Everyone knows actress Samira Wiley from her time on Orange Is the New Black. She killed her role as Poussey Washington, and her fans thought it was next to impossible for the actress to find another role that would allow her to shine nearly as bright as this amazing role did. After all, how often does an actress find two amazing primetime roles that allow her to change from one character to another and still make such a profound statement? Well, fans were wrong because she took on the role of Moira on The Handmaid’s Tale, and she’s made that role every bit as fabulous as her OITNB role – it not even more fabulous. Now fans want to know every single thing there is to know about the lovely and talented Ms. Samira Wiley, actress extraordinaire.
1. She is Young
Samira Wiley was born in the late 1980s. She was born on April 15, 1987, which makes her 34 as of 2021. She was born in Washington, D.C., where she lived with her mom, her dad, and her two siblings. The only thing we don’t know is where she falls in line with her siblings. Is she the oldest, the middle, the youngest? We simply don’t know.
2. She is the Daughter of a Pastor
More specifically, Wiley is the daughter of two pastors. Both her mother and father worked together as co-pastors. Her mother is Christine. Her father is Dennis. Together, they led the Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ. Their church was the only church in the D.C. area that performed unions of the same-sex variety in 2007. Wiley calls her parents not only pillars of the community, but pillars of the LGBT religious community as well.
3. She’s a College Grad
Wiley received one of the most impressive educations. She first attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. It is located in Washington D.C., near where she grew up and spent her entire childhood. However, she then transferred to the Juilliard School in NYC. As you well know, Juilliard is one of the most impressive, most prestigious schools in the world. They take only the best of the best.
4. She Has an Emmy
She was nominated twice, but she did win the second time around. It was 2016 when she was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in Handmaid’s Tale. The following year, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
5. She’s Earned Numerous Awards
While winning an Emmy might be the most prestigious and exciting as an actress on primetime, she’s also won she other important awards. She was named the Ingenue of the Year by Out Magazine back in 2014. She also holds a Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award for the world she did with the program.
6. She is Married
Wiley is married to Lauren Morelli. The couple met at work on OITNB several years ago. Wiley openly discusses her feelings for her wife, telling the world that she was first attracted to Morelli’s mind prior to ever even meeting her in person. It might help to mention that Morelli is a screenwriter who worked on the show with the woman who would become her wife.
7. Morelli is Divorced
Prior to their relationship beginning, Lauren Morelli was a married woman. She was married to her ex-husband, but she was already questioning her own sexuality prior to meeting her future wife. Her marriage obviously did not work out at that time, but it did work out for this couple once they met, fell in love, and wed.
8. They Had Funfetti Cake
When this lovely couple wed on March 25, 2017, it was a very intimate celebration in Palm Springs, California. They were surrounded by only those closest to them as they exchanged their vows. However, we are only slightly bitter we were not invited to the wedding after finding out they had funfetti cake. Everyone knows wedding cakes are historically beautiful but often not the most delicious, but funfetti cake is always delicious. Always.
9. She Would Love Kids
This is one woman who loves kids. She talks often about them, and about how much she adores children, and the idea of having her own kids at some point in her life. We love that journey for them, and we wish them the best of luck in potentially starting a family together at some point.
10. She’s Happy to Speak Up
Some celebrities maintain a very fierce layer of privacy and protection in their lives, and there is nothing wrong with that. While some people share very little about their personal lives, Wiley is happy to discuss hers. Her fans adore her open nature and the fact that she seems to share so much of her life with the world, but we imagine there are many things she keeps very close to the vest.
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