Orange is the New Black’s Stone hates watching herself
While some fans might be perturbed that the first episode of Orange is the New Black’s second season centres on Piper (Taylor Schilling) to the exclusion of the other inmates at Litchfield Penitentiary, it’s A-OK with Yael Stone. The Australian-born-and-raised actress shares what seems to be an industry-wide aversion to seeing herself on screen. So that narrative turn worked out well for her.
“To be honest, that was actually a relief at the premiere,” Stone says over the phone as she strolls down 11th Avenue in New York City, where she lives. “There was nothing I needed to feel self-conscious about. I could just watch the beautiful work of those wonderful ladies and gentleman! It was kind of a lovely gift.”
But just like countless viewers around the world, she can’t help but be sucked into the fascinating world of the women’s prison that houses Piper, imprisoned for smuggling drug money years ago, and an ever-evolving cast of women from all walks of life.
“I am so curious about the work of everyone I work with. I love them so much, and I am so interested. My repulsion for myself does not outweigh my curiosity and love for their work. I watch it with great delight.”
That inquisitiveness about her fellow castmates will be more than satisfied when Stone watches the remaining 12 episodes in Season 2. (Parcelled out judiciously, of course. No binge-watching for her.) And she won’t be alone when she watches. Although Netflix doesn’t share its viewership numbers, the series by Jenji Kohan (based on Piper Kerman’s autobiographical book) is believed to be its highest rated, outdrawing even the addictive House of Cards.
Viewers will be rewarded as the narrow focus of that first episode is widened as the season delves deep into the backstories of Piper’s fellow inmates. There are flashbacks into the pasts of Taystee (Danielle Brooks), Suzanne, a.k.a. Crazy Eyes (Uzo Abuda), and Morello, among others.
And just like the viewers, Stone didn’t know much about Morello’s story, other than she likes red lipstick, views much of the world through the prism of West Side Story and is hopelessly devoted to her fiancé, Christopher. “It’s so exciting to learn more about her,” Stone says, adding that she only learned about Morello’s background when she got some of the scripts for Season 2. For Season 1, she was flying blind in terms of history.
“I come from a theatre background where you know everything before you start. You know the arc of the story, and you don’t get thrown curveballs by writers. I felt very safe in that little world.
“Now, working in television, it demands a great sense of adventure and being brave and trusting writers with the wonderful stories that they tell.”
In a neat bit of karma, Stone auditioned for OITNB the day after she married her husband, Australian actor Dan Spielman. “It was a very low-key wedding and Lorna wants all the bells and whistles.”
In Season 1, Morello was portrayed as pretty even- keeled, someone doing her time without much stress or fuss. But that changes in Season 2. One scene in particular, when Lorna receives some bad news, reveals how tightly the character is holding on, barely maintaining the facade that everything is hunky-dory with her.
“That was one of those one-take situations,” she says of the emotionally raw scene. “That phone call was a long time coming. I don’t want to talk too much about it because I don’t want to blow too much for anyone who hasn’t seen it ... but there are some big revelations. They hit hard and they hit true.”