We said good-bye to Tricia Miller in the first season of Orange is The New Black, but Madeline Brewer is back as Miranda Cates in Hemlock Grove! We had a chance to talk to Madeline about her character and working with the cast and crew of Hemlock Grove, while enjoying some macarons at our favorite spot in New York City.

Hi, Maddie!

Hi!

This has been long over due since last summer! How’s it going? How was Toronto?

It was amazing, Toronto was awesome. And even though I was there in the dead of winter, I still loved it. I hope I can go back and visit this summer, in July, maybe.

How was filming Hemlock Grove?

It was really sweet! The cast and crew are so amazing, and everyone was so welcoming. Hemlock Grove has an amazing special effects team. The show was nominated for an Emmy for special effects for season 1, so this season they really amped it up. To give you somewhat of a visual, one scene required being drenched in gallons and gallons of “blood.” After 3 takes I think we used 75 gallons. It was a lot of blood!

Please tell us what you can about your role in Hemlock Grove.

I play newcomer Miranda in season 2 of Hemlock Grove. Miranda is a graphic novelist looking for a new life. She is driving through the town of Hemlock Grove and has a car accident in front of Roman’s house. As the season goes on she has an unknowingly profound effect on Peter (Landon Liboiron) and Roman (Bill Skarsgard). Hemlock Grove is a world where things are never what they seem. The same can be said for Miranda – Is she a bad girl showing up to wreak havoc on the world? Or is she an innocent who is going to find herself trapped in this toxic place? YOU’LL HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE!

So Miranda ‘s not a high schooler, right?

No, she’s twenty-one, older than the boys.

Oh… Nice. [Laughs]

[Laughs] Hmmm… Older woman. Yeah, she’s super cool character. I can’t really say much about her. I wish I could because I love her. I want people to know about her or who she is. But, that’s all I could tell you about her right now.

So when did you wrap Hemlock?

I wrapped it at the end of February. I was there from the beginning of October till the end of February. I was shooting and getting to know everybody and I had a friggin sweet time. I had a lot of fun.

I’m glad that you are back in town.

Me, too. Now, we can eat macarons whenever we want!

What do you like to do in the city?

I like to go to yoga. I go to my old school, the American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) and I’d go sing there — keep my vocalizer working.

That’s nice! How often do you go do that?

A couple days. You know? I can go back there and do my things– just sing and hanging. I do auditions and meetings all the time.

I knew that you went for an audition for theater? You posted a picture of you on Twitter, the one with you eating food.

I went to audition for Nessarose on Broadway in Wicked and they told me, “You are not Nessarose, you are Glinda. Next time we’re looking for a Glinda, we’ll call you in.” Then they gave me the packet and everything. I auditioned for a couple other musical theater things, I really wanted to do some stage stuff. Of course, I also wanted to continue with filming on TV because it’s so much fun. You meet a lot of cool people. But, really, I’m enjoying some time off, especially enjoying that the weather is getting warmer because my cheeks were almost falling off when I was Toronto and now it’s frightening. It was cold there! I feel like being from New Jersey, I would sort of get used to it.

Oh, that’s right, you are from Jersey! Oh, by the way, your Tricia Miller fans really miss you.

I miss them!

What would you like to tell them?

Now that it’s getting closer and closer to the release of season two (This interview was before Season Two premiered) and I get this a lot, “Hey! We wish you were in it!” But, I won’t be.

Sigh… Bora Bora Bora.

I know! I’m glad that I’ve had the time that I did, and I got to meet the most amazing people ever. People that I’m still in contact with like every couple days. Really, and I got to meet you and we get to hang out and eat macarons! But, to say to Tricia Miller fans or fans of Orange is The New Black in general, I wouldn’t be here with out their support.

You aren’t going to cry this time, right? Remember our last interview?

I know! I’m not going to cry this time! God, Maddie, just don’t be a baby! I’m so honored to have people who love Tricia and her back story. [Maddie clutched my phone right next to her because I asked her to speak up] Yes, I’m going to steal your phone, Anne. [Laughs] This is the third time you jokingly accused me of stealing things.

What can I say? You played your role so well. [Laughs] Okay, what were you saying?

I love fans, they are amazing. They melt my heart every time I say anything about Tricia or me.

They really really do!

They do! People miss Tricia a lot! And it’s like WOW! Guys! I never expected this!

Umm… Orange writers, if you read this, maybe you guys could put her back in? Tricia’s twin sister or flashback?

Come on, Nick! (Nick Jones, one of the writers) Write me a little story. [Giggles] No, it’s okay. I got to have a wonderful time on the show meeting amazing people. I wouldn’t trade that time for anything.

Since the show is so huge these days, do you have any interesting fan encounters?

It would have to be when people started noticing me, I guess? I get a lot of side eyes. [Maddie demonstrates the encounters] Because I’m not really that recognizable as Tricia because I don’t wear cornrows so they have to take a minute to figure it out. I can see them put the pieces together, like try picturing without that hair. Then they go, “You look like that girl from Orange is The New Black!” And my favorite thing to do is tell them “I am that girl.” Everybody’s been super cool.

Did they have you sign something for them?

MB: Yeah! Mostly, my mom. My mom is like ” Sign this thing for a fan.” A lot of my friends and family, they don’t need my autograph. [Laughs] And they would be like, “Could you sign this thing for me?”

You signed for me. [Laughs]

No, you have real stuff. But they would have me sign our photos of us. Like, a picture of me when I was twelve.

Alright, what more could you tell me about Hemlock Grove?

Eli Roth is the Executive Producer from last season and is again this season as well as Charles Eglee. I met him a couple of times, he’s really cool and he’s the main show-runner this season, and he’s from the Walking Dead team. He brought a whole new kind of different, but very, very cool. He brought in like a whole side of mythology behind the Upirs and Werewolves. He also brought in a side of science fiction to it. So, it’s exciting to be exploring that. It gives people a little bit of an insight to the characters Roman and Peter as well as Olivia.

So, which team are you? [Laughs]

I’m stuck smack down in the middle!

I love the wolf!

I know you do. I was hoping they would make me some kind of vampire- werewolf hybrid thing.

How many episodes are you in?

9 out of 10, which rules!

Wow! Well-done, Maddie!

My character goes from like being super awesome like bad ass chick then she goes through some stuff and a lot of changes. I can’t. I don’t know how to explain it without revealing it!

Until next time… [Laughs]

Yeah, next time we will discuss it.
Thank you!

Follow Madeline Brewer on Twitter, and Instagram!

Like her on her Official Facebook Page!