By all accounts, season 2 of Netflix’s hit prison dramedy Orange is the New Black was a major success for the streaming giant. Since its June 6th premiere, critics have been raving about it, audiences have been talking about it, and everyone is keen to find out just what showrunner Jenji Kohan has in mind for the already-ordered 13-episode third season. Now, we’ve learned that Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen (Melvin and Howard, Back to the Future Part III) is closing a deal to appear on the show.
Details of just who Steenburgen will be playing are being kept under wraps for the time being, but her casting is a pretty done deal. The actress herself tweeted about coming aboard, with the following post:
Very excited to go to my first wardrobe fitting of OITNB! Will I be in orange or black?:)
— Mary Steenburgen (@MarySteenburgen) June 12, 2014
Steenburgen, who is currently filming Bill Bryson adaptation A Walk in the Woods for The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants director Ken Kwapis, is no stranger to the small screen. She recently had a recurring role on the FX series Justified, and previously appeared on the Back to the Future TV series, Ink, Joan of Arcadia, Curb Your Enthusiasm (as herself), Bored to Death, 30 Rock and Wilfred.
Production on season three of Orange is the New Black is already underway. Laura Prepon, who played Piper Chapman’s (Taylor Schilling) former lover Alex Vause in a recurring role on the second season, has been updated to a series regular and will appear in every episode of the third season.
We’re expecting to see Orange is the New Black‘s third season land on Netflix in its entirety by this time next year. In the meantime, though, tell us, are you excited that an actress of Steenburgen’s stature is joining the show? And are you looking forward to another year with the ladies of Litchfield, or are you tiring of their escapades already?
