It’s difficult to imagine a time when a star coming aboard a Netflix show seemed like a gamble. Yet, back in 2013, the streaming service began taking risks when it went behind the bars of a woman’s prison with “Orange is the New Black.” Spanning seven seasons, the award-winning show became a flagship entry for the streaming service. The story of Piper Chapman’s time at Litchfield Penitentiary made stars out of lead Taylor Schilling and a supporting cast that included Uzo Aduba, Danielle Brooks, and Laverne Cox. However, we could have seen a very different Piper walk into C-Block.
In a 2014 interview with E! Online, “Orange is the New Black” creator Jenji Kohan revealed that before Schilling got the call, former “Dawson’s Creek” star Katie Holmes was considered but passed on the project. “I’m a big fan of hers,” Kohan said. “You know, I met with her. She had other things to do. And also in the beginning, no one knew what this was.” Ultimately, Schilling took the gig and was thrust to the forefront of one of the biggest shows on television for five years.
Taylor Schilling thinks there could’ve been space for Katie Holmes even after taking her role
Throughout its run, many established stars turned up in “Orange is the New Black.” Jason Biggs played Piper’s complicated love interest, Larry Bloom, while Lori Petty and Natasha Lyonne were among the talent that found themselves behind bars. Although Katie Holmes may have missed out on her chance to wear the titular orange jumpsuit, Taylor Schilling felt that there might have been place for her in a different capacity.
“I’m a big fan of Katie Holmes,” Schilling told E! News, imagining where she might end up in the series if she ever changed her mind about joining the show. “She could be friends with Lorna,” Schilling theorized, referring to the character played by Yael Stone. “Or Lorna’s Boston sister.” Unfortunately, that did not came to pass, and Holmes never ended up doing time on “Orange Is the New Black.”