Orange is the New Black

“Orange is the New Black” was a groundbreaking series. Starring a nearly all woman cast, it broke the traditional form of prison series that tended to revolve around male inmates - and it was based on a true story. The Netflix show won multiple Emmy awards, and was one of the first series to put Netflix on the map as a serious production company, not just a streaming company.

I had the pleasure to interview one of the series iconic characters - chef Gloria - played by Selenis Leyva, when the series received its Emmy nomination. We did this Q&A prior to the series wrapping, for a Canadian publication (Movie PPL; now defunct) and it remains a favorite. I am so happy to bring this out of the vault for everyone.

OITNB: Selenis Leyva

Selenis Leyva co-stars in the popular Netflix original series “Orange Is The New Black” that debuted in July 2013. Created by Jenji Kohan, who also brought us the award-winning television drama “Weeds”, the much talked about series is based on Smith College graduate Piper Kerman’s memoir about her 15-month jail stint at the infamous Federal Correctional Institution, a minimum security women’s prison, in Danbury, Connecticut. Leyva, who gave us an exclusive interview, talked about her first season on the show, diversity, and about how her life as an actor began. She also shared some insight into one of our favorite onscreen criminals – inmate Gloria Mendoza.

Before her life as an inmate in “Orange Is The New Black”, Leyva was featured in the role of Assistant M.E. Craig on CBS television drama “Blue Bloods”. She also played several different characters in the long running “Law and Order” crime drama franchise, and is probably best known in this series for her performance as law enforcement officer Detective Rivera. In the comedy-drama show “Orange Is The New Black”, the actress finds herself on the other side of the bars, but has not had any trouble adapting to this change of circumstances: “I love being behind bars! Doing those other shows was great. But, this? This is so layered.”

Leyva told me that she didn’t know much about the show when she was originally cast in the role of Gloria Mendoza: “I knew very little except that it was based on Piper Kerman’s memoir. I read the book, and knew Jenji Kohan was involved. That’s it. As far as the first season and even the second season [are concerned], I knew - and know - things on a need-toknow basis. We really don’t know much [from] episode to episode. I love that! Not complaining, I love surprises!”

“Orange Is The New Black” received a massive amount of buzz, not only for its unique storyline and superb cast, but also because the series is exclusively – and successfully - distributed through Netflix, instead of by way of traditional network television. Leyva shared her thoughts on taking part in a production that is pioneering such an important change in the television industry: “It’s wonderful. It’s what HBO did years ago. [They] changed things up. Now Netflix is changing it up, and it’s great to be part of that process. It’s a groundbreaking move with a bold and groundbreaking show. We, on this show, will always be remembered as part of this time. People will look back and say House Of Cards, Orange Is The New Black, etc - those were the shows that put Netflix on another level!”

Levya recalled that her love of entertainment began when she was a little girl: “As a child, I saw lots of telenovelas. My parents had one or two they would watch every night. I [could] watch with them [on] the condition that I would look away during the ‘inappropriate’ moments. I grew up watching these actors yell, cry, plot revenge, ‘die,’ and return. It was crazy. I loved it all! I wanted to play all the roles. Especially ‘la mala,’ - the bad character. She always had crazy moments.”

In what some may call a twist of fate, Leyva attended a play at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater when she was a young student. To say the theater holds a place in her heart is an understatement, considering that many years later Leyva made her professional debut on that same stage. She told me: “It was a school trip and I sat there in that theater with my brown paper bagged lunch and was hypnotized! I remember one of the cast members was a young Latina. She was probably in her early twenties and was playing the daughter [in the play]. I couldn’t stop looking at her. It was magical. Someone like me was on that stage. I thought - when I grow up I want to do what she’s doing! After the play ended, we went back on our yellow school bus and I saw the actress leaving the theater. She seemed so special to me. I wanted to do that – act! I never thought my first professional job would be in that same place. At nineteen, I did my first show there and got my equity card - and an actual check!”

Even with her success on one of the decades hottest shows, Leyva confessed that she has a special affection for live theater because of the immediacy of the response, because there is “… no filler, no editing, no retakes. It’s so wonderful to hear a reaction. The applause at the end is priceless! Although I have done [some] theater where response hasn’t always been magical. That’s okay too. It’s real.”

Leyva has appeared in a variety of productions, including the HBO award winning comedy series “Girls” - which is based on the lives on several young twenty-something women in New York City. Through her work, Leyva has shown that she is comfortable performing in many different genres: “I love it all! I really do. In ‘Orange,’ I get to do some comedy and drama. It’s great. I will admit I would love to do a half hour show. I really enjoy comedy and feel like - I want to play in a sitcom!”

Comedy is definitely an area in which Leyva can hold her own. Fans can see Leyva in Theodore de Melfi’s comedy ST. VINCENT, opposite the legendary Bill Murray and comedienne Melissa McCarthy. Leyva said about her role: “It’s a lovely supporting character, [but I] don’t want to spoil anything. It was fun! I was able to make our director Theodore Melfi and the crew laugh. On a film with Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy, I think that’s pretty cool!”

Of course, no one gets to the top overnight. In Leyva’s words: “I remember the ups and the downs clearly. One of my first BIG moments early on was working with the late Sydney Lumet. Wow, what a genius director and wonderful person. I worked on ‘100 Centre Street’ and he directed me. I auditioned for him and he stopped me mid-read and said, “You’re an amazing actress, I don’t need to hear anymore.” I couldn’t believe he was saying this to me! Sydney Lumet! Dog Day Afternoon! Serpico! It was an amazing experience. The lows? Ha! Too many to count. It’s part of this business. When it’s good, it’s great. When it’s bad, it’s bad. Still wouldn’t trade [this for] any experience. It’s part of the process.”

Leyva has applied her talent and passion for the performing arts to help troubled youths, donating her time to incarcerated teens through a theater arts program: “I had no idea the impact it would have on my life. I met some pretty great girls, who made really bad choices. [These experiences] ended [up] staying with me, forever… I was unable to shake them from my mind. They all had amazing stories - sad most of the time. But every once in a while, we would discover some wonderful fictional stories or scenes that they would write with us. Thinking back, those stories were always about hope and love. The stories were based on what they had lived or what they wanted to someday live. I’d love to do something like that again.”

Leyva’s happiness, enthusiasm and gratitude are genuine and infectious: “I’m just really happy these days … I feel I can stop and smell the roses, even if it’s just for a moment. I am very busy these days and it’s all a blessing.”