Uzo Aduba of 'Orange Is the New Black' on What’s Behind Those 'Crazy Eyes'
— -- If you’re having trouble getting in touch with some of your family and friends this week, you might want to blame Netflix. The streaming service has just released an all-new season of “Orange Is the New Black.” And it’s safe to say that, for many, the binge-watching is already in full swing. That’s due in no small part to Emmy Award-winning actress Uzo Aduba, aka Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren. True to her character's nickname, Aduba told ABC News that it’s her eyes which draw the most curiosity from fans.
“[They say] 'Your eyes are so much smaller,'” joked Aduba. “People ask, ‘Do they CGI your eyes?’" she said, referring to computer-generated imagery. "I don’t even know how that would be done."
We’re avoiding the spoilers here, but we can tell you that this season, for the first time, fans of the show will learn much more about Aduba’s character. The role is packed with surprises, even for Aduba.
“Very early on we had a conversation, just with no sort of formality, asking, ‘What would you think would be something that would bring her here?’" Aduba said. "That was just a very simple passing conversation. I know for sure nothing that I said became part of that story. But when I read the script my jaw sort of dropped a little bit. I was surprised firstly that it was happening and then, secondly, looking at the way we sort of treat people battling social behaviors, issues and you know mental illness. It was really helpful in terms of the story though to understand where she’s coming from and a piece of where some of her pain is from.”
Despite her character's zaniness, Aduba says there are some really special underlying qualities to her.
“She’s 'Crazy Eyes' to the world. But she’s Suzanne when you get to know her,” Aduba, 35, told Peter Travers. “Suzanne is so much richer than just the knots and her idiosyncrasies. She has so much more to say. And she tells us that, that she’s crazy. And she isnt’ crazy. She’s unique. And I think what she has is a very clear line of thought. She knows what she’s saying. It’s just getting it out and saying it in a way that other people can interpret, that is her challenge.”
Aduba added, “That openness and vulnerability that [Crazy Eyes] is willing to bring in and invite in is something that I love about her. I also really love how much of herself she is. She is herself. She’s getting made fun of for being herself. She’s being criticized for being herself. And yet she’s unwilling to change.”
Season 4 of “Orange Is the New Black” can be seen on Netflix.
