Biography
Born in Washington, D.C., Samira Wiley grew up in a religious environment, as her parents were co-pastors of a local Baptist church. She didn't follow her family's clergy background, as she got enveloped in theater and acting at a young age. It ended up blossoming into a passion that led her to being accepted into the prestigious Juilliard School. After graduating from the drama division in 2010, Wiley primarily performed in theater, with one of her most notable roles portraying Maria in an Off Broadway production of Shakespeare's "Love's Labour's Lost" in 2011. Remaining focused mostly on theater, her first screen role came in two episodes of the crime drama "Unforgettable" (CBS 2011-16); followed by a large supporting role in the Jonah Hill-starring comedy "The Sitter" (2011). Wiley finally landed a major recurring role on the Jenji Kohan comedy-drama "Orange is the New Black" (Netflix 2013- ), where she played fan favorite Poussey Washington. The role paired her up with fellow Juilliard grad Danielle Brooks, who played Poussey's devoted best friend Taystee Jefferson. In between filming the show's first and second seasons, Wiley added another film to her credits, playing an FBI agent in the crime thriller "Rob the Mob" (2014). In September 2014, Wiley hit the gossip columns when it was revealed that she was dating Lauren Morelli, a writer for "Orange Is The New Black" who had left her husband for the actress. The couple married on March 25, 2017 in Palm Springs. After Wiley's time on "Orange is the New Black" ended in 2016, she played a recurring character on romantic comedy "You're the Worst" (FX/FXX 2014- ) and co-starred in the television adaptation of Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" (Hulu 2017). She also appeared in the thriller "Nerve" (2016).
