Orange Is The New Black: Real Life

Let’s just start by getting things out in the open: We love Orange Is The New Black. We love the sassy prison humour, the strong female characters, and yes, even the underwear smuggling.

It’s just that good. Of course, the cast of the show takes up the biggest place in our hearts as we watch them try, struggle, succeed and fail within the show. We know that these characters aren’t real, but the actors do such an incredible job that we want to believe it. So, why not celebrate their amazing talent by learning more about the individuals behind the inmates.

Here’s just some of our favourites (we know we’ve missed some but these girls are the stand-outs for us!)

Piper Chapman is Taylor Schilling

The most obvious difference between Piper and Taylor is clearly Taylor has the glamour that Piper is missing out on. Obviously prison is not a great place to keep your style up, but where Piper falls short in Orange is the New Black (OITNB), her real life person more than makes up for it. As well as being loved in her OITNB role, Taylor has experienced the big screen in both Dark Matter (her debut in 2007), The Lucky One, and Argo. She was nominated for the Golden Globe of Best Acress in a Television Series for her work in OITNB.

Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren is Uzo Aduba

You might not be aware of this, but Uzo Aduba is one multi-talented chick. Not only did she run track in high school and college, she’s also a classically trained vocalist who can sing opera. Originally, she auditioned to play Janae Watson, a track star who made a mistake and ended up in prison. But, during her audition she obviously exuded something else, and was cast as Crazy Eyes. Despite the moniker on the show, Uzo is a stunning actress who has undertaken work in film, television and on stage.

Sophia Burset is Laverne Cox

Laverne Cox is a powerhouse, both on screen as style guru and prison wisdom well Sophia Burset, and off screen as a trans activist and identity. She was the first openly transgender performer to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy, but she actually started her career in reality television. Well, Laverne has certainly come a long way from there, and she’s now the amazing heart of OITNB that we’ve all come to love. Laverne has a twin brother named M Lamar, who played Sophia in her pre-transitioning scenes. Of course one thing hasn’t changed, she’s just as glamorous no matter where we see her!

Alex Vause is Laura Prepon

Laura Prepon is no stranger to the screen. In fact, you’ve probably seen her throughout the years as Donna Pinciotti on the television series That ’70s Show which ran from 1998 to 2006. Since the show wrapped she’s been popping up here and there, before she finally took off on Orange is the New Black. Like her character Alex, Laura is sarcastic and sultry, and we love her. She has a passion for poker, participating in charity tournaments and even appearing on a poker reality show under the poker name Red Dragon.

Red is Kate Mulgrew

We’ve been with Red from the start, as she made her way from the Queen Bay of the prison, all the way to rock bottom. We’ve shared her triumphs and failures as she clawed her way up to the top, and we’ve loved it. She might be tough on the show, but the woman behind her, Kate Mulgrew, isn’t afraid to bare it all. In her recent memoir Born With Teeth she tells the story of her decision to give up her daughter for adoption in the late 1970s, and how she reunited with her years later.

Nicky is Natasha Lyonne

If you’re looking for someone who personifies their character, it’s Natasha Lyonne who plays reformed drug addict Nicky. Raised Orthodox in New York City, she started acting when she was just 6 years old. After being cast at 16 into a Woody Allen film, life started to go a little haywire. Like her character, Lyonne had problems with addiction, and was arrested for threatening her neighbour in 2004 and evicted. She found herself in intensive care in 2005, suffering from Hepatitis C, a collapsed lung and a heart infection. In 2006 she got back on the straight and narrow, and is working to stay there.

Pennsatucky is Taryn Manning

Now that Pennsatucky has all her teeth, we don’t find her so discomforting! So, imagine our surprise when we learnt that Taryn Manning, who plays the hillbilly character, is entirely different off screen. Although she is known for her acting career, having appeared in Crossroads (2002) with Britney Spears and 8 Mile (2002) alongside Eminem. But, she’s also a musician, and one part of the band Boomkat with her brother Kellin. She’s currently working on her solo career, as well as rocking it on OITNB.

Sister Ingalls is Beth Fowler

Sister Ingalls is something of an anomaly on Orange is the New Black, a kind of moral compass that herself is remarkably flawed. Despite this, we love her and we’re loving the woman behind her as well. Beth Fowler is no stranger to success, having been a Broadway rockstar for more than 40 years. She is a two-time Tony nominee thanks to her role as Mrs. Potts in Beauty and the Beast and she even played Mrs. Lovett in the 1989 revival of Sweeny Todd. If you think she suits a habit you’re certainly correct, she’s already played a nun in both Sister Act and Sister Act 2!

Norma is Annie Golden

One of the biggest surprises in Season 3 of Orange is the New Black is Norma’s rise to cult power among the ladies. What’s more of a surprise is that this isn’t the first time that the actress that plays her has had a legion of followers. She debuted in the 70s as the lead singer of punk band The Shirts, and then performed in the early 90s as part of the duo Golden Carillo, releasing three albums. She’s also been seen in a number of films spanning from 1979 to present day.

Who is your favourite OITNB character?