As Lorna Morello on Orange is the New Black, Australian-born actress Yael Stone provides more than her share of the series’ heart—not to mention a spot-on New York accent. Now that the Netflix series is entering its third season, Stone has seen Morello change and develop as the show delves deeper into its characters lives and exposes more of who they are beneath their prison jumpsuits.
Here, Stone tells DuJour about binge-watching, spoilers and why she wouldn’t trade her storyline for anyone else’s.
The show comes back June 12, and if the past is any indicator will make quite a splash. Are you ready to be everywhere again?
I am! I’ve certainly been talking to more folks about the upcoming season, and we’ve got more events this year in terms of the launch. We’re doing “Orange-con” on June 11, so that will be very fan-based and very interactive, which is a code word for millions and millions of selfies!
Do you come prepared with your own stick?
I have no stick. I’m actually really terrible, I don’t ever take them much myself, and when I do try, I get that horrible face of concentration and my chin kind of scrunches up. Jackie Cruz, who plays Flaca on the show, is the world’s greatest selfie taker, and she’s tried to teach me but I’m no good at it.
When a show like Orange comes back it almost feels like an anniversary, especially for those of us who devour a season over a few days and have to wait a year for the next one. Do you get a similar feeling?
It’s like an anniversary for me as well, for sure. I’m suddenly thinking about what was going on last June around season two. It’s lovely in that way. It’s also different because you have to be really careful about what you say all the time, because it’s not like you’re going to ruin something that’s coming up ahead—everyone’s in different places with the stories.
Do you have a time limit on discussing what could be spoilers?
Most people who are excited to talk about the show have watched it and I do get the sense that most fans digest it at a pretty fast rate. Last season I got a lot of Twitter messages from people racing to be the first ones to finish. When I’m really excited about a show, I try to take it slow because I want to be able to stew about it for a little while.
Has the way you film the series changed over the course of the three seasons?
Yes, it’s very different. It’s difficult to compare any part of shooting to the first time around, because we really didn’t know what we were doing, we were just having a really lovely time. When it came out it was very popular and that changed the whole dynamic. There’s a greater sense of the people who love the show, and when you’re making it, you have a greater awareness of how your character’s received. Even if you’ve never watched the show as you’ve made it, you can’t ignore the fact that people have opinions about the characters and want certain things for the characters. It’s a self-consciousness that comes in after the first season.
How has your relationship to your character changed?
I have a great deal of affection for her, and I guess that affection has grown. I think she’s been on a very big journey and changed a lot, and like any human being, she takes three steps forward and four steps back. I feel for her and her journey, and I think this third season really continues that journey.
Everyone’s plotline has gotten more complicated. Is there anyone who’s backstory you’d love to swipe for yours?
No, I think I’ve gotten pretty lucky with mine; I wouldn’t change it for anything—that seems really perverse!
