Congress

Uzo Aduba Post-‘Orange': ‘The Work Will Come'

Now that "Orange" has wrapped up on Netflix, she said she remains optimistic about her professional future

Uzo Aduba said the upcoming FX limited series "Mrs. America" encompasses a whole lot of what she loves best about acting.

"It's a story of women. It's bringing great women together, incredibly talented women who I have respected and admired for years," she told The Associated Press in a recent interview.

Featuring Aduba as the late U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm, Cate Blanchett as conservative activist and orange juice queen Phyllis Schlafly and Rose Byrne as feminist Gloria Steinem, the show is based on the true story of the 1970s battle over the Equal Rights Amendment.

There's more to the slew of stars onboard. Tracey Ullman will play "The Feminine Mystique" author Betty Friedan and Margo Martindale is U.S. Rep. Bella Abzug, known for — among other things — her statement hats. James Marsden, Sarah Paulsen, Kayli Carter, John Slattery and Jeanne Tripplehorn will also appear.

Aduba said she also has long admired the late Chisholm, who was the first black woman elected to Congress.

"It represents authenticity and truth, and it's a story that wants to tell the truth about that time. The hard and the good truth. That's exciting for me," the "Orange is the New Black" co-star said of her new show, which is in production and doesn't yet have a release date.

The ERA battleground contributed to the rise of the Moral Majority, shifting the cultural and political landscape. It's written by Emmy-winner Dahvi Waller, who was in the "Mad Men" stable. Blanchett is an executive producer and it's the first time the Oscar winner has appeared in a series in a regular role.

The period show could have devolved into a star-transformation parade (executives recently released photos of the stars in character), but Waller's scripts have "given so much to the story, to give us something to really do and say," Aduba added.

Now that "Orange" has wrapped up on Netflix, she said she remains optimistic about her professional future.

"Anything is possible," she said. "I know it because I've seen it. ... The work will come. How fluidly and quickly it comes, I don't know, and what comes, I really don't know, but I know it will come."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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