Netflix’s new hit show Orange is the New Black has added a cast member for the second season, and promoted a couple of recurring cast members from the first season to regulars for the second one.
The news, which comes from Deadline as an exclusive, is that Lorraine Toussaint (pictured above) will play a character named Vee, described as “a longtime street tough who ran her own drug business, recruiting children to serve as runners.”
Toussaint has a long body of work dating back to the early 80s. She has had recurring roles on a number of television shows, including Where I Live, The Young and the Restless, Friday Night Lights, Amazing Grace, Leaving L.A., Any Day Now, Crossing Jordan, Law & Order, Threat Matrix, The Closer, CSI, Ugly Betty and Body of Proof, as well as one-episode roles in a number of other series.
Actresses Danielle Brooks, who plays Taystee on OITNB, and Taryn Manning, who plays Pennsatucky, have been promoted to regulars. Brooks’ filmography so far only consists of OITNB and a 2012 TV movie called Modern Love. Manning, on the other hand, has a rather extensive filmography including films like 8 Mile and Hustle & Flow and recurring roles on shows like Sons of Anarchy and Hawaii Five-0
Orange is the New Black was renewed for a second season in June, even before the first season debuted. Season 2 will debut on an as-of-yet unannounced date in 2014. It joins Lilyhammer, House of Cards, Hemlock Grove and most likely Arrested Development in getting a second season on Netflix. Lilyhammer’s second season should be available sometime this year.
Here’s Brooks as Taystee (NSFW language):
Here’s Manning talking about her role:
Image: Mingle Media TV (Flickr via Wikimedia Commons)