Not so long ago I met the hilarious Lea DeLaria at a diner in Brooklyn. She showed up right on schedule with the brightest smile in her face, despite how tired she was due to her busy schedule of filming Season 2 of Orange is The New Black premiering on June 6th, 2014.

KR: How was it walking into season 2 of Orange is The New Black? You don’t have to spoil anything, I know you can’t, anyway.

LD: Yeah, I can’t spoil anything. It was great. We started filming season 2 sooner than we had thought — like a month earlier. So, that was really cool to start again and see everyone. We just had the party for the premiere. We all were so excited! The show was such a huge hit! We sort of thought it would be, but we didn’t expect to be the kind of hit it was. This is all really new. It was hilarious. We were all just giddily about what happened to each of us. It was literally the day after it hit Netflix. I was on the J train coming home from Manhattan and some guy just said “Big Boo!” at me. It hadn’t been 24 hours yet! So, we were laughing about that. People recognize us now on street.

KR: I can recognize you anywhere. [Laughs]

LD: They don’t wear makeup on the show. I’m not a makeup kind of gal anyway. So, that never really bothers me as it does to the girly girls. So, finally, just my luck I got to be in a hit television show where I look heidious. You have no idea what they have done to Taryn and Emma. [Laughs]

KR: Both are beautiful! By the way, is there any guest stars you would like to be part of Orange?

LD: What makes the show special is that we don’t see a lot of famous people on it. That’s what so great about the show! And what I love about it is that you guys don’t know who these actors are. But I sure do. They have been mainstays the theater world of New York! Just for years! Annie Golden (Norma) played my roommate in “On The Town” on Broadway. She used to have a punk band in the 80s, The Shirts, and was the star of Milos Forman’s Hair the musical. And she plays the part where she doesn’t speak in Orange!

KR: Well, thank god she does speak now. Wait, we don’t know if she does,but she sang last time we saw her!

LD: She and Beth Fowler (The Nun) were in the movie, Sister Act and originated the role of Mrs. Pots on Broadway. And then Tucci and Cathy Curtin, that girl acts all the time! And let’s talk about Constance who plays Yoga Jones. You name pretty much any independent films in the 1980s and 90s. She’s been in almost all of them. She worked all the time.

KR: Really? Wow!

LD: We have these great old theater people and then we got these new faces like Samira Wiley, Jackie Cruz, Danielle Brooks, Vicky Jeudy and many more. We got these young and exciting people. It’s a fascinating group!

KR: Did you get to meet Jason Biggs since he wasn’t a resident of Litchfield?

LD: Oh yeah. He was on the set when we were all filming the visiting day. I think it was season 2. Literally, none of us had met Jason. So, I met him and he asked me “So, you get a lot of pussy now?” [Laughs] What can I say? Like I need a television show to get a pussy. Then he just laughed.

KR: That’s hilarious. You showed him around?

LD: Yeah, I introduced him to everyone because no one had met him. The only one that knew him was Natasha (Nylonne.) He and she go way back. They did The American Pie franchise together. I was taking him around. It was the makeup room. It was packed.Tash was there and fucking Biggs going in the room and saying hello to everyone but…

KR: But her? [Laughs]

LD: [Laughs] Yes, but her! And she asked him “What about me?” And he goes “Anybody else?” And it’d been on for 10 minutes! It was so funny. So completely junior high school. Then he left the room. Never said a word to her. So he ended up being funnier than her. I mean, it’s got to be the secret of success.

KR: [Laughs] I can’t really talk right now. I have tears in my eyes.

LD: [Laughs] Are you okay there, girl? It’s good. I like to laugh. Every standup comedian is happy when they see me in the audience. I laugh and I laugh out loud to anything I find it funny.

KR: Wow. Thank you so much for such a fun interview!

LD: Terrific.

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