Orange Is The New Black is a Netflix Original series set in a low-security woman’s prison and after the way season 5 ended, we’re desperately waiting for season 6 to see how things pan out. While we wait, here are 6 things we bet you didn’t know about the series.
The show is based on a true story
The show is based on a memoir by Piper Kerman. Jenji Kohan, who created Weeds, read the memoir and thought it would be perfect for a TV show adaptation. She wasn’t the only one interested in obtaining rights to the memoir and allegedly had to beg Kerman to give her the rights.
The real Piper is with Larry, not Alex
Catherine Wolters, the inspiration for Alex, said that her relationship with Piper did not actually continue in prison. She apparently only spent five weeks in the same facility as Piper, who is married to ‘real life’ Larry.
Piper Kerman has a cameo in the show
Ok, it’s not so much a cameo as a brief shot of her eyes in the opening sequence when the endlessly catchy “You’ve Got Time” plays. She’s there though, and the rest of the eyes shown belong to former inmates too.
Samira Wiley is married to one of the writers
Samira Wiley, who portrayed fan favorite Poussey Washington, married one of the Orange is the New Black writers, Lauren Morelli in 2017.
The writers visited a real prison
Kohan and her writing team visited California’s Chino Prison to see what life is really like in an all woman’s prison.
Laura Prepon (Alex Vause) was nearly Piper
It sounds all wrong, right?! Laura Prepon originally auditioned for the role of Piper but Kohan saw her as an Alex and tailored the role for her.
