Crazy Eyes (character)

Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren
Orange Is the New Black character

Uzo Aduba as Warren "Crazy Eyes" Warren in a promotional poster for season 2 of Orange Is the New Black
First appearance "Tit Punch"
Season 1, episode 2
July 11, 2013
Portrayed by Uzo Aduba
Eden Wiggins (at age 10)
Taliyah Whitaker (at age 5)
Information
Parents Pat and Dennis Warren

Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren is a fictional character played by Uzo Aduba on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. She is portrayed as an emotionally unstable lesbian female inmate with a violent past. Aduba won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards as well as Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series at the 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards for her season 1 performance. She earned Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards for her season 2 performance. She is obsessed with Piper Chapman (played by Taylor Schilling). In season 1, she was credited for 11 of the 13 episodes (not the 1st or 7th).[1] She was a recurring character in season 1 and a regular character in season 2.[2]

Backstory

In season 2, episode 3 entitled "Hugs Can Be Deceiving" Eden Wiggins and Taliyah Whitaker portray the 10-year-old and 5-year-old versions of Warren.[3] Throughout the first two seasons, it is shown that Warren aspires "to be included" and "to make friends and be valued".[4] The character is known for her bantu knots, an awkward grin, and her crazy eyes.[5][6]

Storylines

Season 1

Warren is fixated on Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling) at the beginning of the season.[7] When Chapman, who has offended prison matriarch Red (Kate Mulgrew), seems hopelessly isolated, Warren is the only inmate not too intimidated to help her. They put chili pepper in a medicinal lotion for Red's sore back, and Red forgives Chapman. Warren nicknames Chapman "Dandelion", because of her blonde hair and puts in a request to become Chapman's bunkmate. Nonetheless, Chapman resists her advances.[8][9][10] As a result, Warren urinates on the floor in Chapman's bunk quarters.[11] In episode 9, "Fucksgiving", her adoptive Caucasian parents, Pat and Dennis Warren, are introduced.[12][13]

Season 2

As she rebounds from her unrequited love for Chapman, veteran inmate Yvonne "Vee" Parker (Lorraine Toussaint) befriends Warren, while developing her powerbase in the prison. Vee takes advantage of Warren's desperation for affection.[14] In episode 3, "Hugs Can Be Deceiving", her backstory is revealed via a flashback. She was raised in a white-dominated environment. In the same episode, Vee manipulates her and it is then revealed that Warren had run outside and knocked Chapman unconscious after Chapman had beaten Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett (Taryn Manning) unconscious at the end of season 1.[15] Warren served Vee as muscle giving beat downs to Poussey Washington (played by Samira Wiley). Vee manipulated her very cleverly on multiple occasions.[16]

Critical commentary

According to Tom Meltzer of The Guardian, "Shakespeare-quoting loner "Crazy Eyes" invites pity, shock, reproach and belly-laughs in equal measure."[17] The Huffington Post Canada entertainment editor Chris Jancelewicz, noted that after the first six episodes of season two, he was impressed by this appropriately nicknamed character: "Girl is crazy, and Aduba is genuinely frightening in the role. You can't tell if she's harmless or secretly plotting Piper's death".[18]

Aduba won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series at the 66th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards as well as Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series at the 4th Critics' Choice Television Awards and was nominated for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 18th Satellite Awards for her season 1 performance.[19][20][21]

Aduba's season 2 performance earned her the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series as well as recognition for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series at the 21st Screen Actors Guild Awards and a nomination Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film at the 72nd Golden Globe Awards.[22][23][24]

Notes

  1. ↑ "Uzo Aduba". TV.com. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  2. ↑ Andreeva, Nellie (2013-08-08). "Uzo Aduba Upped To Regular On ‘Orange Is The New Black’, Steven Culp In ‘Revolution’". Deadline.com. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  3. ↑ "Orange is the New Black Season 2 Episode 3: Hugs Can Be Deceiving". TV.com. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  4. ↑ Potts, Kimberly (2014-06-18). "The 10 Best 'Orange Is the New Black' Character Backstories". Yahoo! TV. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  5. ↑ White, Chelsea (2013-10-02). "Spot the difference! Orange Is The New Black star Taylor Schilling brings the real Piper Chapman as her red carpet date". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 2014-10-04.
  6. ↑ Fitzgerald, Sean (2014-06-23). "'Orange is the New Black': Meet Crazy Eyes". Toronto Sun. Retrieved 2014-10-23.
  7. ↑ Leopold, Todd (2014-06-06). "'Orange is the New Black': Five things to expect from season 2". CNN. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  8. ↑ Hooton, Christopher (2014-06-04). "Orange Is The New Black: Season 1 recap ahead of the new episodes". The Independent. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  9. ↑ Schaefer, Megan (2014-06-03). "'Orange Is The New Black' Season 1 Recap: Everything To Know Before The Season 2 Premiere". International Business Times. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  10. ↑ Foster, Lewis (2014-06-19). "Visual Summary: Orange Is The New Black Season 1". Paste. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  11. ↑ O'Sullivan, Erin (2013-08-14). "Orange Is The New Black: Uzo Aduba (Suzanne Warren) Promoted To Series Regular". Access Hollywood. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  12. ↑ Henderson, Danielle (2013-08-16). "Orange Is the New Black Episode Nine Recap: We Finally Experience the SHU". Vulture. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  13. ↑ "Orange is the New Black Season 1 Episode 9: F*cksgiving: Episode Cast & Crew". TV.com. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  14. ↑ Reed, Alex (2014-07-22). "‘Orange Is the New Black’ Star Uzo Aduba on ‘Crazy Eyes': ‘People Underestimate Her’ (Video)". The Wrap. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  15. ↑ Surette, Tim. "Orange Is the New Black Season 2 Review, Part 1 (Episodes 1–6): Conflict Over Community". TV.com. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  16. ↑ Surette, Tim. "Orange Is the New Black Season 2 Review, Part 2 (Episodes 7-13): Fight the Power". TV.com. Retrieved 2014-09-06.
  17. ↑ Meltzer, Tom (2013-12-17). "The best TV of 2013: No 6 – Orange is the New Black (Netflix): The US prison drama – Netflix's most-watched show of the year – is a binge-watcher's dream: moreish and full of surprises". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-10-05.
  18. ↑ Jancelewicz, Chris (2014-07-03). "Orange Is The New Black Review: Time Behind Bars Shouldn't Be This Fun". The Huffington Post Canada. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
  19. ↑ "Primetime Emmy Awards 2014: The winners list". CNN. August 26, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
  20. ↑ "The International Press Academy Announces Nominations For The 18th Annual Satellite Awards". PR Newswire. 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  21. ↑ Atkinson, Kate (2014-06-19). "Critics' Choice TV Awards: The winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
  22. ↑ Leeds, Sarene (January 26, 2015). "SAG Awards: The Complete 2015 Winners List". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  23. ↑ Keegan, Rebecca (January 26, 2015). "SAG Awards 2015: 'Birdman' feathers its nest as Oscars nears". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
  24. ↑ Mitovich, Matt Webb (December 11, 2014). "Golden Globes: Fargo, True Detective Lead Nominations; Jane the Virgin, Transparent Score Multiple Nods". TVLine. Retrieved December 11, 2014.