Are You A True Orange Is The New Black Fan?
- by Margarita Deviakovitch
- – on
- in Movies and TV
Upon its release, Orange Is The New Black was met with hesitation by Netflix subscribers. For a show to make all of its episodes available at once was still a relatively new concept back in 2013. It’s the kind of show though, that totally lures you in from the first episode and once one episode is done and the next one starts within a couple of seconds, you find yourself just mindlessly binge-watching it.
Piper, Alex, Crazy Eyes, Morello, Nicky, Daya, Sophia, Poussey, Pennsatucky, and even the prison staff, Pornstache, John Bennett, Healy, and Caputo have all captivated Netflix binge-watchers. Every Orange Is The New Black season makes you wonder just how far they can go with the same kind of premise and yet, every single time, the creators find unique spins to the story that enthrall us to keep watching until the very end.
So how well do you know Orange Is The New Black? Could you correctly answer all of these questions, which uniquely focus on plot lines? Some details are a little more obscure, but only a true OITNB fan could answer them all correctly.
Which character did Laura Prepon originally audition for?
Laura Prepon does an amazing job as Alex, Piper’s ex as well as on-and-off again lover, but originally, she auditioned for a completely different character! Do you know who she could have played instead? Finding her to be too “composed and confident”, the show’s casting director and producer offered her instead the role of Alex. Interestingly, one of her lines on That 70s show actually predicted her future role on OITNB because she once said: “I could get arrested. I could go to a girl prison” after her friends steal the Fatso Burger mascot.
What scene did Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon first shoot together?
Taylor and Laura’s on-screen chemistry is certainly undeniable and we couldn’t picture anyone else playing their roles. The first scene that they shot together is actually quite surprising. Let’s just say that Laura later said of it: “It was amazing, honestly. Taylor and I—I don't want to speak for you, girl—but our chemistry is so amazing and we're so comfortable with each other." To this, Taylor chimed in: “Thank God it's with you!” Do you know which scene it was?
Who plays Sophia pre-transition?
Laverne Cox's role as Orange Is The New Black's Sophia has definitely helped her break out as a star. She even went on to star as Cameron Wright, a main character on the TV show "Doubt". In the first season of OITNB though, the audience was given a glimpse into Sophia’s past pre-transition days, when she was Marcus, a married firefighter, struggling to have a relationship with his son, Michael. Those scenes certainly weren’t easy to play out, so do you know who played Sophia pre-transition on OITNB?
Which major Hollywood actress directed 2 episodes?
It’s not uncommon for actors to take on producing or directing roles for a particular show that they’re working on. In fact, if you pay close attention to the opening credits on most shows, you can often see the credit being attributed to actors in producing/ directing roles. In the case of OITNB though, a completely unrelated actress pursued the role of director after falling in love with Piper Kerman’s book. Although she wasn’t told which specific episode she would be directing ahead of time, she went on to direct “Lesbian Request Denied”, the third episode of season 1, as well as “Thirsty Bird”, the first episode of season 2.
Which OITNB actor/actress starred on Star Trek?
When binge-watching Orange Is The New Black on Netflix, did you happen to notice the actor or actress who had previously starred in Star Trek? It’s actually a major role as this actor/actress had held the role for six full years, spanning from 1995 to 2001. Despite looking older in Orange Is The New Black (which is to be expected 15 years later!), this actor/actress is still very recognizable in the Star Trek role, especially for anyone who would have watched the show.
What show was Larry watching in one episode?
Quite often, Easter eggs get inserted into TV shows and movies. If you’re only paying attention to the storyline, then you likely won’t notice them. But if you look around most scenes, then you can start noticing awesome details – sometimes even mistakes! It can be hard to multi-task both paying attention to the story and watching for fun details, but it can also make the show that much more interesting. With this being said, do you know which show Larry was watching when he first meets Piper? Let’s just say that it’s a show where Natasha Lyonne, Pablo Schreiber and Michael Harney have all made appearances.
What did Matt McGorry do before becoming an actor?
After making his TV debut on One Life to Live, Matt McGorry went on to have very small parts on Gossip Girl, Royal Pains and Person of Interest. It wasn’t until his role as corrections officer John Bennett that his career took off a little more, but do you know what Matt did full-time before becoming an actor? He doesn’t do it anymore, but in some scenes on Orange Is The New Black, you can still tell that he has retained the attributes needed for his former pastime.
What do the opening credits feature?
The opening credits for Orange Is The New Black are very unique to the show, both in terms of the images and the music playing in the background. While images of various faces flash quickly on the screen, the song “Animals” plays in the background. In fact, the song was written and performed by Regina Spektor, who also later received a Grammy nomination for it. Some of the faces also have some very noteworthy tattoos, but do you know who the people in the opening credits are?
What do we see every time Piper is on the phone?
Easter eggs were mentioned in a previous question and when it comes to Piper calling Larry, there’s also another major detail that many are sure to have missed. Do you know what’s visible in the background every single time that Piper makes a phone call? It’s something that visibly irritates her many times and something that you won’t ever be able to not notice once you know it. Let’s just say that anyone would definitely be upset by this when trying to have a conversation!
What’s so special about each episode title?
Usually, episode titles merely describe the episode. It’s kind of a little summary to situate the viewer on what’s going on. Sometimes, the episode titles are still too vague to remember what the episode was about once you have already watched it. Other times, when binge-watching on Netflix, we don’t even pay attention to it as the next episode starts too quickly. There’s something unique to the Orange Is The New Black episode titles though. Do you know what it is?
Nicky’s past drew inspiration from what?
Every Orange Is The New Black character has a unique past and Nicky Nichols is certainly no exception. Although she seems like a tough inmate at first, we quickly learn that Nicky is actually a soft-hearted character with a troubled past. Do you know what the character’s past was based on? The scar that we see on Nicky’s chest is said to have been due to open heart surgery from a drug overdose, which is the same thing that happened on who her past draws from.
Who actually went to jail a couple of days before getting his/her part?
At 2015’s OrangeCon, one of the cast members of Orange Is The New Black admitted having actually gone to jail prior to getting the part. More specifically, this actor/actress said: “I went to jail and a few days later I got the part. Nothing that I’m proud of, again a mistake […] It changed me and the show has changed me”. Quite surprising, but a good thing that they did get the part because they were absolutely phenomenal in their role!
Why does Yael Stone’s accent sound as weird as it does?
This isn’t to say that her upbringing is weird, but fact of the matter is that the way Yael Stone portrays her character Morello is definitely unique. Many actors will invent accents to go with their characters and this is certainly no exception in her portrayal of Lorna Morello. As her regular accent and the one she uses for her Orange Is The New Black accent are completely different, it's shocking to see interview videos in which she speaks regularly.
Which actress was on Keeping Up with the Kardashians?
That’s right! There’s actually a connection between Orange Is The New Black and Keeping Up With The Kardashians. And no, it has nothing to do with Khloe Kardashian going to jail for driving under the influence, though that would certainly have made for a good premise on the show as well! Actually, this OITNB star previously kissed Kourtney Kardashian at club on an episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Those days are far behind her, but do you know who it was?
Which other show have many of the OITNB cast starred in?
Actors starring in more than one show? Nothing new there! What’s noteworthy in this case is just how many Orange Is The New Black cast members have actually had roles in the same major TV show. Samira Wiley, Pablo Schreiber, Lorraine Toussaint, Taylor Manning, Laverne Cox and even Kate Mulgrew have ALL appeared on this one television show at one point or another. Some have even appeared more than once! However, they didn’t appear at the same time, some even years apart.
How long was Piper sentenced to serve?
This should be an easy one for any true Orange Is The New Black fan. The real Piper, Piper Kerman served just a couple of months less than her full sentence. The on-screen Piper, Piper Chapman is now also close to finish her sentence, which makes you wonder just how many more seasons of Orange Is The New Black there will be! In fact, while the real Piper was behind bars at a minimum security prison in Connecticut, a website called “The Pipe Bomb” was even set up to record her experience.
Which inmate writes a love poem to Piper?
When you’re in jail, there’s not much else to do than write or do other activities. The same goes for the Litchfield inmates. Many were shown to have creative talents, but do you remember who wrote Piper a love poem? In particular, this character often uses poetic phrases when speaking and enjoys reciting literature. Her poem to Piper read: “Before I met you the sun was like a yellow grape/But now, it looks like fire in the sky/Why? Because you light a fire inside me”.
How did John Bennett lose his leg?
What happens every single time that Matt McGorry wears shorts out in public? The actor who plays John Bennett often gets asked by fans if they can take a picture of his leg. Kind of weird for sure, but although he has a prosthetic leg on the show, both his legs are perfectly fine. With that being said, do you know what happened to his character leg on Orange Is The New Black? In one heavily CGI’ed scene, you can even clearly see the missing limb.
What did Piper sell with Polly after college?
After college, Piper and her best friend Polly went into business together. Do you know what they sold? This is a detail that was shown in a flashback in season one. The name of their business is an amalgamation of their names. Pronounced “Poppy”, it’s actually spelled “Popi”. Back in 2015, a line of real-life Popi products were even sold by a mother/daughter duo in Los Angeles, but appears to have since been discontinued. Hopefully, it will be available again one day!
When is the only time that we hear Norma’s voice?
Played by Annie Golden, Norma Romano is notoriously mute on the show. She either complies with all of Red’s orders or she shows her displeasure for something through a range of facial expressions. She will even tap her fingers on a table to avoid having to say something. In the entire series, we only heard her voice once though. When did this happen? Interestingly, the actress Annie Golden is far from being mute in real life as she used to be the frontwoman for a New York punk band in the 1970s.
Why did Natalie Figueroa resign?
Natalie Figueroa is the kind of TV show character that you just can’t wait to disappear from the show. The kind that you just love to hate! She made her appearance in the second season of Orange Is The New Black, when Piper discovered the reason for the lack of activities at the prison. It’s for this same reason the Natalie Figueroa later resigned, when Caputo confronted her about it. Do you remember what she did and why Piper hated her as much as she did?
What happened to Vee?
Speaking of characters we love to hate, Vee was a character that most just hated, with no inkling of love whatsoever! After a couple of episodes, most fans were already wondering when she would disappear already. It took some time, but ultimately she met her end in quite the unexpected way. Do you remember what happened to Vee at the end of the second season? After all the lying and manipulation that she did, it’s certainly something that was well deserved.
What did Morello do to land in prison?
Yael Stone’s character, Lorna Morello, is one of the most beloved on the show. She was the first inmate that Piper met on her way to Litchfield and is a character that although suffers from delusions has captivated the hearts of many. Her fashion style is particularly noteworthy, especially her hair. She uses toilet paper rolls to curl her hair, instant coffee instead of eye shadow and always sports signature red lips. But what did she do to land herself in jail?
Which actress almost played Piper?
Can you picture anyone else playing Piper other than Taylor Schilling? She definitely owns the character, but there’s actually a high profile actress who was asked to play the role of Piper instead. Do you know who it was? Let’s just say that she declined the role and as Jenji Kohan recalled, she said at the time that she “had other things to do”. Had she known how big the show would get, maybe she would have cancelled her other plans.
In real life, are Piper and Larry still together?
Reminiscing about the day that she was finally released from prison, the real Piper said: “They took me down to an alleyway door and they were like 'see ya.' And the real Larry was waiting at the front of the prison”. But are the real Piper and Larry still together? Whether they are or aren’t doesn’t mean that’s what will happen to the on-screen Piper though. Just as he did on-screen, the real life Larry also wrote an article about Piper, which can be found online.