With Kurt Russell, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christoph Waltz, Jamie Foxx, Samuel Jackson, and Don Johnson all locked in for Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, the only missing piece was the lead female. According to Deadline, that role has gone to Kerry Washington, a tall drink of hot chocolate known from her roles in Ray and Last King of Scotland. She’ll play a slave named “Broomhilda.” If you’ll remember, Django was a story inspired by cocaine and Alan Ball’s noisy mynah birds.

Washington will play the long-suffering slave wife of Django (Jamie Foxx), who is freed by a bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) and taught the tricks of that trade. Django’s real desire is to be reunited with his wife, who winds up in a variety of unsavory places and whose travails drive the plot. It leads to a confrontation in Candyland, a ranch owned by the notorious Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Tarantino had his eye on Washington from the beginning, but he was also intrigued with making a discovery in the role, and that led to a long casting search before the director went back to Washington for the female lead.

Calling a wife “long-suffering” always makes her sound like she’s caught up in some kind of wacky sitcom marriage to an incorrible husband. “LOL, not another one of his schemes!” But in this case, I’m guessing the suffering is more on account of the slavery.

“ZIM SQUIM, ALA KAZAAME, NOW ‘BROOMHILDA’ SHALL BE YOUR SLAVE’S NAME!” (*scatters cigarettes, disappears in puff of smoke*)