The popular Netflix series, “Orange Is The New Black,” about a young woman’s first time adjusting to prison life, is still a hit with audiences all over. The interactions and life of each character make the story interesting as you follow each storyline. But one of the most popular characters on the show is Suzanne “Crazy-Eyes” Warren played by amazing actress Uzoamaka Nwanneka “Uzo” Aduba.
Crazy Eyes has become the heart of the show and with each season, that heart is shattered into pieces. The seasons put Suzanne through one ordeal after another. But throughout each show, Aduba portrays the character as much more than someone with a mental health disorder in prison — she plays the character as a real person who has these issues.
Aduba’s character is over the top in every way, dealing with mental health issues stemming from childhood.
“We’ve been in this space where we have as a society neglected the health and well-being of people battling mental illnesses and behavioral issues,” says Aduba. “I was so moved to see Suzanne’s story because what we were watching was the consequences of that neglect — and how until we really take these things seriously, what can result.”
“It’s such a closed-door subject, a closeted subject. People aren’t walking around and saying, ‘I suffer from mental illness,’ or ‘I have depression,’ or ‘I’m f*cked up.’ We kind of bury it, cover it up, guard it with our life,” continues Aduba. “[So] to have someone who is wrestling with their emotions or struggling with being understood when her point of view isn’t always as clear as everyone else’s — yeah, I feel a huge responsibility to just take care of her and the people who can relate to her. ‘Cause it’s not easy.”
Another cause that’s important to the actress is cancer. The 36-year-old actress ran in the Boston Marathon to raise money for cancer research.
The race was Aduba’s second marathon. Her first, also to support cancer research, was in New York two years ago, but she tries to work be available to do at least one marathon a year.
“When I ran New York, there were four people in my life — one had passed, and three were battling cancer,” Aduba said. “Now, today, there’s only one still fighting.”
That particularly personal loss inspired the actress to take on 26.2 miles again, this time in her hometown. Aduba…
… is part of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s marathon challenge, and the actress released a video to spread the word about sponsoring her run.
“I can’t believe I’m going from the seat of spectator to the place of participant,” said Aduba who is a Massachusetts native who grew up watching the Boston Marathon.
A lifelong athlete, Aduba was a sprinter in high school and during college at Boston University. She switched to long-distance running when she moved to New York to pursue her acting career.
Since beginning her marathon training, Aduba runs about 5 miles a day, with a 10- to 18-mile run on weekends. When she feels like quitting, she thinks about her loved ones fighting cancer.
“They ran a race much harder than mine,” she said.
Aduba has already raised nearly $10,000 toward cancer research with her Boston bid. In the future, she’s planning to do even more against the disease.
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