Taylor Schilling is up for her second Emmy Award nod for her portrayal of Piper Chapman on Netflix’s most popular series Orange is the New Black. Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir about her experience in prision, it’s the first television show to shine the light on a women’s prison population. Show creator Jenji Kohan cast a genuinely diverse ensemble of formidable actors. The majority happen to be female, black, Latina, LGBT, trans, and only a handful were already well established. But Orange is the New Black is one of rare shows made in Hollywood where the actors aren’t simply seletected for the color of their skin or number of Twitter followers, but for the content of their character acting.

It was a treat to have Piper Kerman, an alumni of Employee of the Month, join us to discuss what it’s like to have someone personify you and the line between fact and fiction. When not consulting on the show, Kerman is highly active in prison reform and has testified before Congress.

Join Slate Plus to unlock full, ad-free access to Employee of the Month and the rest of your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe directly from the Employee of the Month show page on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Or visit slate.com/employeeplus to get access wherever you listen.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.