{"id":9984,"date":"2016-10-25T17:32:04","date_gmt":"2016-10-25T17:32:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=9984&post_type=story"},"modified":"2022-08-03T13:53:20","modified_gmt":"2022-08-03T13:53:20","slug":"amanda-stephen-joins-orange-is-the-new-black","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/amanda-stephen-joins-orange-is-the-new-black\/","title":{"rendered":"New Kid on the Cell Block"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fall 2016 | By Angie Lewis\u00a0\u201903\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

[photo id=”10024″ title=”Amanda Stephens” alt=”Amanda Stephens” position=”left” width=”210px”][\/photo]<\/p>\n

Sitting in the audience of a Theatre UCF performance of A Chorus Line<\/em>, Amanda Stephen \u201908<\/strong> had an epiphany. \u201cThat\u2019s what I\u2019m supposed to be doing,\u201d she thought. The next day, she added a theatre studies major<\/a> to her interpersonal\/organizational communication major<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery semester was packed,\u201d she explains. \u201cBut I wouldn\u2019t have had it any other way. I\u2019m glad I did it because it helped me push to do more than just what\u2019s required, and I think that helped me in life.\u201d<\/p>\n

And push she did. Since graduating, Stephen landed the role of Alison Abdullah in season four of Orange Is the New Black<\/em>, the Netflix original series that has won four Emmy Awards and been nominated for 17.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I auditioned, the breakdown read: \u2018African American Muslim, late 20s\/early 30s, has a sense of humor,\u2019 \u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m honored to be playing Alison as a black Muslim, and I don\u2019t take it lightly. At the same time, my job is to make her relatable and show that she\u2019s not so different from everybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[photo id=”10046″ title=”” alt=”” position=”center” width=”100%”][\/photo]<\/p>\n

Amanda Stephen \u201908 (second from left) as Alison Abdullah with Uzo Aduba as Crazy Eyes, Danielle Brooks as Taystee, and Adrienne C. Moore as Black Cindy in Orange Is the New Black<\/em>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Netflix.<\/em><\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[sidebar background=”#f4f4f4″ position=”right” content_align=”left”]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lightning Round<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What is your favorite word?<\/h3>\n

Tenacity<\/p>\n

What is your least favorite word?<\/h3>\n

Fear<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s your favorite thing about being an actress?<\/h3>\n

Having the ability to be so many different people<\/p>\n

Least favorite?<\/h3>\n

Memorizing my lines<\/p>\n

Can you do any impressions?<\/h3>\n

I do a wicked Tina Turner impression during karaoke.<\/p>\n

What sound or noise do you love?<\/h3>\n

The sound of the ocean \u2014 waves crashing on the shore<\/p>\n

What sound or noise do you hate?<\/h3>\n

When people don\u2019t pick up their feet while they\u2019re walking \u2013 that drives me nuts.<\/p>\n

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?<\/h3>\n

I think I\u2019d like being an artistic director for a theater.<\/p>\n

What profession would you not like to do?<\/h3>\n

Accountant<\/p>\n

If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?<\/h3>\n

Good job<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

[\/sidebar]<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q&A<\/span><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do you feel your education has helped you in your career?<\/h3>\n

The communication [major] has helped me navigate different personalities, different ways of thinking and different views. The arts side and acting prepared me with a lot of tough love.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did you get the role of Alison Abdullah?<\/h3>\n

My manager called me on a Friday and told me I had an audition on Monday, which was a blessing because you usually don\u2019t get a weekend to prep for an audition like that. \u2026 I formed Alison \u2014 who she is and how she fit into the world in Orange<\/em>. Monday, I went into the offices and auditioned. I heard back on Friday from my manager that I got the role. I started to scream and jump around the house and gashed my bum on the side of a table.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What was your favorite scene to film this season?<\/h3>\n

My favorite scene has to be when Crazy Eyes, Black Cindy and I are trying to get a picture of Judy King [a Martha Stewart-like character] coming out of the shower. We block her exit without her knowing, and Black Cindy\u2019s trying to get a picture with her.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who\u2019s your favorite character on the show and why?<\/h3>\n

Oh, I love them all. I can\u2019t. I will say I\u2019m a big Red fan. Kate Mulgrew is great. \u2026 I was a big [Star Trek:] Voyager<\/em> fan, so I can\u2019t help myself. This year\u2019s Oscars received a lot of criticism for not including African American actors and directors.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How do you feel the industry has treated you so far in your career?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m fortunate to have a manager who has the same views as I do, where we go after roles that I feel I can play, not just because it says late 20s, African American girl, medium to large build. We look at a character and see the details in the character that she feels that I can pull out. \u2026 It takes open minds on the casting end, on the producing end, and on the actor\u2019s end to look beyond that. Thankfully we have a lot of people in the industry now who are more open to that. It\u2019s still a struggle, don\u2019t get me wrong. But I look toward what\u2019s possible and what I can do on my end rather than submitting to what the industry standards are.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s your dream role?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019d love to play Titania from A Midsummer Night\u2019s Dream<\/em>. When I get older, I would love to play Ma Rainey from August Wilson\u2019s Ma Rainey\u2019s Black Bottom<\/em>. But I think a role that I feel so connected to, that I feel like I was made to play, I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s been written yet.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If someone were to make a TV show or movie about your life, what would the title be?<\/h3>\n

The Most Ambitious Hot Mess There Ever Was<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What causes are you passionate about?<\/h3>\n

Women\u2019s rights, changing systemic racism, and ending police brutality toward the black community and people of color<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What\u2019s something most people don\u2019t know about you?<\/h3>\n

I\u2019m originally from Montreal and have dual citizenship.<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[photo id=”10058″ title=”” alt=”” position=”center” width=”100%”][\/photo]<\/p>\n

Amanda Stephen \u201908 (right) as Clemma in a 2005 Theatre UCF production of Neil Simon\u2019s Proposals<\/em>.<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Portraits by Geoff Levy \u201911<\/strong>.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10018,"template":"","categories":[999],"tags":[248,341,287,1319,579],"class_list":["post-9984","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumknights","tag-alumni","tag-college-of-arts-and-humanities","tag-college-of-sciences","tag-nicholson-school-of-communication-and-media","tag-theatre-ucf","issues-881","issues-fall-2016"],"yoast_head":"\nAmanda Stephen '08 Joins the Cast of Orange Is the New Black<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In season 4, UCF alumna Amanda Stephen '08 joined the cast of Orange Is the New Black as the black Muslim character Alison Abdullah.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/amanda-stephen-joins-orange-is-the-new-black\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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