History Trivia / OrangeIsTheNewBlack

* MakingUseOfTheTwin: Laverne Cox's (Sophia) twin brother was used to portray her before her transition from male to female. The show runners actually didn't know she had a twin when they cast her, and couldn't believe their luck when they found out.

*** Vee uses TheFarmerAndTheViper to warn Gloria about Red, which Janeway was on the receiving end of in an especially memorable ''Voyager'' episode.

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Most of the actors playing the younger characters in their flashback episodes pass off fairly well, but especially Kristin Parker as the young Norma stands out.

* DirectedByCastMember: Laura Prepon and Nick Sandow both directed episodes in Season 5.

* BreakthroughHit: One of Creator/{{Netflix}}'s first major successes with original programming, along with ''Series/HouseOfCards'', and easily their most popular original show before ''Series/{{Daredevil 2015}}''.
* TheCastShowOff: The Christmas pageant was an excuse to show off all the talents the actresses had. [[spoiler:Including the normally silent Norma, played by the lead singer of the punk band The Shirts.]]

* StarMakingRole: For most of the main cast...except for Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Biggs, Laura Prepon, Lori Petty, and Blair Brown; in their cases, it is CareerResurrection -- today, only Biggs is still more associated with his earlier work than with ''Orange.''

** In an early episode, Maria Dizzia's character Polly includes the secret ingredient of blueberries in her soap, which is one of the things that makes Piper so excited about going into business. This may be a subtle allusion to Dizzia's character Dolores on {{Louie}}, who has a penchant for blueberries.

* FanNickname: "Straight Larry" for Larry, after an old joke post on Tumblr about a hypothetical show that inverts the "hilarious {{token|minority}} gay" trope with a "hilarious token straight" character by that name.

* TomHanksSyndrome: Laura Prepon was previously best known as Donna on ''Series/That70sShow'', a comedic series that couldn't be any more different than ''Orange.'' Today, Donna is essentially as big a footnote in Prepon's career as [[Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle Hal]] has become for Creator/BryanCranston's after ''Series/BreakingBad'' began. Yoga Jones once voiced Patti Mayonnaise on ''Doug'', and her casting as Yoga was probably because probably someone at the casting agency for the show saw her, said "Hey, it's some bitch, let's hire her to do this show!" and did it all without checking her resume. WTHCastingAgency at it's best.

* BillingDisplacement: In a move completely unprecedented for television, Michael J. Harney is credited in every episode of Season 5, [[spoiler: but does not appear in any capacity or even get mentioned at any point during the season. It's currently unclear whether his credit was left in by mistake, or whether Healy actually was supposed to appear but had his scenes cut]].

* BillingDisplacement: In a move completely unprecedented for television, Michael J. Harney is credited in every episode of Season 5, [[spoiler: but does not appear in any capacity at any point during the season]].

* GeniusBonus: Morello mistakes the name of Bora Bora for "Bora Bora Bora." She's apparently confusing the country's name with "Tora Tora Tora," the Japanese codeword announcing the successful sneak attack of Pearl Harbor, which served as the namesake of the war film ''Film/ToraToraTora''

* MetaCasting: Natasha Lyonne ''does'' have a scar on her chest, like her character Nicky, and for the same reasons: a bacterial heart infection caused by using a dirty needle.
* PlayingGertrude: Elizabeth Rodriguez, who was 33 years old when the series started, plays Aleida who is a mother of the 24 year old Daya.

* TomHanksSyndrome: Laura Prepon was previously best known as Donna on ''Series/That70sShow'', a comedic series that couldn't be any more different than ''Orange.'' Today, Donna is essentially as big a footnote in Prepon's career as [[Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle Hal]] has become for Creator/BryanCranston's after ''Series/BreakingBad'' began.

* CastingGag: Creator/NatashaLyonne (Nichols) bascially acts with the same personality she had in the ''Film/AmericanPie'' films.

* StarMakingRole: For most of the main cast...except for Kate Mulgrew, Natasha Lyonne, Jason Biggs, and Laura Prepon; in their cases, it is CareerResurrection -- today, only Biggs is still more associated with his earlier work than with ''Orange.''

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Pornstache is [[Series/TheWire Nick Sobotka]] and [[Series/LawAndOrderSpecialVictimsUnit William Lewis]].
** Nicky is certainly embracing her attraction to women [[Film/ButImACheerleader after being in an ex-gay camp]].
*** Now we know how [[Film/DetroitRockCity Nicky]] spent her teen years.
*** Everyone knew [[Film/AmericanPie Jessica]] was a lesbian, but it must be awkward for Jim to see her in jail.
** [[Series/StrangersWithCandy Sara Blank]] has to deal with the fact that her daughter is now a prison convict.
** It goes without saying that [[Series/That70sShow Donna]] figured out what she wanted to do with her life after graduating. Alternatively, [[Series/HowIMetYourMother Karen]]'s gotten a lot less pretentious, though she's still rather rude.
** [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Captain Janeway]] is taking her holodeck program a bit too far. Alternatively, [[Franchise/DragonAge Flemeth]] somehow ended up in jail and picked up a Russian accent while serving her time.
** Larry has already had some experience with *ehem* [[Film/AmericanPie unconventional methods]] of [[ADateWithRosiePalms self love]].
*** [[http://www.autostraddle.com/and-now-every-character-from-orange-is-the-new-black-as-they-appear-on-law-and-order-241774/ Most of the cast]] appeared on Series/LawAndOrder or one of its spinoffs.
** [[Theatre/TheRockyHorrorPictureShow Dr.Scott/Eddie]] ditched the garters and wheelchair for a more...''butch'' look and is called Big Boo now.
** Bennett is [[Series/HowToGetAwayWithMurder Asher Millstone]].
** Chang's mother or mother-like figure who deals in the flashbacks is [[Series/{{Daredevil 2015}} Madame Gao]]. Both characters are so similar in appearance, tone of voice, manner of speech, body language and other facets, one begins to wonder if [=OitNB=] is set in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse.
** Chang herself was on ''Series/{{Roseanne}}'', as Iris, one of Roseanne's co-workers at the hair salon in Season 2.
** [[Series/GirlMeetsWorld Maya]] bullied Alex as a child.
* HeyItsThatVoice:
** Yoga Jones is [[{{WesternAnimation/Doug}} Patti Mayonnaise]].
** [[WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries Livewire]] apparently lost her lightning powers, changed her name to Lolly, and ended up in jail. Again.
** In European French, Carrie Black (Creator/CaroleBaillien) is [[WesternAnimation/MyGymPartnersAMonkey Adam Lyon]] (!), [[WesternAnimation/WinxClub Bloom]] (!), [[WesternAnimation/PoundPuppies2010 Bretzel]] (!), [[Series/DoctorWho Donna Noble]], [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Hera Syndulla]], [[WesternAnimation/GravityFalls Mable]] (!), WesternAnimation/{{Martha|Speaks}} (!), Manga/{{Naruto}} (!), [[WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko Nicolas, Sissi]], [[WesternAnimation/JacobTwoTwo Noah]], [[Anime/{{Doraemon}} Nobita (!), Sewashi (!)]], [[WesternAnimation/TeamHotWheelsTheOriginOfAwesome Rhett]] (!) and [[WesternAnimation/TheFairlyOddParents Trixie Tang]] ([[http://carolebaillien.blogspot.com/p/biographie.html and a lot more]]).

* MakingUseOfTheTwin: Laverne Cox's (Sophia) twin brother was used to portray her before her transition from male to female.

** Between him referring to the "webcam incident" and the "penis-shaving horror" in the first episode and the scene with him attempting to "edge," the show doesn't shy away from references to Jason Biggs' breakout role in Film/AmericanPie.

** Norma is revealed to have been the loyal wife of a guru/cult leader in the 1970's. This could be a reference to the fact that Annie Golden originated the role of [[UsefulNotes/{{CharlesManson}} Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme]] in the musical Theatre/{{Assassins}}

* FakeRussian: Galina "Red" Reznikov is played by the Irish-American Kate Mulgrew

** Nicky is certainly embracing her attraction to women [[ButImACheerleader after being in an ex-gay camp]].

** [[{{WesternAnimation/SupermanTheAnimatedSeries}} Livewire]] apparently lost her lightning powers, changed her name to Lolly, and ended up in jail. Again.

* MetaCasting:
** Natasha Lyonne ''does'' have a scar on her chest, like her character Nicky, and for the same reasons: a bacterial heart infection caused by using a dirty needle.

** [[Series/GirlMeets World Maya]] bullied Alex as a child.