Kerry Washington Achieves Her Dad’s ‘Bucket List’ Goal with Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: ‘Really Special’ (Exclusive)

Kerry Washington is making her father proud!

Moments after she was inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 2, the Scandal alum, 47, exclusively told PEOPLE how her milestone achievement had long been one of her father Earl Washington‘s dreams.

“It was kind of a bucket list achievement for my dad,” she said of the honor. “I think it was something my dad had always dreamed of and asked me about, and so it was really special to be able to be here today to share this moment with my parents and to have them be here with me.”

On Dec. 2, Washington was honored with the 2,796th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her achievements in television. As her name became cemented into entertainment history, her parents, Earl and Valerie Washington, watched proudly. Her longtime friends and colleagues, Tyler Perry and Shonda Rhimes, were also in attendance and shared heartwarming speeches about her legacy.

During her own remarks, Washington shared how receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame had been a full circle moment for her and her family, who immigrated from Jamaica with the hopes of making it big.

“Once upon a time, years later, decades later, that same uncle Cliff all grown up came to Los Angeles on a vacation with his wife Vicky, and he found a star somewhere on the Walk of Fame with his last name on it,” she recalled, adding that her mother’s maiden name was Moss.

“Maybe it was Jerry Moss or Elizabeth Moss. We don’t really know exactly who it was because he used his body and the angle of the camera to cover the first name or the real recipient,” she shared with a laugh. “And all you could see was his proud smile and ‘Moss’ with a star all around it.”

In that moment, Washington said her uncle Cliff “was a star,” adding, “He made it all the way from Simpson Street to Hollywood because just like his parents, he dared to dream. My mom and dad also taught me to dream.”

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“Here we are, mom, dad, can you believe it? An actual star. You made a wish and it came true,” she continued, thanking them for allowing her to “dream” and “pursue.”

“Now I am swirling in a galaxy of other stars, all encouraging each other to shine brightly and to light the way for somebody else’s dreams,” she explained. “It’s fun for me to imagine some kid with the last name Washington, or maybe the first name, Kerry, using their pose in a selfie to cover up half of my name to make room for their legacy.”