Samira Wiley

At 37 years old, Samira Wiley has this physical status:

Samira Denise Wiley (born April 15, 1987) is an American actress.

She is best known for her role in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019) and as Moira in the Hulu dystopian drama series The Handmaid's Tale (2017–present), for which she received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Wiley appeared in such films as The Sitter (2011), Nerve (2016), Detroit (2017), and Social Animals (2018).

Early life

Wiley was born in Washington, D.C., and was raised there. Christine and Dennis W. Wiley, and her parents, were co-pastors of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ before 2017. As the Covenant Baptist Church was the only Baptist church in Washington, D.C., delivering same-sex unions in 2007, Wiley's parents were referred to as "pillars of the LGBT faith community." Aiyana Ma'at and Joshua Wiley are two of her sister's.

Wiley attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 2010. She trained in theatre direction and spent most of her time in theater.

Personal life

Wiley declared her engagement to Orange Is the New Black writer Lauren Morelli on October 4, 2016, and the two married on March 25, 2017. Morelli gave birth to their first child, George Elizabeth, on April 11, 2021.

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Career

In the comedy film The Sitter (2011), Wiley's first major acting role was in the comedy film The Sitter (2011). In 2011, Wiley appeared in Love's Labour's Lost by The Public Theater in a theater performance.

When Orange Is the New Black, a Netflix television series based on Piper Kerman's memoir of the same name, came into existence, Wiley was told of the auditions by a friend from Juilliard, Marco Ramirez, who was a reporter for the film. Wiley was asked by Brooks to rehearse lines with her as she auditioned for the role of Poussey Washington, Brooks' on-screen best friend. Wiley's audition was ultimately fruitful; she appeared in all twelve episodes of the series's first season and was often seen throughout the second season. Wiley's character's arc, which evolved story lines, contributed to Wiley's continued screen exposure and ultimate growth as a "fan favorite." For the third season, she was promoted to a series regular. The fourth season revolves heavily around her personality, leading to the outrage within the prison over Poussey's deposition at the hands of a prison officer. Lauren Morelli, Wiley's wife, is a writer on the show.

Wiley filmed Rob the Mob (2014), an independent crime film directed by Raymond De Felitta, in between seasons of Orange Is the New Black. In 2014, she appeared in an advertisement for PayPal's digital financial services. Wiley appeared in the 21st episode of Law & Order's "Perpetutive Justice" portraying a young adult who wanted to recant her rape accusation of her father when she was 6 years old and set him free. In December 2015, Wiley was announced to play the titular character in the video game The Walking Dead: Michonne. Telltale Games introduced the game in February 2016. Minecraft: The Island: A Novel by Sheryl Benson narrated one of two Max Brooks' books, Minecraft: The Island: A Novel. Wiley also appeared in 37 (2016), a true story of thirty-seven people who witness a murder, none of whom call the police or intervene. In 2016, she appeared in a new play directed by Quiara Alegra Hudes named Daphne's Dive.

In an episode of Spike's Lip Sync Battle, she competed against New Black co-star Laverne Cox. Toni Braxton's "Un-Break My Heart" and "O.P.P." take the spotlight on the performance. Wiley, who was Naughty by Nature, was victorious.

Wiley appeared on the front page and in a magazine of the 2014 September/October issue containing "a series of bold, chic, high fashion looks." Sam Smith, Elliot Page, and Zachary Quinto were also on the front page of Out magazine in 2014.

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