"Orange Is The New Black" Cast Member Is A Classically Trainer Singer

"As gripping as it is funny, Orange Is the New Black has become one of the most forward-thinking and revolutionary shows on television in just two years' time. The new issue of Rolling Stone (on newsstands this Friday) features stars Taylor Schilling and Laura Prepon on the cover and no-holds-barred interviews with the cast, creator Jenji Kohan and memoirist Piper Kerman, whose book inspired the series. Mac McClelland's cover story explores all of the reasons why the series has become mandatory viewing – how it primarily features women in its cast, shines a light on gay and transgender issues and gives a voice to one of the most marginalized groups in America: prisoners."

Actress Uzo Aduba as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on Orange is the New Black. (Photo: Mark Seliger/RollingStone)

Uzo Aduba got the role of "Crazy Eyes" after a personal revelation.
The surreal moment Aduba got the phone call telling her she'd been cast is forever etched in her memory – and it seems even more surreal in hindsight. The high-school track star and classically trained opera singer vividly recalls watching an episode of Oprah's Master Class with guest Lorne Michaels on September 14th, 2012 at 5:43 p.m., when she saw a dreamy image of a swing hanging from a tree backed by a pink sunset and then the words, as Michaels said them, "Keep the faith." At that moment her phone rang with the offer. When she rewatched Master Class, the scene she saw wasn't there. Asked how she feels about having hallucinated the vision, she says, "Who cares? Because I know that's real." [Source]

Read more about Uzo Aduba, her career, and watch a singing performance, after the jump.

"Uzoamaka Nwaneka 'Uzo' Aduba is an American actress. She is known for her role as Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren on the Netflix television series Orange Is the New Black (2013–present), for which she won the 2014 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series and the 2015 Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series. Aduba was born in Boston, Massachusetts and raised in Medfield, Massachusetts, the daughter of Nigerian parents (of Igbo origin). Aduba graduated from Medfield High School in 1999. She attended Boston University, where she studied classical voice and competed in track and field. Aduba describes her family as a 'sports family.' Aduba first garnered recognition for her acting in 2003, when her performance in Translations of Xhosa at the Olney Theatre Center for the Arts earned her a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play. In 2007, she made her Broadway debut, portraying Toby in Coram Boy. From 2011 through 2012, she sang 'By My Side' as part of the original revival cast of Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Her first television appearance was as a nurse on Blue Bloods in 2012. She also played the mother of the title character of Venice at The Public Theater in New York. In 2013, Aduba began portraying Suzanne Warren, also known as 'Crazy Eyes,' in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black. Casting director Jennifer Euston explains the selection of Aduba for the role thus: 'Uzo Aduba...had her hair in those knots for the audition...They saw something amazing in her and were able to connect it to what they were looking for in Crazy Eyes.' In joining the series, Aduba obtained her Screen Actors Guild card, for which she relates, 'I was just like, 'Wow, this means I'm a full actor now.' It was such a big deal, and I remember being so thankful and feeling so proud.' She has been recognized for her performance as 'Crazy Eyes': Aduba won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards as well as Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series at the 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 18th Satellite Awards for her season 1 performance. Aduba's season 2 performance earned her the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series as well as recognition for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards and a nomination Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards. In March 2014, Aduba performed at Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS benefit concert Broadway Backwards. Aduba teamed with Rachel Bay Jones for a rendition of the song 'Lily's Eyes' from the play The Secret Garden." [Source]