You may think you know all there is to know about the characters of Netflix’ hit series, Orange Is The New Black, but it’s time to get familiar with the females portraying the barefaced beauties. Here are some fun facts we bet you didn’t know about each of the cast members.
Did you know that Elizabeth Rodriguez…
1. Has no children, unlike her character, who has five
2. Was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Play
3. Will star in an upcoming film, Animal Rescue, which is also the last project to star James Gandolfini before his death
4. Is often cast as a detective or cop
Did you know that Uzo Aduba….
1. Originally auditioned for the role of track runner Janae
2. Is a die-hard loyal Red Sox fan
3. Was an original revival cast member of the Broadway play Godspell
4. Ran in the recent ING NYC marathon to help raise money for cancer
5. Doesn’t actually have crazy eyes
Did you know that Laverne Cox….
1. Is the first transgender woman of color to produce and star in her own TV show, TRANSform Me
2. Graduated from Marymount College in Manhattan
3. Is a trained opera singer
4. Was a contestant on VH1’s I Want To Work For Diddy
5. Has a real life twin brother who played the role of Sophia before her transformation
Did you know that Dascha Polanco…
1. Credits OITNB as being her first major role
2. Spent her “maturing” years in Miami
3. Landed her first acting gig as a bipolar single teen mom in the film Gimme Shelter
4. Is engaged and a mother of three
5. Was a nursing student, but dropped out to work at a 9-5 at the Bronx Hospital
Did you know that Taryn Manning…
1. Is the lead singer and founder of pop-rock band Boomkat
2. Was first afraid of getting typecast for down-and-out or crackhead-ish roles
3. Cousins with NFL players Peyton and Eli Manning
4. Part owner of clothing line Born Unique
5. Was Nola in the movie Hustle and Flow
Did you know that Danielle Brooks…
1. Landed a role in the upcoming Season 3 of HBO’s Girls and will be the cast’s first black female character
2. Graduated from Julliard in 2011
3. Got her start acting in church plays
4. Is originally from South Carolina but made her way to NYC to pursue acting
Did you know that Selenis…
1. Dreams of joining the cast of SNL
2. Has a daughter and they’re both huge fans of Selena Gomez
3. Lent her voice to the 2009 movie Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, its 2012 sequel Ice Age: Continental Drift and 2013’s Epic.
4. Had a few scenes in the HBO series Girls as Lena Dunham’s co-worker
5. Starred in the popular Nickelodeon show Taina
Photo Credit: Caravan
Did you know that Vicki Jeudy…
1. Never curses
2. Is originally from Queens, NY and is of Haitian descent
3. First got her dose of the entertainment world competing in beauty pageants
4. Shocks her fans because she’s super sweet and bubbly unlike her character
5. Is a huge humanitarian
Did you know that Yael Stone…
1. Was born and raised in Australia
2. Has lived in NYC for two years and thinks it smells like pee
3. Co-founded an experimental theater company
4. Landed her role as Lorna only four months after moving to New York
5. Was once completely bald for a role
Photo Credit: Everett
Did you know that Jessica Pimentel…
1. Is from Brooklyn and of Dominican and Native American descent
2. Traveled across the United States, Canada and Japan as a classical violinist and punk rock musician
3. Landed recurring roles on Law & Order and the soap opera All My Children
4. Knows many styles of dance and martial arts
5. Studied theology and practices Buddhism