Taylor Schilling on wearing her ‘OITNB’ prison uniform: ‘It’s totally liberating’

Taylor Schilling

Taylor Schilling covers the July issue of Allure. Yes, that’s Taylor. I’m usually not a fan of Allure’s covers (they photoshopped Olivia Wilde into oblivion), and they did a number on poor Taylor. Her usual energy has been zapped out of this image, and she looks like she hasn’t slept for days. She usually looks better on Orange is the New Black with her “drab” prison makeup on! I’ve included some red carpet photos from this year to illustrate how gorgeous she really is.

Taylor talks about a few things in this interview. Since this is Allure, they asked her the usual beauty questions. Taylor’s responses are very positive. She loves not having to worry about what she looks like onscreen because her OITNB look is decidedly un-glam. She can simply disappear into her role, which is wonderful because men are allowed to do that all the time onscreen. Usually it’s the actresses who function as arm candy, but this show has stripped all of those trappings away. Some excerpts:

Wearing a prison uniform on OITNB: “It’s totally liberating. There’s freedom in not having to make it about how my jeans fit or what my boobs look like in a top. All I have to do now is play.”

The carryover to real life: “I don’t feel bound by my face or my body. I don’t feel like that’s the biggest gift I have to offer the world. I feel like there are more parts of me to offer than that.”

Growing up was awkward: “It was tough at home, and it was tough at school. My experience was painful, so painful. There was a period of time I had very short hair, and I had glasses, and I was very tall for my age.”

The show’s main strength: “When we walk down the street, we see a huge variety of women, and that’s just not usually reflected in entertainment. Yet this show does that.”

[From Allure]

Taylor’s been giving plenty of interviews lately, but there aren’t soundbyte-worthy headlines because she sticks to promoting her work. There are no diversions into clay-eating territory. Taylor told the Globe and Mail how fun it was to film last season’s rap battle: “I had this moment of, almost dizziness. There were a bazillion extras that day, 60 women and not one man in the frame, and nobody was having sex. When does this happen?” Almost never.

If you haven’t watched OITNB yet, you might remember Taylor from a brief glimmer of screentime in Argo. She played Ben Affleck’s wife, but most of the scenes were cut. Taylor was still thrilled at the opportunity: “I was in the last scene of the movie and it was an incredible experience. I love Ben Affleck so much, he’s an amazing director and his wifewas so generous to me when the role got cut. Honestly to be in a movie that won ‘Best Picture’ at the Academy Awards … It’s one of the highlights of my career so far.” She’s so gracious and just thrilled to be working as an actress. I like her a lot.

Taylor Schilling

Taylor Schilling

Photos courtesy of Allure & WENN

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25 Responses to “Taylor Schilling on wearing her ‘OITNB’ prison uniform: ‘It’s totally liberating’”

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  1. Tracy says:

    I only have one episode left to watch in the second season. I am putting off watching it cause I don’t want the season to be over!!

    • Faye says:

      I did the same thing – finally broke down and watched the last episode this week. It’s amazing. Well worth waiting for!

      • sienna says:

        So amazing. I think the entire second season was much better than the first.

      • Chicagogurl says:

        I won’t include spoilers – but I finally broke down and watched the last episode last night. I loved it.

      • Tracy says:

        Ok, I am going to have to give in and watch the last episode tonight. It is a great series!

    • guilty pleasures says:

      Lol! It caused a rift in my household because I watched the final episode without my daughter, she was quite miffed that I didn’t wait for her! I am quite ticked that there is no season three to marathon watch yet.

  2. Faye says:

    Thanks for including the nice pics of her! Love the white dress and pink shoes.

    Sometimes I feel like Taylor is underrated as an actress on OITNB. I hear so many people saying her character could be written off and the show would be as good (or better). Having just finished Season 2, I have to disagree. Piper’s backstory may not be as compelling as the other ladies’, but Taylor does an excellent job of being the average viewer’s “inside look” into the jail system from an outsider’s perspective. I think Taylor can be very subtle sometimes (a good thing), but she’s very talented, and I’m enjoying her evolution. I also think her character adds a lot to the mix as a contrast to the other women.

    • Teri says:

      Piper is the glue that holds the show together. I could do with out Alex and Larry though!

      And is it me, or does her voice sound exactly like Calista Flockharts???

    • Melissa says:

      I completely agree.

    • Tracy says:

      I think she is great. One aspect of the show that makes it interesting is that we are are learning the stories of a group of women from different backgrounds and what happened in their lives that led them to where they are today. I think the show has a great mixture in its cast. I wouldn’t trade any of them.

    • tmbg says:

      She’s like the straight man in a house full of loonies. IMO, her character is very necessary, but yeah, I could do without Larry and Alex. Larry is just awful.

      • Faye says:

        I’m 100% in agreement with you on that one. Larry is the worst, the WORST (and Polly, and now Brook Soso). And Alex isn’t far behind. I don’t like the character, and I don’t like the way Piper is with her. She was not missed at all by me this season, and I really hope she’s not coming back full-time in Season 3.

  3. QQ says:

    Love love love the Red lip white dress neon pink show situation!!

    Also the cover is not so bad at all

    Also Hers and her ex GF character are totally my least favorite whinny characters in OITNB, like I LOVE watching everyone else and their deeper stories or even the absurd ones like Mendez and the Greedy bitchy Prison director

  4. melissa says:

    Ugh. Photoshop. They ruined her on that cover.

  5. ashley says:

    I like her,she seems cool. OITNB is such an amazing show,just finished season two and i can’t wait for season three. The ending of season two was too epic!!!!

  6. Sarah says:

    I’m in the middle of season two and so far I like it much better. I felt like season one really went off a cliff w too much Piper and all that Pennsatucky crap (how insulting to those states). Anyway, it’s felt a little more balanced and interesting so far. The only thing I need less of is Jason F-ing Biggs. His character is utterly pointless. I usually go get a snack when he’s on. I guess it’s still not possible to have a show without a white male as a regular character.

  7. pleaseicu says:

    I really liked what Taylor did with Piper for most of the second season, and I attribute any dissatisfaction down to writing choices setting up the next season and not Taylor’s acting. However, I really disliked Piper and some of Taylor’s acting choices in the first season.

    Upon reflection, I’m thinking the reason I disliked Piper so much the first season is because so much of her screen time was devoted to her love life and the useless Larry and Alex. And naturally the focus on lurve drama would limit what Taylor would be able to bring to and show in the role.

    I really enjoyed the shift to a more ensemble show the second season and seeing Piper interacting with more of the cast and exhibiting a personality and journey outside of her lurve drama with Alex and Larry.

    • Lucky says:

      Jason Biggs sucks the life out of a great show. I can’t stand him or his stupid character. Polly as well, so irritating! I think Taylor Shilling is a really good actress even if her character annoys me as well.

  8. msw says:

    She nailed exactly what I live about the show. It reflects diversity, not just in skin color or sexuality, but conventional attractiveness, age, economic privilege, personal background, all of it. I love how it explores the backstoriesbof the characters.

    Its a great thing to see a show where clothes are not a huge deal, too. It helps drive the point that these are people, not objects. Which I admit is ironic. 🙂

  9. Noelle says:

    She seems like a really cool person. Love her

  10. Jo says:

    I love the show! I’m in the middle of Season 2 right now. Piper still annoys me this season but not as much as last season. I may be in the minority by saying that Piper is the weak link of the show. If she written off I wouldn’t bat an eye.

  11. Mrs. Ari Gold says:

    Love her! She’s so talented. I don’t think anyone else could play that role and bring all the things she brings to it.. That show and her character would not be half as good if it werent for her.

  12. Graygrrrl says:

    My only problem with this cover is it seems like a paparazzo or press photo from a premiere, not the cover photo shoot of a major beauty/fashion mag/

  13. jh says:

    She sounds like a talented, committed actress that is grateful for opportunities and tries to make the best of them. It’s so refreshing. I too like her a lot.