AMERICANWAY
JUNE2015
21
THENEW
LEADING
LADY
UzoAdubaisbackthismonth
withmore“CrazyEyes”on
OrangeIstheNewBlack
F
orty-five minutes is the
precise amount of time it
took Uzo Aduba to go from
teary-eyed, unemployed actress on a
NewYork train, ready to abandon all
hopeandsurrender to the rigorsof law
school, to inking the deal that would
makeheroneofTV’shottestactresses.
Afterhercriticallyheralded run ina
2011revivalof
Godspell
hadjusttakenits
finalbow,hermanagement insistedthat
she focusonpursuingfilmandTVgigs.
“I remember thinking, ‘This is not for
you.This isnotyours. I’mgiving itup,’ ”
Adubasays. “And thenthephonerang.”
The role Aduba couldn’t refuse
—thatofSuzanne“CrazyEyes”Warren
onNetflix’sprisondramedy,
Orange Is
theNewBlack
—hasearnedthe35-year-
oldactressanEmmyandaScreenActors
GuildAward. “Faith is themost impor-
tantthingyoucanhaveasanartist,”says
Aduba. “Belief is thefirst tool youneed
toput inyour toolboxofacting.”
Adubahastakenstrengthandwisdom
fromplaying “CrazyEyes,”amercurial,
incarceratedwomanwhoyearns tobe
loved.“She’sinnocentlikeachild,except
children aren’t scary,” Aduba laughs.
“Herintentionsaregood.Sheloveshard.
She lovesbig.She’sfiercely loyal. It’llbe
interesting to seewhat audiences think
ofherpath.”–toddaaronjensen
KEVINMAZUR/WIREIMAGE
June2015
TAKING
AVIEW
ONTHE
WORLD
