Fans of the Netflix hit show Orange Is The New Black were shocked when the fourth season ended with the death of beloved inmate, Poussey Washington. Samira Wiley, who portrayed the character, recently revealed during an interview about her new role on the FXX comedy You’re The Worst, that she was just as shocked when it was revealed she would be leaving the show.
Opening up to the New York Post, Willey shared, “When I first found out, I was devastated. I was shocked, I was confused. I knew about it for over a year. It was really, really, really difficult to not be able to talk to the rest of my cast about what was going on.” Wiley admits she wasn’t ready to leave the show, but adds that as an actor it’s something you have to be prepared for.
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“It happens a lot with actors whose characters end up dying. It’s just something I’m shouldered with,” she said, “I eventually felt pretty honored to have them pick my character to tell the story. There’s no hard feelings or anything like that. I’m happy with what I made with [creator] Jenji [Kohan] and the relationship I have with her. I’m totally grateful.”
Now, Wiley is focused on her new role as a therapist on FXX’s You’re The Worst, a show she’s been a fan of for a while. “It’s so amazing when you’re a fan of something and then you’re able to be a part of it. It’s surreal.”