History Trivia / OrangeIsTheNewBlack

* NamesTheSame: This Mei Chang can't [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist teach you Xingese alkahestry]].

* 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. Constance Shulman once voiced Patti Mayonnaise on ''Doug'', and her casting as Yoga is what some would call WTHCastingAgency at it's best.

* BreakthroughHit: One of Creator/{{Netflix}}'s first major successes with original programming, along with ''Series/{{House of Cards|US}}'', and easily their most popular original show before ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}'' and ''Series/StrangerThings''.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Uzo Aduba originally auditioned for the part of Watson. Watson was also intended to be the most prominent character of the black group but gradually became the least prominent one.

** Jenji Kohan has actually gone on record apologising to fans for the quality of Season 5, saying that the writing was often amateurish and the sort of thing you'd expect to see in fan fiction, as well as revealing that she had subsequently fired nearly all of the writing staff who worked on the season.

* IAmNotSpock: A few interviewers have made the mistake of equating the personalities of some of the actresses with those of the characters they play. Danielle Brooks and Samira Wiley have gotten it more than once; in reality, both are educated, well-spoken and professional women. However, confusions such as this only speak to the quality of the show's performances.

* MakingUseOfTheTwin: Laverne Cox's (Sophia) twin brother M Lamar was used to portray her before [[UsefulNotes/{{Transgender}} her transition from male to female]]. The showrunners actually didn't know she had a twin when they cast her, and couldn't believe their luck when they found out.

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Due to the show's concept there's a constant demand for younger counterparts of all characters. With few exceptions, the resemblance varies from fantastic to downright uncanny. In the episode "Tied to the Tracks" Dascha Polanco's [[RealLifeRelative daughter]] Dasany Kristal Gonzalez plays [[TimeshiftedActor teenaged Daya]].

* WordOfGod: In season 7, after Aleida snaps and begins strangling her daughter Daya to death with Daya's fate left uncertain. The show's writers confirmed that Daya does survive being strangled by her mother.

* FanNickname: "Straight Larry" for Larry, after [[https://wingedcatgirl.tumblr.com/post/180430086480/rudycooper-what-if-there-was-a-show-where-every 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.

* IronyAsSheIsCast: The straight and HeteronormaticCrusader Pennsatucky is played by bisexual actress Taryn Manning.

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

** The show features lesbian Samira Wiley as Poussey, ButchLesbian Lea [=DeLaria=] as Carrie "Big Boo" Black, and trans actress Creator/LaverneCox as Sophia. Then in season 3 Creator/RubyRose plays a lesbian. She is not only a lesbian but genderfluid too (still using female pronouns though). The last season introduces Dominga "Daddy" Duarte, who is either a lesbian or transgender (it's ambiguous), and played by lesbian Vicci Martinez. The openly bisexual protagonist Piper Chapman is portrayed by actress Taylor Schilling who identifies as queer.

* CreatorBacklash: Jenji Kohan has actually gone on record apologising to fans for the quality of Season 5, saying that the writing was often amateurish and the sort of thing you'd expect to see in fan fiction, as well as revealing that she had subsequently fired nearly all of the writing staff who worked on the season.

* DirectedByCastMember: Laura Prepon and Nick Sandow both directed episodes in Seasons 5 and 6, with Sandow directing the Season 6 finale.

** The show features lesbian Samira Wiley as Poussey, ButchLesbian Lea [=DeLaria=] as Carrie "Big Boo" Black, and trans actress Creator/LaverneCox as Sophia. Then in season 3 Creator/RubyRose plays a lesbian. She is not only a lesbian but genderfluid too (still using female pronouns though). The last season introduces Dominga "Daddy" Duarte, who is either a lesbian or transgender (it's ambiguous), and played by lesbian Vicci Martinez.

* ActorSharedBackground: Both Nicky and Natasha Lyonne are estranged from their mothers and have had issues with substance dependency. Also, Lyonne actually ''did'' have a heart infection; the scar is real. Kimiko Glenn, like Brook Soso, is of mixed Japanese and Scottish ancestry too.

* QueerCharacterQueerActor: features lesbian Samira Wiley as Poussey, ButchLesbian Lea [=DeLaria=] as Carrie "Big Boo" Black, and trans actress Creator/LaverneCox as Sophia. Then in season 3 Creator/RubyRose plays a lesbian. She is not only a lesbian but genderfluid too (still using female pronouns though). The last season introduces Dominga "Daddy" Duarte, who is either a lesbian or transgender (it's ambiguous), and played by lesbian Vicci Martinez.

* WordOfGay: On the show's wiki, Brook Soso identified as pansexual.
* WordOfGod: In season 7, after Aleida snaps and begins strangling her daughter Daya to death and Daya's fate left uncertain, the show's writers confirmed that Daya does survive being strangled by her mother.

* ActorAllusion:
** Nicky complains that she thought she was Red's Spock; Red is [[Series/StarTrekVoyager Captain Janeway.]]
** 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 Series/{{Louie}}, who has a penchant for blueberries.
** Alex and Piper are called into Healy's office after Pennsatucky trapped Alex in the laundry dryer; Healy's only concern is whether they've been using the dryer for lascivious purposes. Alex responds, "I'm more of a dishwasher kind of gal, sir." This is an allusion to Donna Pinciotti, the character Laura Prepon played on ''Series/That70sShow'', who mentioned being aroused by dishwashers.
** 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''.
** Nicky refers to Gina as "Squirrel." This could be a reference to Abigail Savage's role as [[Film/{{Precious}} Bunny]].
** 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}}''.
** This isn't the first time Beth Fowler has [[Film/SisterAct played a nun]].
** Suzanne speaks glowingly of the character of Glinda the Good Witch in ''Film/TheWiz'' (albeit confusing that version with ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''). In December 2015, Uzo Aduba played that very role in NBC's live televised performance of ''Theatre/TheWiz''.
** Creator/NatashaLyonne (Nichols) bascially acts with the same personality she had in the ''Film/AmericanPie'' films.
** Taryn Manning has been to a prison before, acting both as an outsider to the regular hierarchy and [[spoiler:trying to murder a main character]] in ''Series/BurnNotice'' season 6 episode 2.

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

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Uzo Aduba originally auditioned for the part of Watson. Watson was also intended to be the most prominent character of the black group but gradually became the least prominent one.
** Cindy reportedly was going to have a ''much'' darker final fate after [[spoiler:her daughter learns the truth about how she was born]], but the actress convinced the crew to bump it up to a more BittersweetEnding.

* BreakthroughHit: One of Creator/{{Netflix}}'s first major successes with original programming, along with ''Series/{{House of Cards|US}}'', and easily their most popular original show before ''Series/{{Daredevil|2015}}''.

* FakeAmerican: Brooklyn-Italian Lorna Morello is played by Australian Yael Stone.

* QueerCharacterQueerActor: The show features lesbian Samira Wiley as Poussey, butch lesbian Lea [=DeLaria=] and trans actress Creator/LaverneCox as Sophia. Then in season 3 Creator/RubyRose plays a lesbian. She is not only a lesbian but genderfluid too (still using female pronouns though). The last season introduces Dominga "Daddy" Duarte, who is either a lesbian or transgender (it's ambiguous), and played by lesbian Vicci Martinez.

* ActorSharedBackground: Both Nicky and Natasha Lyonne are estranged from their mothers and have had issues with substance dependency. Also, Lyonne actually ''did'' have a heart infection; the scar is real. Kimiko Glenn, like Brook Soso, is of mixed Japanese and white ancestry too.

* QueerCharacterQueerActor: The show features lesbian Samira Wiley as Poussey, and trans actress Creator/LaverneCox as Sophia. Then in season 3 Creator/RubyRose plays a lesbian. She is not only a lesbian but genderfluid too (still using female pronouns though).

* 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 is what some would call WTHCastingAgency at it's best.

* SeparatedAtBirthCasting: Due to the show's concept there's a constant demand for younger counterparts of all characters. With few exceptions, the resemblance varies from fantastic to downright uncanny.
** In the episode "Tied to the Tracks" Dascha Polanco's [[RealLifeRelative daughter]] Dasany Kristal Gonzalez plays [[TimeshiftedActor teenaged Daya]].

* ActorSharedBackground: Both Nicky and Natasha Lyonne are estranged from their mothers and have had issues with substance dependency. Also, Lyonne actually ''did'' have a heart infection; the scar is real.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Uzo Aduba originally auditioned for the part of Watson. Watson was also intended to be the most prominent character of the black group but gradually became the least prominent one.

* MakingUseOfTheTwin: Laverne Cox's (Sophia) twin brother M Lamar was used to portray her before [[{{Transgender}} 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.

** In the episode "Tied to the Tracks" Dascha Polanco's [[RealLifeRelative daughter]] Dasany Kristal Gonzalez plays Daya as a [[TimeshiftedActor teenager]].

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Uzo Aduba originally auditioned for the part of Watson. Watson was also intended to be the most prominent character of the black group, but gradually became the least prominent one.

* 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.