Uzo Aduba

Uzo Aduba was an American actress whose defining role was that of obsessive, eccentric and misunderstood prison inmate Suzanne 'Crazy Eyes' Warren in Netflix's prison drama "Orange is the New Black" (2013- ). A striking character with wild hair and eyes which live up to her name, Crazy Eyes was obsessed with and lovelorn over Taylor Schilling's lead character Piper Chapman, offering Aduba the opportunity to act up to her character's unpredictable personality. Of Nigerian descent, Aduba was raised in New York City, NY. She attended Boston University's College of Fine Arts, and it was while she was there that she would gain her first significant acting credit, a part in "Translations of Xhosa" at Kennedy Centre in 2003 (it would also earn her a Helen Hayes award nomination for best actress in a play). She made her Broadway debut in "Corum Boy" in 2007, and her significant theatrical acting experience also included roles in "Godspell" on Broadway and in regional productions of "Dessa Rose" and "A Civil War Christmas," both of which brought her IRNE award nominations. She also sang at the White House and in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. Her feature film debut came in the spiritual musical "Pearly Gates" (2015), followed by a supporting role in the comedy-drama "Tallulah" (2016), starring Ellen Page and Allison Janney.