Samira Wiley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Samira Wiley
Wiley in 2013
Born	Washington, D.C., U.S.
Education	Temple University Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2011–present
Spouse(s)	Lauren Morelli ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	1
Relatives	Asante Blackk (nephew)

Samira Wiley is an American actress. She is well-known for her role as Poussey Washington in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. She also played Moira in the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale. For her work in The Handmaid's Tale, she won an Emmy Award.

Wiley has also appeared in movies like The Sitter (2011) and Detroit (2017). She narrated the Netflix documentary Night on Earth (2020).

Early Life and Education

Samira Wiley grew up in Washington, D.C.. Her parents, Christine and Dennis W. Wiley, were pastors at Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ. This church was known for being very welcoming to all people. Samira has two siblings, Aiyana Ma'at and Joshua Wiley.

Wiley went to the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. She then studied at the Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 2010. At Juilliard, she focused on theater acting. She worked mostly in plays when she first started her career.

Acting Career Highlights

Wiley's first big acting job was in the comedy movie The Sitter in 2011. That same year, she acted in a play called Love's Labour's Lost.

Orange Is the New Black Role

When the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black was being developed, a friend told Wiley about the auditions. This friend was a writer for the show. Wiley's future wife, Lauren Morelli, also wrote for the series.

Wiley learned that her friend Danielle Brooks had been cast as Taystee. Wiley then asked to practice her lines with Brooks. Wiley was auditioning for the role of Poussey Washington. Poussey was the best friend of Taystee's character on the show. Wiley got the part.

She appeared in all episodes of the first season. Her character became very important in the second season. Poussey's story grew, and she became a favorite character among fans. Wiley became a main cast member for the third season. The fourth season focused a lot on her character.

Other Film and TV Work

Between seasons of Orange Is the New Black, Wiley filmed Rob the Mob (2014). This was an independent crime movie. In 2014, she appeared in an advertisement for PayPal.

In 2015, Wiley was in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. She played a young adult who wanted to change her story about her father. In December 2015, it was announced that Wiley would voice the main character in the video game The Walking Dead: Michonne. The game was released in 2016.

Wiley also starred in the movie 37 (2016). This film was based on a true story. In 2016, she acted in a new play called Daphne's Dive.

She competed against her Orange Is the New Black co-star Laverne Cox on the show Lip Sync Battle. Wiley won the competition.

Wiley was featured in Maniac Magazine in 2014. She was also on the cover of Out magazine that same year.

In 2017, Wiley began playing Moira in the Hulu series The Handmaid's Tale. In 2020, she played playwright Lorraine Hansberry in the docu-series Equal. In 2022, she helped produce a documentary about body positivity. In 2024, she was cast as a CIA agent in the Sky Original series Atomic.

Awards and Recognition

In 2014, Out magazine named Wiley their Ingenue of the Year. In February 2015, she received the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award. Wiley has said that her parents always supported her, which helped her succeed.

In 2017, Wiley was nominated for an Emmy Award for her role in The Handmaid's Tale. She won the Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series Emmy the next year.

In November 2017, Out magazine included Wiley in their "OUT100" list. This recognized her work and her public presence.

Personal Life

On October 4, 2016, Samira Wiley announced her engagement to Lauren Morelli. They were married on March 25, 2017. Their daughter was born on April 11, 2021.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Video Game Roles