The popular Netflix series, “Orange Is The New Black,” about a young woman’s first time adjusting to prison life, is still a hit with audiences all over. The interactions and life of each character make the story interesting as you follow each storyline. But one of the most popular characters on the show is Suzanne “Crazy-Eyes” Warren played by amazing actress Uzoamaka Nwanneka “Uzo” Aduba.
Crazy Eyes has become the heart of the show and with each season, that heart is shattered into pieces. The seasons put Suzanne through one ordeal after another. But throughout each show, Aduba portrays the character as much more than someone with a mental health disorder in prison — she plays the character as a real person who has these issues.
Aduba’s character is over the top in every way, dealing with mental health issues stemming from childhood.
“We’ve been in this space where we have as a society neglected the health and well-being of people battling mental illnesses and behavioral issues,” says Aduba. “I was so moved to see Suzanne’s story because what we were watching was the consequences of that neglect — and how until we really take these things seriously, what can result.”
“It’s such a closed-door subject, a closeted subject. People aren’t walking around and saying, ‘I suffer from mental illness,’ or ‘I have depression,’ or ‘I’m f*cked up.’ We kind of bury it, cover it up, guard it with our life,” continues Aduba. “[So] to have someone who is wrestling with their emotions or struggling with being understood when her point of view isn’t always as clear as everyone else’s — yeah, I feel a huge responsibility to just take care of her and the people who can relate to her. ‘Cause it’s not easy.”
Another cause that’s important to the actress is cancer. The 36-year-old actress ran in the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research.
The race was Aduba’s second marathon. Her first, also to support cancer research, was in New York two years ago, but she tries to work be available to do at least one marathon a year.
“When I ran New York, there were four people in my life — one had passed, and three were battling cancer,” Aduba said. “Now, today, there’s only one still fighting.”
That particularly personal loss inspired the actress to take on 26.2 miles again, this time in her hometown. Aduba…