Netflix helped reinvent the way we watch TV when they gave us Orange Is the New Black. Not only were viewers consuming episodes at a faster pace, but it also gave them a different way to connect to the show's characters. And that's just what happened with series star Samira Wiley, who captured the hearts of millions when she stepped on the scene as Poussey Washington. Samira brought a sense of vulnerability to the role that would ultimately allow her to hold a mirror up to her own life and discover who was truly looking back at her.
For BuzzFeed's Black, Out & Proud series, I sat down with Samira to discuss just how transformative Orange Is the New Black was on her life, ways her childhood influenced the way she mothers her daugher, her desire to see more Black joy on-screen, and more!
Editor's note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
A little over 10 years ago, the world was introduced to you as Poussey Washington, an openly gay inmate, on the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Looking back, what initially attracted you to this role and what are your feelings toward the character today?
That was over 10 years ago [laughs]? To be very honest, at the time, I was a struggling actor in New York, working as bartender. I had multiple auditions a week. Back then, the only Netflix people knew was the delivery DVD service. I wish that I could say to you that I had discernment and that I really pored over the script, and that I really understood the character was going to be impactful, but really, at the time, I just needed a job.
I'm a firm believer that there's a path for me, and Poussey was on my path. She was supposed to be a part of my life, and that's how I found her. I feel incredibly blessed to have played that character. The impact that she made, not only with the people watching the show globally, but also just personally, for me. Poussey really changed me as a person. There's so many great qualities to her. I always think about what a great, loyal friend she is and how I've specifically taken that trait and tried to apply it to Samira's life.
I'll never be the same because of Poussey being in my life — my career, she's also the reason I have a wife and a family, to be