’s nomadic, guarded, and fiercely talented artist. It was explosive. But the real story isn't just about the fire at the end of the series. It’s about how Washington’s production company, Simpson Street, took a best-selling novel and turned it into a mirror for our own uncomfortable biases.
Honestly, the show felt like a fever dream for anyone who lived through the '90s. The snack containers, the landlines, the feeling that if you just followed the rules, everything would be fine. But Kerry Washington in Little Fires Everywhere was there to prove that the rules were never designed for everyone.
Why Mia Warren Needed to be Black
In Celeste Ng's original book, Mia's race isn't explicitly defined. It's a huge detail. When Washington and Witherspoon's production teams joined forces, they made a deliberate choice to cast Washington. This wasn't "colorblind casting." It was the opposite. By making Mia a Black mother in the 1990s, the tension in Shaker Heights became about more than just a clash of lifestyles. It became a clash of survival strategies.
Remember that scene where Elena (Witherspoon) offers Mia a job as her "house manager"?
Basically, she's asking Mia to be her maid. Elena thinks she’s being a saint. Mia sees it for exactly what it is: a white woman wanting to feel good about "helping" a Black woman while keeping her in a subordinate position. Washington plays this with a vibrating intensity. Some critics actually called her performance "over the top."
They’re wrong.
When you’re a mother on the run with a secret like Mia’s, you don't have the luxury of being relaxed. Every muscle in Washington's face is doing work. That tight jaw? That’s 15 years of looking over her shoulder.
The Simpson Street Difference
Kerry Washington isn't just an actress anymore. She’s a powerhouse producer. Through her company, Simpson Street, she has a specific mission: to tell stories about people who usually live on the margins. She’s mentioned in interviews that she seeks out "undeniable" projects.
With Little Fires Everywhere, she didn't just show up to act. She was in the writers' room. She was involved in making sure the racial dynamics didn't just graze the surface. If Mia had been white, the story would have been about class. Because Mia is Black, the story is about how race, class, and motherhood intersect to create a trap that's nearly impossible to escape.
The Most Misunderstood Part of the Show
A lot of people finished the series hating both mothers. That's kinda the point.
Elena is easy to dislike because she’s so performative. She schedules her sex life and counts her wine pours. But Mia isn't a "perfect" victim either. She lies to her daughter, Pearl, about her father for over a decade. She’s impulsive. She’s sometimes incredibly harsh.
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Washington’s performance forces you to sit with that discomfort. She doesn't ask for your sympathy; she asks for your acknowledgment. The show suggests that "good" mothers are often just "lucky" mothers—women who had the resources to not have to make the impossible choices Mia had to make.
Key differences from the book you should know:
- The Race Factor: As mentioned, the book leaves Mia’s race ambiguous, while the show centers it.
- The Ending: No spoilers, but the show changes who starts the fire and why. It turns it into a more collective act of rebellion among the Richardson children.
- Izzy and Mia: The bond between Elena’s youngest daughter and Mia is much more visceral on screen. Washington plays the mentor role with a heartbreaking softness that she rarely shows to anyone else.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Acting
There was a lot of chatter on Reddit and Twitter about Washington’s "facial expressions." You’ve probably seen the memes. But if you look at the subtext, Mia is an artist who communicates through visual medium because she can't afford to use her words. Every twitch is a word she can't say.
In a world where she is constantly being "helped" or "monitored" by the wealthy white people of Shaker Heights, her face is her only fortress. Washington is playing a woman who is essentially a walking open wound, trying to pretend she’s made of stone. It’s a masterclass in internalizing trauma.
Lessons from the Shaker Heights Disaster
So, what do we actually take away from Kerry Washington in Little Fires Everywhere?
First, privilege isn't just about what you have; it's about what you don't have to worry about. Elena doesn't have to worry about her past being used to take her children away. Mia does.
Second, the show is a reminder that "well-intentioned" people can do a massive amount of damage. Elena thinks she’s a good person. She thinks she’s an ally. But her "help" is always conditional on Mia staying in her place.
How to apply this to your own viewing:
- Watch the eyes: In the scenes between Washington and Witherspoon, notice how rarely they actually look at each other as equals.
- Look for the art: Pay attention to the pieces Mia creates. They aren't just props; they are the only places where Mia is actually honest.
- Question the "Rules": Every time Elena mentions a rule, ask yourself who that rule actually protects.
The show hasn't aged a day since 2020. If anything, it’s more relevant. We’re still having these exact same arguments about who gets to be a mother and what "perfection" looks like in a society that is fundamentally unequal.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to understand the depth of Washington's work, go back and watch Confirmation (the Anita Hill story). You can see the seeds of Mia Warren’s resilience there. Also, check out the podcast Unlocking Us where Washington and Witherspoon talk about the "labor of the work." It’ll give you a whole new perspective on how much they actually risked to make this show as uncomfortable as it needed to be.
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Practical Action: Re-watch Episode 6, "The Uncanny." It’s the flashback episode. It explains Mia's "why" in a way that makes her actions in the present day feel inevitable rather than just erratic. It’s the key to the whole performance.