American actress and model, Samira Wiley began her professional career in 2011 and two years later landed her big break with her role as romantic convict Poussey Washington in Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black. Wiley won many hearts with this role, however, his gruesome death and exit did not sit well with many. She then cemented her place in the spotlight by playing the seemingly unbreakable Moira in the dystopian Hulu series The Handmaid’s Tale.. The latter role earned her the 2018 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series. Wiley is one of the few openly gay black women in Hollywood. Here we will talk about his career as well as his romantic life with his wife, Lauren Morelli.
Samira Wiley Biography,
Samira Denise Wiley was born on the 15th day of April 1987, in Washington, DC, to Baptist ministers, Christine and Dennis W. Wiley. When Wiley came out about his gay sexuality to his parents, they gave him their full support. Wiley has two siblings; Joshua Wiley and Aiyana Ma’at.
Samira Wiley knew from an early age that she wanted to act professionally. To achieve her dreams, Wiley studied at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D.C. She attended Temple University as well as the Juilliard School in New York where she earned a BFA. After Juilliard, Wiley starred in theater productions before making her screen debut in 2011. She appeared in the comedy film, The Babysitter and had small parts on the show; Unforgettable and person of interest
Wiley was told about the OITNB casting by fellow Juilliard graduate, Marco Ramirez who was booked as a writer for the show. Also, another friend of hers, Danielle Brooks, got an acting role on the show, which later inspired Wiley to audition.
Her character started out as a recurring role but soon got more screen time. Ultimately, she became a fan favorite on the show. She was killed off in the 4th season much to the chagrin of fans.
During the show, the actress was able to book other concerts in her free time. They included movies; Rob the Mob, Nerf, plus shows; The catch, and You’re the worst. Her next big role would be as Moira in The Handmaid’s Tale
Is she married, who is the wife – Lauren Morelli?
Samira Wiley is married to Lauren Morelli. The couple tied the knot on March 25, 2017, in an intimate ceremony in Palm Springs, California. On their big day, the pair donned outfits designed by Christian Siriano. Their marriage was officiated by Wiley’s parents, Drs. Both Dennis and Christine Wiley are Baptist ministers. They were previously co-pastors of the Covenant Baptist Church, which as of 2007 was the only church in DC to marry LGBTQ couples.
Wiley and Morelli first met on the set of Orange’s New Black. The show gave Morelli, a former dancer, her first professional writing gig and the first episode she wrote was the first to involve Wiley’s character, Poussey Washington.
After the wedding, Samira Wiley revealed to BUSTMagazine that she first fell in love with Morelli’s spirit after reading his script, even before they met. Seeing her for the first time on set, the attraction on her part was instantaneous. However, Morelli at the time was still married to another, a man named Steve Basilone.
Morelli married Steve in 2012 but filed for divorce from him in September 2014 and becomes openly lesbian. When Wiley took up her post at OITNB, she was still a closeted lesbian. She was accidentally taken out by a co-star during an interview, something Wiley later explained broke her heart and robbed her of the ability to speak out on her terms.
Following their first meeting on set, the pair began a close friendship that quickly led to constant flirtations and, ultimately, a romantic relationship. Wiley says Morelli’s boldness with her sexuality helped her become more comfortable as a lesbian. In the early months of the friendship, the couple discussed their individual journey with their sexuality which served as a catalyst for their romance.
On October 4, 2016, after a few years of dating, Morelli proposed to Wiley, a moment that Wiley describes as the most magical moment of her life. Wiley’s wife, a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, born July 22, 1982, aspired to be a professional dancer. After college, she studied dance at Marymount Manhattan College in New York until a back injury tragically cut short her career.
She was encouraged by a college professor to take up writing as a career and after writing a handful of short films, she won the OITNB gig. She earned two Writers Guild of America nominations for her work on the hit series.
Samira Wiley and his wife Laura Morelli live together in a bungalow in California.