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'Scandal' fans think Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki looks just like the show's fictional White House spokesperson

scandal Abby Whelan  Darby Stanchfield jen psaki press secretary
Darby Stanchfield as fictional press secretary Abby Whelan on "Scandal" season five; Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki on January 20. Michael Desmond/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
  • "Scandal" fans think Biden's new press secretary Jen Psaki looks just like Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield).

  • Stanchfield, the fictional press secretary, picked up on the comparisons.

  • The actress tweeted advice to Psaki, including: "Don't get power hungry" and "don't cry."

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

On Inauguration Day, the new White House press secretary Jen Psaki gave her first briefing of President Joe Biden's administration.

Not long after Psaki spoke with members of the press on January 20, fans of the ABC drama series "Scandal" pointed out her apparent resemblance to the show's fictional press secretary, Abby Whelan (Darby Stanchfield).

People pointed out the coincidence that both the "Scandal" star and Psaki sport red hair - and some suggested Stanchfield as a "Saturday Night Live" guest to portray the new White House press secretary.

Stanchfield seemed to pick up on the resemblance, too.

The actress on Friday shared a side-by-side picture from the series and of Psaki, as well a few pieces of advice with her real-life counterpart. She wove in references from the Shonda Rhimes-produced show, which aired on ABC from 2012 until 2018 and is available on Hulu.

"If your boss forgets your name, slap a name tag on. (Fitz called me 'Gabby' for WEEKS)," Stanchfield wrote, mentioning the show's President Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn).

She added: "Don't get power hungry & try to get your friend killed. It won't go well."

Read more: The Biden administration may be historically diverse, but almost half of its staffers hold Ivy League degrees

"No such thing as too much hairspray. Ever," Stanchfield continued. "Best, 'Red' aka Sassy Abby Whelan."

In another tweet, the actress wrote: "No crying."

Psaki didn't appear to respond to Stanchfield's message, but it's not her first go-around in the White House briefing room.

Prior to joining the Biden administration, Psaki was the White House communications director in 2015 and 2016 under President Barack Obama. Before that, Psaki ran daily press briefings as a State Department spokesperson from 2013 until 2015, according to USA Today. She also held other communications roles during Obama's first term as president.

A Connecticut native, she graduated from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, according to USA Today.

On Inauguration Day, Psaki vowed to "bring truth and transparency back to the briefing room."

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