Red woman From Orange Is The New Black to The Handmaid’s Tale, SAformer bartender M Samira IWiley R is front and A’ centre S on two of the biggest TV shows of recent years. She talks to Jen Crothers about her journey to fame ‘I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A amira Wiley is on the phone from her apartment Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress, losing out to RESPONSIBILITY in Toronto, where filming for the second series her Handmaid’s co-star Ann Dowd). Producer and lead of The Handmaid’sTA Tale is wrapping up after six Lstar Elisabeth Moss, E who Wiley calls, ‘a dream of an TO KNOCK IT months. The first season of the show – based on actor, producer and friend’ also scooped a Golden Globe Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel – was and an Emmy for her performance as Offred. OUT OF THE Slauded for its shocking portrayal of a totalitarian society Yet before The Handmaid’s Tale, Wiley had already where women have just one purpose: to procreate for the found her way into homes and hearts playing the big- PARK AGAIN’ men in power and their barren wives – but then heroes hearted and fearless Poussey in Orange Is The New Black, like Moira (played by Wiley) come along, fighting the the hit series set in a women’s prison. It was here she met patriarchy and rebelling for the greater good. her wife, and Wiley reveals she’s the ultimate sounding Season two, which is coming soon to Channel 4, is, board for her career choices, too. ‘When I read the script for quite literally, another story. It’s uncharted territory. Handmaid’s, even though I loved it, I was still apprehensive There’s no precedent, no blueprint for the return to the about the fact Moira was gay. I know that’s who I am, but oppressive confines of Gilead – but Atwood is on board, I wanted to be seen as an actor and not just a gay actor. collaborating with the show’s writers for the second So I had a little struggle with that, and then my wife told chapter. Wiley, 31, laughs as she admits she had never me I was crazy and that I should shut up and take the role!’ read any of Atwood’s novels, but was blown away by Wiley’s serious about what she sees as her the script. ‘I remember feeling, “This is awesome!” responsibility as a black actor, too. She says that, growing I mentioned it to my wife [Orange Is The New Black up, Angela Bassett was the woman who gave her the writer Lauren Morelli, who she married last year], and confidence to pursue her passion. ‘It’s really hard to I had no idea that Margaret Atwood is one of Lauren’s dream if you don’t see someone like you having done it favourite authors. She couldn’t believe that I had no idea before,’ she admits. ‘To know I’m on the other side and who she was. I think she was a little disappointed in me!’ am able to give young girls hope, I love being here for The show has won eight Emmys, two Golden Globes the cause. I think visibility is of the utmost importance and 25 other accolades (Wiley was nominated for an and I think that having so many diverse characters in this 60 REDONLINE.CO.UK JUNE 2018 Red woman day and age means our media, our television and our Letting loose is Wiley’s default setting, partly thanks movies reflect what our actual world looks like.’ to the career-defining experience of OITNB. ‘It was such In playing The Handmaid’s Tale’s Moira, Wiley has a fun, goof-off, crazy, playing-pranks-on-people set,’ become even more aware of the role she wants to carve out she reveals. ‘I remember throwing food at each other for herself. ‘She’s helped me understand my responsibility in between takes. It was my first job and I didn’t really as a person with a platform,’ she explains. ‘I’m still know what was going on – I probably did some things figuring out my journey, but in the past few years I’ve that I wouldn’t do now! We’d jump up and down, stand become more open with myself and more of a champion on tables and randomly have push-up contests.’ of the LGBT community, and a lot of that I get from Moira.’ She says the cast became her best friends (she has just I wonder if Trump’s stance on colour, sexual identity returned from a 72-hour trip to Sydney for the Gay and or anything deemed ‘other’ has made her more Lesbian Mardi Gras with her co-stars Danielle Brooks outspoken? ‘Absolutely. [Taystee], Lea DeLaria It feels like a real [Boo] and Yael Stone necessity. It has to [Lorna] when we be countered with speak), so it was love, because it feels extremely hard when like this message comes her character, Poussey, from fear and hate. was killed off around I want to make it my two years ago. ‘It was responsibility to my life. My everything. radically love people.’ I saw the first two The past few years episodes [after the have transformed death] and it was hard Wiley’s life. In 2013, for me to watch,’ she when she landed her role admits. ‘Even though on OITNB, Wiley was I’m not in that season, working as a bartender in New ‘I WANT TO it revolves around Poussey’s York. It was a job she was ‘scared death. I met my wife on Orange, to quit’ while shooting the show’s MAKE IT MY I met some of my best friends of first season, after a bad previous my life there, and to watch a show experience with a series that didn’t RESPONSIBILITY where Poussey – who I think get off the ground (‘I told everyone sometimes is an extension of me that I was going to be on this show TO RADICALLY – is no longer a person, was really and felt pretty embarrassed hard. I planned to come back to afterwards when the episodes LOVE PEOPLE’ it but I haven’t been able to yet.’ didn’t air’). Yet on 11th July that Fans took Poussey’s death hard. year, everything changed – within hours of the prison And that grief for a much-loved character still fills drama hitting Netflix, Wiley was recognised by a viewer many of the comments on Wiley’s social media at her local pharmacy, and the attention hasn’t stopped channels. ‘I knew it would be a shock to people, since. ‘It’s been every single day of my life. I went from but gosh, I didn’t know it was going to be like this. having complete anonymity in New York to having people There were two emotions – deep sadness and disbelief, follow me home.’ Wiley now lives in LA, which she says or all-consuming anger. There was no in between. is a ‘much more liveable city’ thanks to the volume of People still haven’t come to terms with it and I think, famous people wafting around. ‘There are so many honestly, this just means we really did our job. We celebrities in LA and there seems to be some sort of wanted to reflect the time that we’re living in, and black unspoken etiquette that you have a little space and respect people were getting killed in the streets of America. your personal bubble.’ The writers felt a responsibility to show that.’ While season one of Handmaid’s Tale was bleak, second Handmaid’s Tale holds up that mirror to society, too time around, things have got even darker, as the plot – and that realism doesn’t show any signs of abating in this delves into the murkier, toxic hinterland of The Colonies. season. Wiley says that as a cast, they haven’t discussed ‘I definitely don’t suggest that anyone binge-watches – I how they think the new episodes will be received, but think it’s a lot to take in,’ says Wiley, admitting even the admits she feels pressure for the series to be a success. ‘I cast found it heavy going, ‘I tried to rally the troops to feel like I have a responsibility to knock it out of the park go out on a Friday night, and have us let loose a little.’ again. It’s really good to have that. It makes me feel alive.’ JOHN HONG/THE LICENSING PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHY: Season two of The Handmaid’s Tale is coming soon to Channel 4 62 REDONLINE.CO.UK JUNE 2018.