Kerry Washington plays Olivia Pope in the ABC drama Scandal but the lead role almost went to actress Gabrielle Union, the latter revealed in a recent interview.

Union said she lost out on playing Pope during an interview with The Associated Press. She also noted how the popularity of the show set the stage for acceptable strong, likable black female leads.

"I said to myself, 'Oh my God, these roles are out there,'" Gabrielle told the AP. "It showed me that you don't have to settle. Luckily, the success of her and the show bred more work. Just from the audition process, I knew that I couldn't go backward."

Union stars in the movie/TV series Being Mary Jane, which premiered July 2 on BET as a film that leads into a series in January 2014. She plays a TV anchor who struggles to juggle work, her relationship and family. Union is not bitter about Washington getting the Scandal role, saying she is excited about other opportunities that came her way since then.

"I didn't get Scandal, but I got something better - which is my own show," she said. "It's all about building a legacy. This new opportunity is something I feel that can grow."

Union told Extra recently that she is considering motherhood in the near future.

"I always knew I was going to wait really long, and I followed the Halle Berry example, and I think in the next couple of years, if I'm lucky, I will make that a reality, hopefully," she said.

Her longtime boyfriend, Miami Heat basketball player Dwayne Wade, is a father of two. Union focused on making a career for herself early on and now wants to take the next step and have a family. She feels being an "older mom" in the industry she works in is not taboo because so many women do it. She knew building up her career and waiting to be a mother was the right step for her to take.

"There's such a huge support to start a family a little bit older, and it's okay," she said. "I knew I wasn't going to be the kind of parent I would want to be. I would be way too selfish and resent having to miss out on things. Now, I'm in a place where I'm happy and still wanting adventure, but I want part of that adventure to include a child."

Tags: scandal Kerry Washington Gabrielle Union