18 facts that will change the way you watch Orange Is the New Black
Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black arrived in 2013 and changed conventions about television viewing. It quickly became one of the most popular and critically acclaimed series of the year. Set in a women’s prison, the character-driven show combines drama and comedy through a cast with fascinating backstories.
The show returns on June 6th for its second season. These 18 facts provide context for the series.
Origins and production
The series is based on the 2010 memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman. Kerman served time in a correctional facility for money laundering and drug trafficking.
Jodie Foster directed the first season episode Lesbian Request Denied. This episode revealed the backstory of Sophia, a transgender inmate played by Laverne Cox. Actor Andrew McCarthy, known for Pretty in Pink and St. Elmo’s Fire, also directed several episodes.
Pre-transitional Sophia was played by M. Lamar, the twin brother of actress Laverne Cox.
Opening credits and music
The women in the opening credits are not actresses. They are all incarcerated in real life. To capture a range of emotion, they were asked to visualize a peaceful place, a person who makes them laugh or something they would like to forget.
The theme song, You’ve Got Time, is performed by Regina Spektor. She wrote it specifically for the show. The opening sequence is available here.
Cast backgrounds
Constance Shulman plays Yoga Jones. She previously voiced Patti Mayonnaise on the 1990s cartoon Doug.
Annie Golden plays the silent kitchen assistant Norma Romano. She was a pop star in the 1980s. Her song Hang Up the Phone appeared on the Sixteen Candles soundtrack and can be heard here.
The woman who inspired the character Tiffany ‘Pennsatucky’ Doggett is a friend of Piper Kerman. Kerman describes her as perceptive and sensitive. This differs from the on-screen portrayal.
Taryn Manning, who portrays Pennsatucky, is the cousin of NFL stars Eli and Peyton Manning.
George ‘Pornstache’ Mendez wears a fake mustache.
Uzo Aduba plays Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ Warren. She is a Broadway actress. The Shakespearean monologues delivered by her character refer to this background.
Danielle Brooks plays Tasha ‘Taystee’ Jefferson. She graduated from the Juilliard School. This is her first recurring role.
References and real life
The show references previous roles of the cast. These include Kate Mulgrew’s time in Star Trek and Jason Biggs’ role in American Pie.
Larry Smith is the real-life version of Larry Bloom. He wrote the piece for The New York Times mentioned in the show. It can be read here.
The role of public radio host Maury Kind was offered to Ira Glass. He declined and Robert Stanton took the role.
Creator Jenji Kohan also created the series Weeds. References to that show appear as easter eggs in the background.
The series has been renewed for a third season.
