Samira Wiley - wikipedia Samira Wiley Samira Wiley Wiley in 2013 Samira Denise Wiley ( 1987 - 04 - 15 ) April 15, 1987 ( age 31 ) Education Temple University Juilliard School ( BFA ) Occupation Actress, model, producer Years active 2011 ( 2011 ) -- present Spouse ( s ) Lauren Morelli ( m. 2017 ) Samira Wiley ( born April 15, 1987 ) is an American actress and model. She is best known for playing Poussey Washington in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black and for playing Moira in the Hulu series The Handmaid 's Tale, for which she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 2.1 Modeling 3 Awards 4 Personal life 5 Filmography 5.1 Film 5.2 Television 5.3 Video game 6 See also 7 References 8 External links Early life Wiley was raised in Washington, D.C. Her parents, Christine and Dennis W. Wiley, are the co-pastors of Covenant Baptist United Church of Christ. Wiley 's parents have been referred to as `` pillars of the LGBT religious community, '' as the Covenant Baptist Church was the only Baptist church in D.C. performing same - sex unions in 2007. She has two siblings : Aiyana Ma'at and Joshua Wiley. Wiley attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C., and the Juilliard School in New York City, graduating in 2010. At Juilliard, she trained in theater performance and worked mainly in theater in her early career. Career Wiley 's first major acting role was in the comedy film The Sitter ( 2011 ). In 2011, Wiley played Maria in a theater production of Love 's Labour 's Lost by The Public Theater. When the Netflix television series Orange Is the New Black -- based on Piper Kerman 's memoir of the same name -- came into development, Wiley was told about the auditions by a friend from Juilliard, Marco Ramirez, who was a writer for the show. After discovering that another Juilliard friend, Danielle Brooks, had won a role in the show, Wiley asked Brooks to rehearse lines with her to prepare for her audition for the role of Poussey Washington, the on - screen best friend of Brooks ' character. Wiley 's audition was ultimately successful ; she appeared in all twelve episodes of the series ' first season and was featured prominently throughout the second season. The darker and more violent plot of the second season allowed for the growth of Wiley 's character, whose evolved story lines led to Wiley 's prolonged screen exposure and ultimate development as a `` fan - favorite. '' She was promoted to series regular for the third season. The fourth season revolves heavily around her character, leading up to the reactions within the prison upon Poussey 's death at the hands of a prison officer. Wiley 's wife, Lauren Morelli, is a writer on the show. In between seasons of Orange Is the New Black, Wiley filmed Rob the Mob ( 2014 ), an independent crime film directed by Raymond De Felitta. She appeared in an advertisement for the digital monetary service PayPal in 2014. In 2015, Wiley featured in the 21st episode of the 16th season of Law & Order : Special Victims Unit, `` Perverted Justice, '' portraying a young adult wishing to recant her rape accusation of her father when she was 6 years old, and set him free. In December 2015, it was announced Wiley had been cast to voice the titular character in the video game The Walking Dead : Michonne. The game was released by Telltale Games in February 2016. In 2017, she narrated one of two versions of Max Brooks ' book, Minecraft : The Island : A Novel. Wiley also starred in a film called 37 ( 2016 ), a true story of thirty - seven people who witness a murder and none call the police or intervene. In 2016, she starred in a new play by Quiara Alegría Hudes called Daphne 's Dive. Modeling Wiley has modeled for Maniac Magazine, appearing on the cover and in an editorial of the 2014 September / October issue. She was pictured modeling `` a series of bold, chic, high fashion looks. '' Wiley was also featured on the cover of 2014 edition of Out magazine, along with Sam Smith, Ellen Page, and Zachary Quinto. Awards In 2014, Wiley was named Out magazine 's Ingenue of the Year. In February 2015, she was awarded the Human Rights Campaign 's Visibility Award. According to the Human Rights Campaign 's website, Wiley was always accepted and embraced by her parents, regardless of her sexuality, and to this she attributes her success. In 2017, Wiley received a Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role in the Hulu series The Handmaid 's Tale. Personal life On October 4, 2016, Wiley announced her engagement to Orange Is the New Black writer Lauren Morelli. They married on March 25, 2017. In November 2017, Wiley was nominated to Out magazine 's `` OUT100 '' for 2017 in recognition of her work and her visibility. Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2011 The Sitter Tina 2012 Being Flynn Asha 2014 Rob the Mob Agent Annie Bell 2016 Nerve Hacker Kween 37 Joyce Smith 2017 Detroit Vanessa 2018 Social Animals Lana Television Year Title Role Notes 2011 Unforgettable Gina 2 episodes 2012 Person of Interest Triage Nurse Episode : `` Many Happy Returns '' 2013 -- 17 Orange Is the New Black Poussey Washington 50 episodes Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series ( 2015 -- 17 ) 2015 Law & Order : Special Victims Unit Michelle Episode : `` Perverted Justice '' 2016 The Catch Captain Nia Brooks Episode : `` The Benefactor '' 2016 You 're the Worst Justina Jordan 5 episodes 2017 -- 18 The Handmaid 's Tale Moira 11 episodes Nominated -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Nominated -- Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Pending -- NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series Pending -- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series 2017 Last Week Tonight With John Oliver Forensic Scientist Episode : `` Forensic Evidence '' ( CSI : Crime Scene Idiot skit ) 2017 -- present Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television Jessica Mathers 8 episodes Video game Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2016 The Walking Dead : Michonne Michonne Nominated -- BTVA Video Game Voice Acting Award for Best Female Lead Vocal Performance in a Video Game See also LGBT culture in New York City References Jump up ^ `` Samira Wiley Biography ''. TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Jump up ^ Ahearn, Victoria ( July 5, 2016 ). `` ' Orange is the New Black ' star Samira Wiley on how Black Lives Matter inspired Poussey Washington ''. Toronto Star. Retrieved March 26, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Berlin, Mike ( November 11, 2014 ). `` Out100 : OITNB 's Samira Wiley, Ingenue Of The Year ''. Out. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved April 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Wiley, Samira ( @ samirawiley ) ( September 18, 2014 ). `` Lol, that is Aiyana Ma'at. She 's my sister '' ( Tweet ). Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017 -- via Twitter. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Jump up ^ Wiley, Josh ( @ imjusjoshin ) ( May 6, 2015 ). `` Watch my sister @ samirawiley on Law & Order SVU tonight ! '' ( Tweet ). Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017 -- via Twitter. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Jump up ^ `` Wiley, Doris W ''. The Washington Post. July 5, 2009. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2017 -- via Legacy.com. Also survived by three grandchildren, Aiyana Ma'at, Samira Wiley and Joshua Wiley... Jump up ^ Wiley in `` Exclusive Interview : Samira Wiley on Orange is the New Black ''. Voice.Fan.TV. December 27, 2013. Archived from the original on September 15, 2014. I went to a performing arts school for high school and went to Juilliard... I went to Duke Ellington School of the Arts in D.C. ^ Jump up to : Abdulhamid, Yassmeen ( September 2013 ). `` Fame Is the New Reality for ' Orange ' Actress ''. The Juilliard School. Retrieved April 25, 2014. Jump up ^ Martin, Rebecca ( July 29, 2013 ). `` Orange Is the New Black 's Samira Wiley on Playing Poussey and Tweets From Regina King -- Exclusive ! ''. Wetpaint. Retrieved April 26, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Morales, Wilson ( October 22, 2013 ). `` Exclusive : Catching Up With Orange is the New Black 's Samira Wiley ''. Blackfilm.com. Retrieved April 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Brantley, Ben ( October 31, 2011 ). `` O, That Rowdy Passage From Celibate to Celebrate ''. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved April 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Fitzpatrick, Kevin. `` ' Orange Is the New Black ' Interview : Samira Wiley Talks Taystee - Poussey, Netflix Model and Season 2 ''. ScreenCrush. Retrieved April 26, 2014. Jump up ^ Breger, Esther ( 1 July 2014 ). `` Interview : Orange Is The New Black 's Poussey on Playing the Season 's Tragic Heroine ''. NewRepublic. Retrieved 2 April 2015. Jump up ^ Rowles, Dustin ( July 8, 2014 ). `` Everything You Need to Know About Samira Wiley, The Extraordinary Poussey on ' Orange is the New Black ''. Pajiba. Retrieved January 10, 2015. Jump up ^ Kay, Ariel ( 25 Aug 2014 ). `` Bustle ''. Bustle. Retrieved 7 April 2015. Jump up ^ `` ' Walking Dead ' Just Cast An ' OITNB ' Actress As Michonne ''. MTV News. Retrieved 2015 - 12 - 31. Jump up ^ `` Let Jack Black and Samira Wiley transport you to Minecraft : The Island ''. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2017 - 09 - 17. Jump up ^ `` Samira Wiley Rocks High Fashion Looks For Maniac Magazine. Images by April Hubal ''. SUPERSELECTED Black Fashion Magazine Black Models Black Contemporary Artists Art Black Musicians. 31 Oct 2014. Retrieved 2 April 2015. Jump up ^ Johnson, Alexa Rae ( November 11, 2014 ). `` ' Talk about My Music, Not My Sexuality, ' Says Sam Smith as He Joins Samira Wiley, Ellen Page and Zachary Quinto on Cover of Multiple Edition OUT Magazine ''. Daily Mail. UK : Associated Newspapers. Retrieved April 2, 2015. Jump up ^ Miller, Hayley ( February 25, 2015 ). `` Human Rights Campaign ''. Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved April 2, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Big Little Lies, The Handmaid 's Tale Lead the 2017 Emmy Winners ''. Vulture. September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017. Jump up ^ Macatee, Rebecca ( October 4, 2016 ). `` Samira Wiley Is Engaged To Lauren Morelli ''. E ! News. Archived from the original on October 27, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016. Jump up ^ Savada, Shira ( 2017 - 03 - 23 ). `` Exclusive : Samira Wiley and Lauren Morelli Are Married ! ''. Martha Stewart Weddings. Retrieved 2017 - 03 - 26. Jump up ^ `` OUT100 : Samira Wiley, Actress ''. Out. November 8, 2017. Retrieved November 9, 2017. Jump up ^ `` The Walking Dead : Michonne - Awards ''. IMDb. Retrieved January 23, 2018. External links Samira Wiley on IMDb hide Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series ( 2010 -- 2019 ) Modern Family, season 1 / season 2 ( 2010 ) : Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Modern Family, season 2 / season 3 ( 2011 ) : Anderson - Emmons, Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Modern Family, season 3 / season 4 ( 2012 ) : Anderson - Emmons, Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Modern Family, season 4 / season 5 ( 2013 ) : Anderson - Emmons, Bowen, Burrell, Ferguson, Gould, Hyland, O'Neill, Rodriguez, Stonestreet, Vergara, Winter Orange Is the New Black, season 2 ( 2014 ) : Aduba, Biggs, Brooks, Cox, Cruz, Curtin, DeLaria, Fowler, Freeman, Gardner, Glenn, Golden, Guerrero, Harney, Jeudy, Lake, Lapkus, Leyva, Lyonne, Manning, Marsh Garland, McGorry, Moore, Mulgrew, Myles, Pimentel, Polanco, Reiner, Roberts, Rodriguez, Rosenblat, Sandow, Savage, Schilling, Shulman, Soules, Stone, Toussaint, Tucci, Wiley Orange Is the New Black, season 3 ( 2015 ) : Aduba, Birbiglia, Blake, Brooks, Cox, Cruz, Curtin, DeLaria, Fowler, Glenn, Golden, Guerrero, Harney, Jeudy, Leyva, Manning, Marsh Garland, Moore, Mulgrew, Myles, Peters, Petty, Pimentel, Polanco, Prepon, Rodriguez, Rose, Sandow, Savage, Schilling, Shulman, Soules, Stone, Wiley Orange Is the New Black, season 4 ( 2016 ) : Aduba, Aisenberg, Brooks, Brown, Cruz, DeLaria, Dover, Glenn, Golden, Gómez, Guerrero, Harney, Henke, Jeudy, Lake, Leyva, Lyonne, Manning, McMenamin, Moore, Mulgrew, Myles, Peters, Petty, Pimentel, Polanco, Prepon, Purdy, Rodriguez, Sandow, Savage, Schilling, Shulman, Soules, Stone, Tucci, Wiley Veep, season 6 ( 2017 ) : Bakkedahl, Chlumsky, Cole, Colin, Dunn, DuVall, Franklin, Hale, Louis - Dreyfus, Richardson, Scheer, Scott, Simons, Sutherland, Walsh Complete list ( 1994 -- 1999 ) ( 2000 -- 2009 ) ( 2010 -- 2019 ) LCCN : no2015040943 VIAF : 315190434 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Samira_Wiley&oldid=850400802 '' Categories : 1987 births 21st - century American actresses Actresses from Washington, D.C. African - American actresses American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses Juilliard School alumni LGBT African Americans LGBT entertainers from the United States LGBT people from Washington, D.C. Lesbian actresses Living people Hidden categories : CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown All articles with dead external links Articles with dead external links from March 2018 Articles with permanently dead external links Articles with hCards All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2017 Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Asturianu تۆرکجه Čeština Deutsch Español فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն Italiano Nederlands Polski Português Русский Simple English Svenska Українська 9 more Edit links This page was last edited on 15 July 2018, at 17 : 05 ( UTC ). About Wikipedia

Question: who plays poussey on orange is the new black
Answer: Samira Wiley