‘Orange Is The New Black’ Adds Regular
EXCLUSIVE: Star Trek: Voyager alumna Kate Mulgrew has been cast as a regular on
Orange Is The New Black, Netflix’s new 13-episode hourlong series from Weeds creator Jenji Kohan. It centers on Piper (Taylor Schilling), an engaged Brooklynite whose decade-old relationship with a drug-runner (Laura Prepon) in college results in her arrest and multi-year detention in a federal penitentiary. Mulgrew, repped by Innovative and Viking Entertainment, will play Red, a Russian prisoner who runs the kitchen and serves as a mother figurehead for the women.
* With all due respect to Captain Kathryn Janeway...praying we don't see her naked in the series. Nasty in a bad way.++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Preview: Michael Bay's 'Black Sails' Building a First-Rate CastIf you love
Transformers,
Pearl Harbor, and
Armageddon, you’re probably already pumped for Michael Bay’s
Black Sails. The pirate drama, a prequel to
Treasure Island, that the movie producer-director turned TV producer is working on for Starz movie network is expected to hit the small screen in 2014.
Production Underway
Though few Hollywood A-listers may be better equipped to produce an action series on the high seas than action movie veteran Bay, the Bay-touch isn’t the only thing that
Black Sails has working in its favor. In South Africa, the crew is currently underway, navigating the choppy waters of pre-production, and have begun picking up an all-star cast to fill out the ship's roles.
Michael Bay does serve as an executive producer of
Black Sails, but he isn’t the show’s creator. That honor goes to Jon Steinberg, also one of the series' executive producers, who will serve as the
Black Sails’ showrunner. Steinberg got practice as an executive producer on his post-apocalyptic series
Jericho, and also co-produced and wrote for comic book-inspired series
Human Target.
Creating a First-Rate Crew
According to indiewire.com, joining producer Jon Steinberg for the show’s pilot is
Game of Thrones’ directing alum Neil Marshall. Prior to his work on
Game of Thrones, Marshall was best known as the writer and director of hit 2005 horror film
The Descent.
With a top-notch crew on board,
Black Sails has just begun putting together the ship’s cast. The production is starting out with a bang, signing fantasy series
Merlin’s Tom Hopper in the role of
First Mate Billy Bones, according to Digital Spy.
Theater alum Tom Hopper has already built a reputation with his genre work. After several guest turns on TV shows in his native England, Hopper bumped up to a feature player with his role of
Merlin’s Sir Percival. You won’t have to wait for
Black Sails to see more of Hopper’s work. Upcoming films featuring the rising actor include
Knights of Badassdom, set for release in 2012, and WWII movie
Grace and Danger, set for a 2013 release.
What Comes After?
If the first eight episodes prove successful, and with the crew that Bay and Steinberg have put together, it’s hard to see why they wouldn't be, viewers can likely expect more of
Black Sails in subsequent seasons.
Just because the screen may be smaller than
Michael Bay’s usual feature-sized medium doesn’t mean the action-adventure series won’t go big either. With its
Treasure Island roots,
Black Sails promises to be a rousing tale of pirates, great wooden ships and the open sea, so viewers can expect big sets, big personalities, and plenty of action.
Those viewers who were loyal to Steinberg’s
Jericho, keeping the series on for an extra season after CBS threatened to cancel the show after season one, know they can expect big events on a small scale from the TV action veteran. Those viewers loyal to
Bay’s big-screen action films know they can expect even bigger action sequences from the movie director.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Doctor Who's sidekick Jenna-Louise Coleman stars in raunchy new drama
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| Posh totty ... Jenna-Louise Coleman as Susan Brown |
The actress, who plays Oswin Oswald in the sci-fi series, was last night seen baring her breasts in two-part series Room At The Top.  |
| Lovers ... Joe Lampton (Matthew McNulty) and Alice Aisgill (Maxine Peake) |
The 26-year-old stars as posh totty Susan Brown in the adaptation of John Braine's novel of the same name.
It follows the rise of ambitious social climber Joe Lampton, played by Matthew McNulty, in post-war Britain.
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| Room At The Top ... Joe Lampton (Matthew McNulty) and Alice Aisgill (Maxine Peake) star in new drama |
Joe sets his sights on Susan, the young daughter of a local council big-wig who is very much out of his league, as his ticket to the top.
But until he wins her over he amuses himself with married lover Alice Aisgill (Maxine Peake).
 |
| Doctor Who star ... Jenna-Louise Coleman as Oswin Oswald |
The series concludes tonight at 9pm.
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Exclusive: Clip From Sexy Noir Thriller 'The Unlikely Girl' by Kevin Jagernauth
With the Venice, Telluride and Toronto trifecta of film festivals over, but New York and London gearing up, fall is the time when the very best cinema has to offer gets rolled out. But among all the buzzworthy titles reaching for Oscar gold, there are plenty more films just looking to find an audience. And while they may not boast big names and budgets, they may offer up something unexpected for the adventurous viewer, and one movie hoping to make a splash is Wei Ling Chang's debut feature "The Unlikely Girl."The film stars Hande Kodja, Pierre Boulanger and Shane Lynch, and follows an American exchange student spending the summer in France who becomes embroiled in a romantic triangle. This exclusive first clip from the movie gives a hint at the suspense and sexual tension that seems to be boiling beneath the surface.Here's the official synopsis:The sexy noir thriller THE UNLIKELY GIRL explores the fine line between truth and reality. First time feature filmmaker Wei Ling Chang has created a taut, world where suspense and deceit lurk at every turn. After a racy encounter with a stranger on a train, the beautiful Cécile (Hande Kodja) arrives at a family vacation house in the south of France to unwind. When she travels into town, she runs into an old childhood crush, Luc (Pierre Boulanger), who can’t believe that it’s really her after all of these years. As they begin to rekindle their intense longing for each other, they are surprised by the arrival of an American college exchange student, Jamie (Shane Lynch). Cecile is initially annoyed by Jamie’s intrusion but then in an unlikely turn, they bond as Jamie uncovers a dark truth about Cécile’s childhood. Soon even Cécile encourages Jamie to take Luc for herself. When Cécile’s brother, Matthieu, mysteriously shows up at the house things take another unexpected turn as each has a very different version of their childhood. Someone is lying – Cecile? Matthieu? Luc? Or maybe they all are. Jamie was in for a summer of French immersion but finds herself tangled in a web of sexual intrigue and family drama like she never could have imagined. "The Unlikely Girl" will screen at the Vancouver International Film Festival which kicks off on September 27th. Click here for showtimes, and watch the clip below.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Who knew? Even supermodels use body doubles  |
| Nicole Clark (l) was the body double for Cindy Crawford (r) in a 1995 credit card commercial that ran during the Super Bowl. (Nicole Clark) |
During the 1995 Super Bowl, Cindy Crawford starred in a series of big budget commercials for Blockbuster Visa, during which the sexy supermodel walked outside a fancy hotel, causing two taxis to almost collide.
Except she didn't.
The exterior shot was done with an entirely different model, Nicole Clark, a body double done up to look like Crawford.
“Cindy had a speaking role so she did her close-ups and dialogue. Her time was limited because she was busy with her roles in ‘House of Style’ and her first feature ‘Fair Game,’” Clark told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “Thus there was a need for a double.”
Indeed while we constantly hear about actors and actresses and their body doubles, it turns out even supermodels, who earn their living based solely on their perfect bodies and faces, often use doubles with even more flawless bodies and skin.
“If there is a girl with better legs, and the commercial has a scene where the shot only shows legs, then it makes sense to use the model with the better legs,” Nadja Atwal, a former model who now manages the likes of “Real Housewives of Miami” star Joanna Krupa, and Guess by Marciano model Julia Lescova, explained. “My friend, the German actress and model Alexandra Kamp, was known for having the best legs in town and doubled several international top models for commercials.”
Petite model Isobella Jade has doubled for celebrities such as Christina Ricci and for Rachel Bilson on editorial shoots, as well as a "parts" models for everyone from Victoria’s Secret to Easy Spirit to Seventeen Magazine. She said people are always surprised to learn that models often require an on-set twin.
“Not all models have nice hands, feet or behinds. So a body parts model is often used to make up for the giraffe tall fashion model’s flaws. That’s why I tell shorter, aspiring models about other avenues that involve using the important ‘other assets’ to book work,” she explained. “Usually the model double has to have a similar skin tone to the featured model, measurements, and similar hair style, perhaps a bra cup-size and shoe size. It just depends on what the company is trying to accomplish.”
And there is more to it than just simply standing there and resembling a familiar face and figure.
“When I was younger, I had to break in the heels and film initial takes of running scenes – resulting in bloody feet and bloody shoes,” she recalled. “But I feel sorry for the actress that had to wear them after me.”
On other occasions, the model double is required to stand in place of the model while the photographer sets up the shot and ensures the best lighting and placement. Former model Nicole Weider said the most “eye-awakening” job she ever did was as a stand-in for Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima. “Having my bra adjusted many times by several strangers on the set while I was waiting for the model to start shooting, I realized modeling lingerie was embarrassing and uncomfortable and not glamorous at all,” she said. Model doubles can also cut significant production costs, and protect the more famous face from showing their “bad side” to the world.
“If a model is booked for a three-day commercial out of which one day the commercial shows the model's body parts, or from the back, or if the focus is on another person, the stand-in model/body double will take the place of the expensive supermodel and the brands saves tens of thousands of dollars,” Atwal explained. “Some commercials also have very sexy scenes which some supermodels don’t feel comfortable with, like some top actresses don't like sex scenes, so for that purpose, a body double also makes sense wherever the camera moves away from the face."
According to Linda Teglovic, owner of the agency Body Parts Models Inc., there is no body part that doesn’t need a double at some point.
“There are a lot of girls who body double butts and hands. Hands are the most common, and a lot of the supermodels don't have good hands, or full body, or legs,” she said. “A major electronics company called and all they wanted is ears, and we don't have an ears division, they didn't say what type, so we used all of our hand models and made them ear models. I worked so hard on it and they ended up using only two ears."
And while supermodels take home the big bucks, their lookalikes can carve quite lucrative careers as well, earning as much as $1,000 a day. Atwal said that even years ago she earned $500 a day for doubling her hands and cleavage, noting that hand models are in particularly high demand.
But being a body double can take its toll. “I realized I was in a disservice to women,” said Clark, who despite her Crawford-esque stunning exterior, turned her back on the big checks, haute couture and fashion industry all together. “I realized I was doing a disservice to all the girls in my world.” And while filling Lima’s shoes (or rather, her bra) Weider had a similar revelation.
“The (job) was like a dream come true at first. I had always looked up to those models. But it turned out to be a hard look at the falsity of the modeling industry in general, and it really changed my perspective,” she said. “The picture-perfect models that companies advertise often wear tons of extensions to elongate and thicken hair, their entire bodies are bronzed and contoured I was sick and tired of how degraded I started to feel. I felt that my worth was only based on how I looked. But now my experience in Hollywood has allowed me to help other girls understand how damaging the industry can be.”++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Top 10 nude models in China by Zhang Junmian
Nudity in art and nude modeling were introduced into China almost one century ago. When famed Chinese painter Liu Haisu became the first to initiate a figure drawing course at a Shanghai art school in 1917, he immediately triggered public uproar and widespread controversy in regards to nude modeling.
Since then, China has become much more open to nude modeling, especially when we think back on the 1928 slashing of a nude model by her father for posing for internationally renowned Chinese photographer Lang Jingshan who took the country's first artistic nude shot .
However, even though the Chinese have gotten more at ease with the idea of modeling in the nude since 1928, it still remains quite the controversial career path to take in China. Every time some nude picture appears, the public nudity debate gets stirred up again and sometimes violence may even ensue. Some think that it's shameful and the models just get naked for the so-called sake of art to make easy-money and gain overnight fame, whereas others believe it is truly a form of art and society should show some more respect and tolerance for this venerable group.
A typical example emerged in 2009, when Sichuan-based artist Li Zhuangping exhibited a series of unprecedented oil paintings of his daughter Li Qin, depicting various shapes and poses in the nude. The father and his daughter suffered great social scrutiny as some believed they had severely violated human morals in creating this work of art.
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Sichuan-based artist Li Zhuangping exhibited a series of unprecedented oil paintings of his daughter Li Qin, depicting various shapes and poses in the nude. [File Photo] |
It's also been reported that many young women secretly work as nude models, earning about five yuan (US$0.8) per hour in the 1990s, and 40-50 yuan(US$6.4-7.9) per hour at present. Some have gone on to become famous and receive better payment, whereas most will have to live on these meager sums for life.
China.org.cn has compiled a top ten of the most famous, yet controversial, nude models in China:
Su Zizi 苏紫紫
Age: 21
Height: 165CM
Weight: 47KG
Measurements: 84/58/86
Born in: Yichang, Hubei Province
Su Zizi, whose real name is Wang Yanyun, is an art major at the prestigious Remin University of China (RUC). Su made onto the list after she became an Internet sensation at the end of 2010, when it was reported that the 19-year-old undergraduate had paid her college tuition fees by posing for nude portraits since early 2010. From 500 yuan (US$79) per show to 3,500 yuan (US$556) per day, Su has gradually managed to shake off poverty, yet her actions sparked heated debates, with some appreciating her self-reliance and braveness, and others saying that her pictures are borderline nearly pornography, rather than fine art. She got entangled in a web of online rumors and received derogatory messages, both on- and offline. Su held an art exhibition entitled "Who am I" on campus and took group interviews from the media, completely naked, as part of her art project. She believes that posing naked is a legitimate form of artistic expression.
Chen Lijia 陈丽佳
Age: 24
Height: 167CM
Weight: NA
Measurements: NA
Born in: Heilongjiang Province
24-year-old Chen Lijia is a nurse and nude model. She rose to fame in 2008 after her first set of artistic nude shots were published online. She gained great popularity for her pretty face, elegance and bold poses.
You Xuan 优璇
Age: 23
Height: 168CM
Weight: 53KG
Measurements: 87/58/86
Born in: Wuhan, Hubei Province
23-year-old You Xuan is a Chinese-Malaysian model who stems from a medical family in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Dubbed the "most photogenic Chinese nude model," You took her first set of nude photos when she was 16 to "forever preserve her youth". Five years ago, the medicine major officially kicked off her nude modeling career at the price of quitting college and breaking up with her boyfriend who couldn't accept her choice. You said nude modeling is a highly-despised and poorly-paid occupation and the models are often faced with sexual harassment. You underwent several plastic surgery procedures to get rid of some excess fat in 2010. You now runs an art company and serves as its chief model. She is also the chief model for Huang Jinshu, student of well-known Chinese photographer Lang Jingshan who shot that very first Chinese artistic nude photo in 1928.
Liu Jingjing 柳菁菁
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Liu Jingjing [File Photo] |
Age: 25
Height: 160CM
Weight: NA
Measurements: NA
Born in: Harbin, Heilongjiang Province
25-year-old Liu Jingjing, a former computer science major, is a nude model famed for her slim and neat figure as well as her quiet and untainted personality. Her fans believe she is more beautiful than Zhang Xiaoyu, who has now been dubbed "China's No.1 nude model."
Mao Ming 毛明
Age: 20
Height: 168CM
Weight: NA
Measurements: NA
Born in: Jilin Province
20-year-old Mao Ming is a starlet well known for her wild style and daring poses. Other than her nude photos, very little is known about the girl.
Ao Lei 傲蕾
Age: 26
Height: 172CM
Weight: 54KG
Measurements: 94/64/95
Born in: Qingdao, Shandong Province
Ao Lei, a voluptuous nude model known for her mature and sexy style, is 1/4 Japanese- on her father's side. Ao began studying music when she was a young child. She graduated from a music college and was once a music tutor and singer. Except for her nude artistic photos, relatively little is known about Ao.
Wang Dan 王丹
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Wang Dan [File Photo] |
Age: 27
Height: 168CM
Weight: NA
Measurements: 88/62/89
Born in: Wuhan, Hubei Province
Wang Dan, an art college graduate, is a dancer, actress and model. She rose to fame in 2005 when she began her nude modeling career by playing the heroine in two artistic videos that captured the human form. Wang's boyfriend acts as her agent and is responsible for her nude photography business. Wang's "Mom-and-papa" shop was a full-on success storys, making her more famous online with a large number of her nude artistic works being published within a short period of time.
Tang Fang 汤芳
Age: 29
Height: NA
Weight: NA
Measurements: NA
Born in: Wuxi, Jiangsu Province
Except for her pictures, the only online information available about Chinese nude model Tang Fang, are her age and birthplace. This somewhat mysterious model keeps a low-profile and obviously cherishes her privacy. Nevertheless, Tang is famed for her bold and visually-striking photos which often spark heated online debates. Some professionals from the modeling industry have shown their support for her "devotion to the arts," whereas many have verbally battered her for being vulgar and obscene.
Zhang Xiaoyu 张筱雨
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Zhang Xiaoyu [File Photo] |
Age: 24
Height: 163CM
Weight: 49KG
Measurements: NA
Born in: Heilongjiang Province
Zhang Xiaoyu, a graduate from a Dalian art college, in Liaoning Province, rose to online fame in 2007, when her bold nude photos were released online. Zhang, the rival of Tang Jiali, the first model on the Chinese mainland to publish personal nude albums, caught netizens' attention with her amazingly beautiful figure, cute facial expressions and sexually explicit poses. She was the most searched for beauty on China's search engine Baidu between 2007 and 2010. Zhang has said that what she does, is propelled by her admiration and aspiration for the arts. She just wanted to show off her beautiful sides, rather than gain overnight fame by taking off all her clothes. Zhang believes that the arts involving the human body are of a noble nature and she hopes that society can one day show a greater respect for nude models.
Tang Jiali 汤加丽
Age: 36
Height: 165CM
Weight: NA
Measurements: 84/62/86
Born in: Hefei, Anhui Province
Tang Jiali is a Chinese dancer, actress and nude model who became famous overnight in 2003 by becoming the very first woman on the Chinese mainland to publish her personal albums of nude photographs. The sets of pictures cost her photographer Zhang Xulong more than one-and-a-half years to shoot. Tang said that the original motive behind the shots was to "forever preserve the images of her youth," but she realized soon after that she had to allow them to be published in an album-under an agreement signed with the relevant company. Tang, who was twice a women's gymnastics medalist at provincial-level competitions, said that she was under great pressure and suffered heavy public scrutiny at that time. She once even considered suicide since her father too chastised her for doing such sinful and derogatory things.
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Review: MY 3D SEX JOURNEY: DUE WEST Is Snappy, Sexy And Sketchy
Frankie (Justin Cheung) is a seriously horny teenager. Brought up in a strict middle class family, he turns to his "sex mentor" Jing (Gregory Wong), who initiates him in the world of smut and lurid behaviour. With the help of Jing, Frankie faces all sorts of embarrassing and hilarious moments, inextricably forcing him to study in the UK, which leads into his young adulthood and eventually a career back in Hong Kong.
He gets into a pretty serious relationship with Zeta (Celia Kwok), who to say the least has intimacy issues of her own that do not fully satisfy Frankie. After some instability in his life and a shocking discovery about his father, he decides to reunite with Jing, and in a desperate and melancholic act makes his way to the fabled city of Shenzhen, where organised prostitution and 'soap lands' await him. Of course, being Frankie and considering his already crazy background, he gets a lot more than he bargains for.
Painful title aside, My 3D Sex Journey: Due West, now Due West for the purpose of this review, is a very funny, perverted good time, but on another level works as scathing satire, albeit in an extremely entertaining and sexy package. The "due west" part of the title refers to the trend of Shenzhen's burgeoning sex industry, which in this film is on full display and is quite absurd. From fantasy fish ponds, where the women rotate around a digital aquarium and are treated as less than commodities, to the night club scene of shonky sounding Mainlanders with names like Karebere, 'you might as well be called kimchi,' states Frankie. These girls are all terribly made-up and hilariously bored to tears by the presence of the Hong Kong gents, simply stopping by to consume all their alcohol, sucking them dry before moving on; of course the lads let it happen, as they cannot help but ogle their sizable assets, something Hong Kong ladies lack considerably! I could not help but read into even this little scene; sure it is talking about boobs, but was it also sizing up the Mainland and Hong Kong?
On another level, Due West is very sweet, with the good-natured but sexually frustrated protagonist struggling in a society he receives no pleasure from. He nervously and with regret in his heart takes the bus to the Mainland, he identifies himself with the perverted and shameless men with him, and you can feel his disillusionment. It is great to see the humbled and 'cool' looking Jing accompany him on his journey, since he is a great character who hides a deep melancholy that he expresses perfectly on screen. The time Frankie spends with Zeta is sickeningly sweet, taking a jab at romantic comedies in general, and there are a few memorable scenes where even the extras react in disgust and amusement at their overly affectionate public displays.
It is not just romance that cheeky director Mark Wu channels, however, he sticks it to a few renowned Hong Kong auteurs, at times mimicking the realist absurdity of Pang Ho-Cheung and the extreme melancholy of Wong Kar-Wai, even copying the stilted camera effects and familiar score.
These clever bits are wrapped up in a very accessible erotic comedy. The girls are gorgeous, the breasts are big and the 3D adds an extra glossy sheen over things; as a big fan of 3D Sex and Zen, I applaud the efforts of China 3D! The film never really goes too far, acting as eye candy throughout and using the beauty of these objectified prostitutes in an almost endearing way. The message here is that it is all good fun. It's a fine line the director is taking, but ultimately he has pulled off this mix of serious themes and wacky sexual antics perfectly.
My only issue with Due West is the pacing. Acting as a series of sketch comedy vignettes in an episodic fashion would have been much more ideal. Dealing with the protagonist's inner thoughts while putting him through a hilarious ordeal is the format of the extremely popular web comic this movie is based on. It is difficult to replicate such a medium, and ultimately Due West fails as a full feature narrative. The ending is extremely abrupt, the scenes between Hong Kong and Shenzhen are extremely jarring, and mid-way through the movie, I was expecting the credits to start rolling.
Pacing aside, I cannot recommend Due West more, for its risqué humour, damn sexy eye candy, and smart and witty satire, this is an extremely intelligent and impressive comedy that works on many levels.
Jeana Ho and Angelina Zhang celebrate new film success
The film DUE WEST OUR SEX JOURNEY (YUT LO HEUNG SAI) after 6 days in release (as of September 25) made 10 million at the box office. Two nights ago a celebration was held. Jeana Ho Pui Yu appeared in a low cut dress, but she was no match for Angelina Zhang (Cheung Woon Nga)'s 7 inch career line.
Jeana explained, "With so many friends are present, I am afraid that I would be too sexy. Everyone had big buns wouldn't want to eat dinner. Just the right amount is fine." Did her boyfriend Parkman Cheung kept her from being too sexy? Jeana denied, "My boyfriend would understand that I am only sexy for work, and I don't need his permission. When I the a premiere earlier I was very sexy.
Ultimately the higher the box office is, the sexier I get. Whether I would wear a bikini it would depend on the event." Has her boyfriend seen DUE? Jeana said, "I just returned from working in Kuala Lumpur, I plan to work it with him. Maybe he has already seen it. No wonder this time I came back he became tense."
Cheung Woon Nga did not eat all day to wear her tight dress. "I bought this dress a long time ago, I never had the courage to wear it. Now I feel I should take the chance. If I don't wear it when I am young, when should I wait to wear it? I don't want others to forget me, so I wouldn't care what others say about me. I would continue to be sexy." Cheung Woon Nga's bottom line was no nudity. "My goal isn't money, there are many ways to make money. I want my life to be a little happier. I like Hong Kong so I work there."
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EXCLUSIVE: Star Trek: Voyager alumna Kate Mulgrew has been cast as a regular on Orange Is The New Black, Netflix’s new 13-episode hourlong series from Weeds creator Jenji Kohan. It centers on Piper (Taylor Schilling), an engaged Brooklynite whose decade-old relationship with a drug-runner (Laura Prepon) in college results in her arrest and multi-year detention in a federal penitentiary. Mulgrew, repped by Innovative and Viking Entertainment, will play Red, a Russian prisoner who runs the kitchen and serves as a mother figurehead for the women.
