Actress Reflects on the Shift from Audience Celebration to Resentment Towards Her Character
Taylor Schilling has shared her thoughts on the evolving reactions to her character, Piper Chapman, in Orange is the New Black, and the emotional impact it had on her.
The critically acclaimed prison drama, which aired from 2013 to 2019, featured Schilling as Piper, a privileged woman sentenced to prison for money laundering and conspiracy. The show also boasted a diverse ensemble cast, including Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, and Samira Wiley.
At the start, creator Jenji Kohan described Piper as a “Trojan horse” to draw audiences in, noting that by following a white woman, the show could later expand to tell the stories of Black, Latina, older women, and other diverse characters.
However, as the series progressed, Schilling observed a shift in audience sentiment towards her character, which she admitted was difficult to handle. Reflecting on the change, Schilling revealed in an interview with The Independent that the growing resentment towards Piper hurt her personally. “In some ways, that was really hard,” she said. “I took it personally and I felt like I was no longer a part of the pack. I think Piper held the projection of a lot of white privilege for the collective that was invested in the show.”
Schilling acknowledged the importance of discussing privilege but found it challenging to be at the centre of such a conversation. She said, “It was so wonderful to be a part of, of course, then it was an interesting experience to observe the change from when we started. It really changed.”
By the time the final season aired, some outlets had labelled Piper the “most hated character of all time,” reflecting the widespread shift in perception. Schilling observed, “I definitely observed that feeling of celebration shifting into resentment of Piper. It’s a difficult thing to not personalise that. I started to feel like my job in that show was just as a space holder, to provide a steady middle so that other people could really shine.”
In the interview, Schilling also touched on her recent role as a queer porn star in Pam & Tommy, the Hulu series based on the infamous sex tape scandal involving Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.
