'Orange Is the New Black' cast reacts to final season, talks importance of diversity on TV
The actors from Netflix series 'Orange Is the New Black' are proud to be part of the groundbreaking show.
NEW YORK – "Orange Is the New Black" dropped its seventh and final season on Friday and the groundbreaking show didn't shy away from tackling the tough topics.
The series made a name for itself by having one of the most diverse casts on TV, was one of the few shows created by a woman, Jenji Kohan, received acclaim for its portrayal of race and sexuality, and put Netflix on the map when it premiered in 2013.
The impact of the dramedy about women in a fictional prison hasn't been lost on the cast as well. At the New York City premiere of the final season on Thursday, Fox News caught up with some of the cast as they reflected on being part of television history.
'ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK' STAR TARYN MANNING CLAIMS SHE WAS HACKED AFTER POSTING DISTURBING MESSAGES
"Working on it was so much more fulfilling and challenging and invigorating than I could have ever even imagined," said Amanda Fuller who plays Madison "Badison" Murphy.
Alysia Reiner, who portrayed Fig, said the opportunity to work on the show was "amazing."
The cast including Selenis Leyva, Danielle Brooks, Diane Guerrero, Beth Dover, Jason Biggs, Jackie Cruz, Uzo Aduba, Alysia Reiner, Natasha Lyonne, Jessica Pimentel, Taylor Schilling, Laura Prepon, and Laverne Cox attend the 'Orange Is the New Black' Season 7 premiere in NYC on July 25. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images for Netflix)
"When you get to be part of art that changes culture, you feel like the luckiest actor on the planet. And this season we talk about ICE, we talk about immigration. Nobody is talking about those things I'm so proud to be part of art that's talking about those things right now," she added.
Laura Gomez, who plays Blanca, couldn't believe she's a "part of history" on a show that was "created by a woman with this diverse cast." She felt the audience's acceptance of "Orange" means that "there's an audience out there that craves for this type of stories and cast."
NETFLIX REMOVES SUICIDE SCENE FROM ‘13 REASONS WHY’ FOLLOWING DEBATE
The sentiment was echoed by Diane Guerrera, aka Maritza. "We have changed the way people watch television, we have changed the way that people look at stories and TV writing, and also how people view people of color.
"It was the first show that multiple people of color in the same scene," she added. "I'm just happy that my breakout role was on this show."
"Orange Is the New Black" is available to stream on Netflix now.
Trending
Who's making headlines in television, music, movies and more from Hollywood to the Heartland.