Name: Taylor Schilling
Birthdate: July 27, 1984
Birthplace: Boston, Massachusetts
Claim to fame: She is best known for playing the lead role of Piper Chapman on the Netflix original series Orange is the New Black. She’s been nominated for a Golden Globe award and Primetime Emmy award for her work on the show, as well as won a Satellite Award in 2013.
What we can see her in next: Season 3 of OITNB was released on Netflix on June 11, 2015.
Interesting Fact: Her first feature film role was a supporting role opposite Meryl Streep in the film, Dark Matter. Now if that’s not a fast career start, then I don’t know what is.
Best Quote: “I had a teacher in college who drastically changed the course of my life by telling me that he believed in me as an actor. I never received that support before, and it inspired me to such a degree that I never looked back. He taught me that it’s okay to be crappy; it’s okay to fight; it’s okay to go to any length.” — on her college teacher that gave her confidence in her path as an actor.
Why We Love Her: Our WCW today is the star of the hit Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, Taylor Schilling. While she’s probably more recognizable in an orange jumpsuit than anything else, those who are fans of the show will definitely know, and presumably adore this young actress. But for those who don’t know who she is, you better get onto Netflix and watch this show as you definitely have been living under a rock.
Orange is the New Black is one of the hottest shows on television (or shall I just say on media) today. The third season just released on Netflix weeks ago and fans have been rotting away on couches, binge watching the entire season of the show. Now Schilling is centerpiece of the show — she stars as Piper Chapman, playing the real-life woman who wrote a memoir about her experience of spending a year in a women’s prison. The show has received critical acclaim through its existence, and Schilling has been at the centerfold of that, being nominated for the biggest awards on television every year in the drama and comedy categories.
So where did this beautiful blonde actress come from?
Well she’s still semi new to the game. She had a supporting role in the Meryl Streep movie, Dark Matter, in 2007, and a minor role in 2012’s Oscar-winning film, Argo. While her biggest film role to date was when she costarred and got it on with Zac Efron in the romance film The Lucky One — based on yet another best-selling Nicholas Spark’s novel. She also starred in the short-lived medical drama, Mercy, in 2009 before the show was cancelled after just one season.
But clearly, Schilling didn’t strike the jackpot until she donned the orange jumpsuit. Her acting stature has definitely risen to new levels over the past three seasons as OITNB has captured a hard-core, obsessive fan base. Perhaps it’s the nature of how shows are released on Netflix? By throwing an entire season’s worth at one time. For Schilling’s part, all she can hope is that the fans keep forgetting about their own lives and continue to watch hers onscreen. It definitely won’t be long before the Emmy’s come rolling in and the juicy film roles to boot.
You can catch the third season of OITNB out on Netflix now.
