Orange is the New Black is one of Netflix's most successful original shows. Debuting in 2013, the series is on its 6th season and going onto its 7th.
Funny, heartwarming, and emotionally driven, OITNB is a truly unique show that features a diverse cast of women.
Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison, the series showcases the issues that challenge woman inside and outside prison.
Jenji Kohan was just finishing up her hit show Weeds when she started to shop for a new series. Kohan was, and is, interested in telling women’s stories and, thankfully, Kerman’s story was a perfect fit. Six years later, the show has earned six Emmys and 19 nominations.
The show has gone on to advocate for women’s rights and prison reform while still being entertaining. Much like Netflix’s other show, House of Cards, OITNB helped revolutionize television for streaming services, lending credibility to the platform.
The show is written, produced, and made by women, and has opened the door for more female lead shows on television.
Although Netflix does not release viewership information, it is obvious that OITNB has gained quite a significant following. The show is a critical hit and cultural phenomena.
However, the stories behind the camera can be just as exciting, if not more interesting.
With that said, here are the 20 Wild Facts Behind The Making Of Orange Is the New Black!
Uzo Aduba Almost Quit Acting The Day She Was Hired
Uzo Aduba is an incredibly talented actor. Her portrayal of the endearing Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren has nabbed her two Emmy’s and two Screen Actors Guild Awards.
However, this almost didn't happen.
Before she was picked for the iconic role, Aduba didn't have much luck getting parts. She was turned down often and was starting to lose hope.
Sometime after she auditioned for the show, she assumed that she wasn’t going to get a role and decided that she was done with acting for good.
She quit acting and her dream, and decided to start a different career path and go to law school.
However, an hour later she got a call - her representative had called to say that she got a part in the show.
Katie Holmes almost played Piper
For any show or movie, there are usually multiple actors who are considered for key roles. Most of the time, the first choice is not the actor who ends up taking the role.
OITNB is no different. Taylor Schilling was not the first choice for Piper.
Instead, it was Katie Holmes. Jenji Kohan had been a huge fan of her wok on Dawson’s Creek and thought she would be a perfect fit for the role.
Holmes was even in talks with Kohan. However, ultimately she was too busy with other projects and couldn’t take the part.
Perhaps this was for the better, as Schilling has taken ownership of the role and has embraced the role in a way that Holmes may not have been able too.
One Of The Writers Left Her Husband & Married Samira Wiley
Lauren Morelli, a writer for the show, had perhaps one of the most unique experiences behind the scenes of OITNB.
She began writing for the show shortly after she married to her husband.
During the two years that they were married, Morelli discovered that she was gay.
"Five months after my wedding, I flew to New York to start production on my first episode of Orange, and from that moment on, my life fell into a parallel rhythm with Piper's story in a way that went from interesting to terrifying in a matter of months," Morelli said.
After she divorced her husband, she began dating Samira Wiley who plays Poussey Washington.
The two wed in May of 2017 and Morelli has been enjoying her new life with Wiley ever since.
The Real Alex Vause Wants Fans To Know The Show Is Fiction
Although the show is based on the real-life experience of Piper Kerman, it diverges far from the source material.
For example, the real Alex Vause (Catherine Cleary Wolters), was not in the same prison as Piper. Though they were temporarily put in the same prison while they were on trail, they rarely saw each other.
Despite what the show depicts, the two never had any intimate encounters in prison.
Wolters also wanted to make it clear that she did not turn Kerman into a lesbian. “I was not Piper’s first, and I certainly did not [allure] her,” she said.
While the show depicts an innocent Pipper who was brought into a world of crime and ion by accident, according to Wolters, Kerman knew exactly what she was doing.
Jenji Kohan Got The Rights To The Book By Being A Fan
Piper Kerman had an interesting story to tell the world, and of course, many Hollywood producers were intrigued.
Producers would meet with Kerman, trying to sell what they have done and how they would be the best person to take creative control of her story.
However, Jenji Kohan took a different approach, though this was purely by accident.
Instead of selling herself, Kohan just asked questions, as she wanted to know where the other prisoners were now and how certain things really played out.
“Apparently, because I had all these questions and I was enthusiastic, that’s what made her say yes to me,” Kohan said.
Her genuine interested in the story was what got her the rights and what has made OITNB the success it is today.
Crazy Eyes Was Originally Slated For Just 2 Or 3 Episodes
Uzo Aduba is not only a fan-favorite - she is also a celebrated and award-winning actress due to her portrayal of the eccentric inmate.
Crazy Eyes is a staple of the show and a definite stand out among the cast of characters.
However, she was not originally meant to be a recurring character.
“When I first got the job, I was only supposed to do two episodes, possibly a third and a chance of there being a fourth,” Aduba stated.
After the producers saw how amazing she was on screen, though, they decided to promote her to a series regular and asked her back to film more episodes.
“I sincerely thought they meant I was gonna get to do the third episode… No idea that we were going to continue on then for the rest of the season,” Aduba said.
Red’s Accent Wasn’t Supposed To Be So Strong
Kate Mulgrew portrays Red, the group's prison mother and cook. She is fierce, loving, and distinctive - from her red hair to her thick Russian accent.
However, she wasn’t originally supposed to have such a heavy accent.
When Mulgrew first auditioned for the part, there was a small description of Galina “Red” Reznikov.
“It was a tiny page and it said at the top, ‘Just a hint of a Russian accent. She’s been in America since she was 2,’” Mulgrew said.
“That’s not at all what came into my mind. A real peasant came into my mind,” she stated.
She made a creative choice for the character and has been sporting the Russian accent ever since.
Laura Prepon Directed Two Episodes
Although it has been claimed that the two episodes of OITNB that Laura Prepon directed were her directorial debut, this is false. She also directed a TV movie called Neighbors in 2011.
However, the episodes she directed for OITNB were a more meaningful experience for her. It was a challenge to direct scenes while also acting in them.
Describing what it was like, Prepon stated, "I’m wrapped on the floor with my legs and arms bound and with duct tape over my mouth, and I’m having to be Alex, but I’m watching Brad give Piscatella’s monologue and I’m also directing him."
She continued: "While I’m sitting on the floor bound and gagged, I’m also in my head thinking, 'In the next take I want him to do this.'"
Prepon probably learned a lot from the experience.
Hackers Tried To Extort Netflix By Leaking Episodes Of Season 5
In April of 2017, a hacker group known as Thedarkoverlord released 10 episodes of OITNB after a they failed to extort Netflix for money.
Post-production company Larson Studios had been hacked in late 2016 and the hackers claimed that they had unaired shows from Netflix, ABC, Fox, National Geographic, and IFC.
Netflix received a threat that stated that the hackers would release 10 episodes of the series two months earlier if they didn’t pay.
However, Netflix chose to ignore the thread, allowing the group to release the episodes. Unfortunately for the hackers, they gained nothing from this and soon turned to other stations.
There have been a few arrests in connection to the group, but otherwise little progress has been made to stop them.
Alysia Reiner Volunteers For The Women's Prison Association (WPA)
Alysia Reiner plays the morally dubious Natalie "Fig" Figueroa. Throughout the show, Fig is quick to dehumanize the inmates and always s the prison system.
However, nothing could be further from the truth in real life.
Off screen, Reiner is an activist for prison reform and spends a lot of time working with the Women’s Prison Association.
Reiner believes that her activism and participation in the show are connected, as the show tries to expose all of the issues that women in prison face daily.
Reiner has also encouraged other cast to volunteer with the WPA.
"I love what they do," stated Reiner. "As I've met more and more of the women they've impacted, I've realized what a gift it is to be part of this work."