Taylor Schilling, The ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Star, Takes It All In From Her Hudson Valley Sanctuary

Photography by Mike Ruiz

There’s this thing that Taylor Schilling does when she hears an interesting question or agrees wholeheartedly with something someone is saying that’s quite revealing and refreshing. She leans in, takes a deep breath and says, “Yes!” Schilling does this so often, so automatically that it simultaneously disarms and engages the person extracting those reactions from her. “Yes!” the star of Orange Is The New Black exclaimed when she heard my first question. “The thing is, Richard, I love acting. I love working.” I believe her. More importantly, she believes her. And the result is a fully-realized, emotionally mature person poised for greatness. It’s as if Taylor Schilling’s holding the winning lottery ticket but hasn’t quite yet figured out where to go to cash it.

It may seem a tad odd to say about a thespian who’s been nominated multiple times for Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe awards over the course of her decidedly successful career, but the truth is, given Schilling’s immense talent, the fact that she isn’t as of yet talked about in the same conversation as Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Stone or Jessica Chastain is downright criminal. Accomplished CV? Yes, Schilling has that in spades. Should she be in the rarefied air of Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman or, newest member, Carrie Coon? Also yes. And I suspect she knows it, too.

I first meet a smiling Schilling in her charming Brooklyn home to go over the logistics of the forthcoming magazine photo shoot and to get a general vibe from each other. If there ever was a human being who embraces the “good vibes only” mantra more than Schilling, I haven’t met them yet. The Waylan, MA, native is so well meaning, so positive, so hopeful for the best outcome for all people at all times, that she borders on naïve in the most beautiful way. It strikes me the idea we all hear as adults—the one about how children live their lives unencumbered by reality—lives within this fascinating woman in front of me. Taylor Schilling knows—feels—she’s here on this planet for some larger purpose and she just can’t wait to get there and play.

In 2006, Schilling graduated from Fordham University in New York City with a Bachelor Of Fine Arts In Acting before enrolling in New York University’s Tisch School Of The Arts’ Graduate Acting Program. Making her film debut in Dark Matter—co-starring Meryl Streep and Aidan Quinn—Schilling subsequently landed roles on NBC’s medical drama, Mercy, and in high-profile movies Atlas Shrugged: Part 1; Nicholas Sparks’ The Lucky One, opposite Zac Efron; Academy Award-winning thriller, Argo, directed and starring Ben Affleck; comedy Take Me and the sci-fi thriller The Titan, co-starring Sam Worthington.

Somewhere in the middle of that enviable acting résumé building journey, Schilling won the lead in the life-changing role of Piper Chapman in the most buzzed-about new Netflix series of its time, Orange Is The New Black, co-starring Jason Biggs as her husband. For the universally-acclaimed seven seasons the show aired on the world’s biggest streaming platform, Orange Is The New Black literally redefined the landscape of what was possible to watch on television. Arguably as impactful in its lane as, say, Will & Grace was for the LGBTQIA+ community—America now knew (and loved) gay people—Orange’s honest, often scary portrayal of women behind bars, led by the Bambi-in-the-woods-gets-tough-as-nails brilliant arc portrayal by Schilling in the series’ most important role (we don’t believe her, there’s no show) changed not only what we saw on TV, but how we watched TV. Enter television’s binge-worthy drama moment.

With her impressive list of co-stars and collaborators continuing to grow exponentially since OITNB wrapped—Schilling just completed a multi-episode recurring role in Peacock’s hit drama series, Poker Face, starring Schilling’s former Orange co-star, the terrific Natasha Lyonne—the feeling that something big is coming for the impossibly youthful 41-year-old is palpable. I, for one, can feel it.

The next time I see Schilling a couple of weeks after our initial introduction, she’s sitting by herself in her sunny, majestic hideaway, a sprawling, gorgeous home in the northern reaches of the Hudson Valley near the Catskills. And she’s happy. Oh so happy. The intensity and pressures of Brooklyn seem but a distant memory, as Schilling—with her easy-going demeanor—settles in for more than a chat with me and she strives to connect our very auras. And, yeah, I’m so down for that.

“The best part of my perfect day is turning my phone off, like for a full day, no phone access,” a relaxed Schilling tells me enthusiastically when I commence the interview by asking what an ideal 24 hours looks like. “Now, that’s bliss!” [Laughs] A big reason for that bliss may just be because of her stunning surroundings. “You know something, I wouldn’t change a damn thing about the town where I live,” Schilling says rather defiantly. “I love hiking and biking and I love our market and I miss our favorite restaurant that closed, but, mostly, I love that I now get to have a garden. I now have the ability to mess around in the dirt.”

But before she purchased the sprawling nirvana that defines her current home life, Schilling had to put in the work. A lot of work. She recently starred in the Fox anthology series Accused and will next be seen in the independent feature film Queen Of Bones, opposite Martin Freeman, Julia Butters and Jacob Tremblay. On the small screen, she appeared in Jason Katims’ series Dear Edward on Apple TV+ and portrayed porn star Erica Boyer in the lauded Hulu series Pam & Tommy opposite Seth Rogen (is anyone hotter in Hollywood right now?). Previously, Schilling appeared in The Second Wave for Robert and Michelle King, co-creators of hit legal dramas, The Good Wife and The Good Fight, starring Julianna Margulies and Christine Baranski.

Truth is, there are a lot of theater, television and film credits Schilling excelled in that we’re not going to get to here, including her auspicious stage debut, at 11, in Fiddler On The Roof. “Now, I remember that performance for sure!” she says. [Laughs] But the overwhelming sense I get from Schilling, as she regales me with her favorite poets, novelists, feminists, teachers, mentors and authors—and trust me, it’s quite an impressive, intellectually powerful roster—is how determined she is to get it right, whatever it is. I recognize that in her, for I’m the same. Game recognizes game, they say.

“A lot of my great mentors I’ve had have been from afar, mostly writers and teachers,” Schilling tells me, as she contorts her lithe body in what I can only describe as a relaxed pretzel. Yoga and Pilates are definitely in play here. “But I think love can conquer all. I absolutely believe that. There’s nothing more galvanizing and there’s nothing that connects us more as a species. Love is the only thing that’s really worth anything. Do you know what love does? It grows compassion and it informs everything. With love, the words ‘perspective’ and ‘intention’ take on a deeper meaning.”

I bring up the concept of love as I move our conversation to two somewhat related topics: Schilling’s personal life and her views on the current state of our country.

“I feel grateful taking up space being who I am,” she tells me easily, as I hark back to an Instagram post during the pandemic’s early days where Schilling announced a new relationship with a woman (now her ex). “You know, I certainly don’t feel scared being who I am even if it still may ruffle feathers for some folks. Here’s how I view all of that: If it’s useful to see someone who’s not feeling ashamed to be who they are, and who’s living a matter-of-fact life, who’s allowed to have what everyone else is allowed to have, that truly doesn’t seem radical to me, that seems quite normal to me.”

As we apply her concepts of love and life to the state of the union, her mood darkens markedly. When I ask her what she feels as she sees and reads about what’s currently going on in the US, she falls silent for a full, painstaking minute before tentatively revealing her thoughts.

“There’s a lot of sadism in play when 16 million people lose their health care, so I’m concerned about that,” she tells me haltingly. “I’m really looking at practical ways where I can be useful in the world right now. I’m so worried about the amount of suffering being mandated by this administration. I truly believe we’re in a time that has all the makings for a revolution. And I’m talking beyond politics—I’m talking about revolution in a humanist way, and how all of us have to be galvanized to take care of each other right now. It’s about humanism.
I live my life a certain way. To me, as so many feminists and humanists have powerfully stated, the personal is political.”

But the moment isn’t just filled with danger and despair. When I ask her to complete the sentence “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because…” the smile returns and her energy clearly accelerates.

“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been because I feel comfortable in my skin—simple as that,” Schilling says. “However, I’m also worried now because I feel as a society we’re losing the ability to see each other’s humanity. I work at this very hard—every single day I’m conscious of this—to make sure I see every single person as the precious human being they are. I feel grief that as a culture writ large we’ve gotten so far away from seeing other people as valuable and beautiful human beings. We’re all in this together, regardless of what political team you’re on.”

Speaking of teams, I ask Schilling to give me quick speed-round thoughts on several of her best-known, A-list co-stars.

Zac Efron: “Oh, he’s a real gentleman. He’s the Fred Astaire of our time. He’s a once-in-a-generation talent.” Ben Affleck: “He’s such a kind-hearted person. I played his wife in Argo, and they had to cut a lot of our scenes since the movie became a thriller and there wasn’t time for the emotional underbelly of our scenes together so they were cut. How he handled that situation with me was beyond amazing, as was his then wife, Jennifer Garner. They’re both a class act.” Jason Biggs: “He’s the sweetest neurotic guy in the world. Funny thing is, he’s also the ultimate family man.” Greg Kinnear: “He’s beyond super smart, ambitious and unbelievably brilliant. The world has seen maybe one percent of Greg Kinnear’s incredible genius.” Adam Scott: “In my book, he’s the next huge thing in Hollywood. Adam Scott is the real big thing. I had the biggest crush on him, too. [Laughs] Adam Scott is one of our generation’s best actors. No question about it.” Sam Worthington: “He’s such a hard worker. He’s so smart, and he cares about every detail. He’s one of those savant actors who knows everything about the history of Hollywood and acting.” Audra McDonald: “What a beautiful person! She’s my other crush on this list for sure. Audra’s a living legend. My experience working with her was beyond amazing. I truly believe Audra and I both had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, something I’ll cherish for the rest of my career.”

Keeping it light, I reveal to Schilling—who somehow endearingly reminds me of Alicia Silverstone’s Cher Horowitz from one of my all-time favorite movies, Clueless (“I totally paused!”)—my top three television must-see shows of the moment: The Gilded Age; And Just Like That and, best of all, Love Island USA. I dare you to come for me. “Oh my God, Richard! Thank you for your honesty,” Schilling tells me, nearly falling off her chair laughing. “I love that! My top shows are in the same vein, I think. Hacks. The writing is so good and Jean Smart is beyond ridiculously great. You know, Jean Smart not only tells the truth; she eviscerates you in the process and then makes you laugh. Genius. I also love Severance—it’s really great. Your Friends & Neighbors is doing it for me, too. I’m so into Jon Hamm. I’m currently rewatching The Sopranos and it’s landing differently for me now. It’s so much better. And, of course, The White Lotus. I mean…amazing.”

As I listen to the super easy-on-the-ears timbre of Schilling’s voice as she explains to me why Severance is next-level television, and how I should continue watching it (I stopped Season 1, Episode 3), a question pops into my head: Taylor, do we, the public, really know you? “That’s an incredibly difficult question, my friend,” she says in a wistful whisper. “I’m still trying to fully explore within myself why I haven’t shared my life on social media or anywhere, really. I do love the work—I love it so, so much—but the stuff that surrounds my work isn’t my favorite at all. Something that’s critical for my happiness, my peace is the ability to connect to something much bigger than myself; so my idea of me, of my ego, isn’t the be all, end all of my life. There’s the earth’s nature and there’s the idea of community and then there’s actual art—the concept of a higher power is genuinely fundamental to my life.”

When the topic turns to others’ perception of Schilling’s work, her smile is as big as the huge windows in her beautiful living room. “Now this is the absolute truth,” she says. “I’m literally the poster child for the ‘it’s-an-honor-just-to-be-nominated’ actor. I swear to you. It is an honor to be nominated for your work, your passion. How could it not be?”

Even with all of the accolades Schilling has amassed throughout her acting career—plenty of award-show hardware as well as (mostly) raves by the country’s top critics—there’s a sense that her story is only now just commencing. I ask her about that, and she agrees instantly. “Oh, definitely,” she says. “There’s something brewing within me—I can feel it. And I feel so ready for it because I finally feel like myself. Yeah, I feel ready. No, it’s better than that, I am ready.”

As we wrap up this terrific, life-affirming convo, the topic of Zac Efron comes up again (OK, fine…I bring it up again). She laughs as she recalls their pivotal shower and love scenes in the Scott Hicks-directed romantic drama they co-starred in, The Lucky One. “Those epic scenes were by far—and I mean, by far—the absolute best moments of the movie.” I bet they were, I say, as we burst into synchronized, uproarious laughter.

“Finish this for me,” I ask the talented, ambitious, beautiful, funny, emotionally mature, fascinating person sitting in front of me: Taylor Schilling is… “Oh…I have no idea how to answer that question.” [Laughs] “That question is so far beyond my skill set. I do know the answer definitely changes on a daily basis. But, mostly, I know that I’m enough. That I definitely know: I’m enough.”

Taylor Schilling is definitely enough, yes, but there’s more coming our way, more I want to see from her. Universe, please take note: The Taylor Era is nearly upon us. Are you ready for it?