Binge-watching television shows has its advantages and disadvantages. A huge plus for sitting on the couch for hours on end watching multiple episodes like Orange Is the New Black or House of Cards is that you do not have to wait until the following week in case the episode you are watching ends in a cliffhanger. A huge downside of this practice is that you have to wait even longer before being able to watch fresh episodes of your favorite Netflix series’. Anyway, here are 8 fun facts about the comedy you may not know.
1. Many of the actors have appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Orange Is the New Black is filmed in Rockland County, New York. It is no surprise that many of the cast members of the series have appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, which is shot in New York City, New York. The most notable guest star was Pablo Schreiber (Pornstache), who terrorized Olivia Benson for nine gut-wrenching episodes. Kate Mulgrew (Red) made an appearance in Season 7, Laverne Cox (Sophia) in Season 9, Lea DeLaria (Big Boo) in Season 10, Taryn Manning (Pennsatucky) in Season 12, and Natasha Lyonne (Nicky) in Season 13. Other cast members that have made an SVU appearance include Barbara Rosenblatt (Miss Rosa), Selenis Levya (Gloria), Elizabeth Rodriguez (Aleida), Alysia Reiner (Ms. Figuroa), Nick Sandow (Caputo), Kimiko Glenn (Brook), Constance Shulman (Yoga Jones), Michelle Hurst (Ms. Claudette), and most recently Samira Wiley (Poussey). It almost makes you want to binge-watch all of these SVU episodes again. Maybe if you are lucky, I will feature an article that includes all the episodes!
2. Laverne Cox has a twin brother
Laverne Cox has been a part of Orange IS the New Black since Season 1 and plays transgender character Sophia Burset. She grew up in Mobile, Alabama and has a twin brother named M Lamar. He is a composer, musician, and performer and resides in New York City. M Lamar played the pre-transitioning Sophia in a Season 1 episode of the series that told the backstory of how Sophia wound up in Litchfield.
3. Famous people have directed episodes
Since you do not see them on screen, you may not know that many recognizable faces have worked behind the scenes on Orange Is the New Black. Jodie Foster directed a Season 1 and a Season 2 episode of the series. Andrew McCarthy, who rose to fame in the 80’s by starring in St. Elmo’s Fire and Weekend at Bernie’s, has directed six episodes over the course of three seasons.
4. The series has won numerous accolades
If you are a fan of awards shows like The Primetime Emmy Awards or The Golden Globes, you are aware that Orange Is the New Black has been nominated in numerous categories including Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, and Outstanding Writing. During its first two seasons, the comedy has earned 55 nominations and has taken home a win 22 of those times. Some of the awards the series has won include Uzo Aduba winning an Emmy in the Category of Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon have both taken home Satellite Awards for their work on the show.
5. Inmates can foster dogs
Remember when Big Boo fostered a dog on several episodes of Orange Is the New Black? Prison inmates are able to participate in such programs. This is beneficial for the dog because it will help them from being put down due to the overcrowding of animal shelters. This program will also assist the dogs to begin training to help a human that is blind. An inmate could benefit from the experience by possibly finding a similar job once getting out in prison. The presence of an animal also helps alleviate stress in the prison setting.
6. Connection to Mercy
Do you remember the short-lived NBC drama Mercy? Probably not as it only lasted for 22 episodes between 2009 and 2010. Three of the stars of Orange Is the New Black starred on the series. Taylor Schilling (Piper) played the lead character Nurse Veronica Callahan. The series also featured Michelle Trachtenberg and James Van Der Beek. Kate Mulgrew (Red) played Veronica’s mother in 10 episodes and Michael Chernus who plays Piper’s brother Cal was the brother to Schilling’s character on Mercy as well.
7. It is authentic
Do you just love the prison jumpsuits the woman at Litchfield sport on Orange Is the New Black? Are you wondering where you can purchase some? Probably not, but the prison garb your favorite ladies are wearing in every episode of the series are authentic. They are purchased from prison suppliers.
8. Matt McGorry is a former body builder
It seems like Matt McGorry is all over the place right now. He has appeared in 25 episodes of Orange Is the New Black as security guard John Bennett and will be back for Season 2 of How to Get Away With Murder. He has been appearing in television and movies for almost ten years. Prior to making it big, McGorry was a professional body builder and trainer. If you look hard enough you can find some videos online of him discussing the craft of bodybuilding and flexing his muscles. He even had a website started in 2008 where you could contact him personally to set up a training session.
Do you know any fun facts about Orange Is the New Black? Let us know in the comments section below.
Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Critics’ Choice Television Awards
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