Taylor Schilling

Taylor Schilling began her acting career with a supporting role in the independent film Dark Matter (2007), following her receipt of the Emerson College Playwright's Festival Outstanding Performance Award. In 2009, she starred as a former military nurse returning home from Iraq in the NBC medical drama Mercy, which ran for one season from September 2009 to May 2010. She subsequently portrayed Dagny Taggart in the science fiction drama film Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011), the first installment of a trilogy based on Ayn Rand's novel. In 2012, she starred opposite Zac Efron in the romantic drama The Lucky One, based on Nicholas Sparks' 2008 novel. She also had a supporting role in Ben Affleck's Argo (2012), although most of her scenes were cut.

In 2013, Schilling began starring as Piper Chapman in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black, based on Piper Kerman's nonfiction book. The series ran until 2019. Her performance earned her nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2014. She won three Satellite Awards for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2013, 2015 and 2016, as well as three Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series.

During her time on Orange Is the New Black, Schilling continued working in film and theater. She starred in the Canadian romantic drama Stay (2013), directed by Wiebke von Carolsfeld, and appeared opposite Adam Scott in the sex comedy The Overnight (2015). That same year, she made her off-Broadway debut in A Month in the Country. In 2016, she made a guest appearance in an episode of Drunk History.

Schilling starred in the comedy film Take Me (2017), directed by Pat Healy, and appeared in Greg Kinnear's comedy-drama Phil (2017). She starred opposite Emilio Estevez in the drama film The Public (2018), which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. She also appeared opposite Sam Worthington in the science fiction thriller The Titan (2018) and played the leading role in the comedy film Family (2018). In 2019, she starred in the horror film The Prodigy.

In 2020, Schilling appeared in an episode of the horror anthology series Monsterland. In 2021, she starred opposite Audra McDonald in the satirical science fiction horror series The Bite, created by Robert King and Michelle King. She portrayed Erica Boyer in the Hulu miniseries Pam & Tommy (2022), which premiered on February 2, 2022. In 2023, she played the leading role in the Apple TV+ drama series Dear Edward and starred in the horror-thriller film Queen of Bones, directed by Robert Budreau.

In 2024, Schilling returned to the stage in the leading role of The Apiary, produced by Second Stage Theater.