Samira Wiley
Biography
Wiley graduated from The Juilliard School and began her professional acting career in theater before gaining wider recognition as Poussey Washington on Orange Is the New Black. She later played Moira Strand in The Handmaid's Tale, earning the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
Her screen work includes Detroit, Nerve, Social Animals, Breaking News in Yuba County, and Love, Death & Robots. Her theater credits include Daphne's Dive, Antigone in Ferguson, and Blues for an Alabama Sky at London's National Theatre. She also served as a co-producer of the Broadway production of Thoughts of a Colored Man.
Wiley received the GLAAD Vito Russo Award in 2018 for her contribution to LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy. In 2026, she starred as Claire in the Broadway revival of Proof. She also stars in the upcoming Sky action-adventure series Atomic.
BQW Impact
Wiley has contributed to the visibility of Black LGBTQ+ women in mainstream entertainment through her work as an openly LGBTQ+ actress and through prominent queer characters in television. Her performances as Poussey Washington in Orange Is the New Black and Moira Strand in The Handmaid's Tale placed LGBTQ+ women within widely viewed television narratives.
Her public advocacy has also addressed LGBTQ+ visibility, acceptance, and the experiences of people of color. GLAAD honored her with the Vito Russo Award in 2018, recognizing her contribution to LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy.
Notable Works
Orange Is the New Black (2013 - 2016)
Wiley played Poussey Washington, a Black lesbian inmate whose story became one of the series' prominent LGBTQ+ narratives.
The Handmaid's Tale (2017 - 2025)
Wiley plays Moira Strand, a queer woman resisting the authoritarian society depicted in the series. The role earned her the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series.
Daphne's Dive (2016)
Wiley starred in Lynn Nottage's play at Signature Theatre in New York.
Thoughts of a Colored Man (2021)
Wiley served as a co-producer of Keenan Scott II's Broadway play exploring the lives and experiences of Black men.
Blues for an Alabama Sky (2022)
Wiley played Angel Allen in Pearl Cleage's play at London's National Theatre.
Proof (2026)
Wiley starred as Claire in the Broadway revival of David Auburn's Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
Learn More
Official professional biography covering Wiley's television, film, theater, and producing credits.
Emmy biography and awards record, including Wiley's 2018 win for The Handmaid's Tale.
Official announcement of Wiley's 2018 Vito Russo Award and documentation of her LGBTQ+ visibility and advocacy.
Official production record for Blues for an Alabama Sky, documenting Wiley's role as Angel Allen in the 2022 London production.