Ruby Rose breaks out on Netflix’s ‘Orange is the New Black’

NEW YORK (AP) — American audiences were introduced to Australian actress Ruby Rose on the third season of the Netflix series “Orange is the New Black,” and she’s quickly become a breakout star.

Rose plays Stella, an inmate at the women’s prison who hits it off with Taylor Schilling’s lead character, Piper. The series also stars Laverne Cox, Laura Prepon and Uzo Uduba.

In a recent interview, Rose said she’s trailed by paparazzi, even when she’s at the airport. However, the attention she’s gotten is welcomed because “my main goal is always acting.”

“I had no opportunities before,” she said with a laugh. “I was finding it really hard to get in the door here. Really hard. I couldn’t get an agent, I couldn’t get a manager, I couldn’t get an audition. I couldn’t do anything, and your hands are a little bit tied at that point. You have a visa that says it’s for entertainment and you have no one that wants to represent you.”

The 29-year-old is considering possible future projects, and says there’s a possibility she’ll return for the fourth season of “Orange.”

She talked about her experience on the show in a recent interview with The Associated Press.

Associated Press: What was it like to join the huge cast of “Orange is the New Black”?

Rose: I’ve never been in a situation like that where I’ve gotten to meet so many amazing women that are all so talented and independent and funny, and it’s a very supernatural situation with that many talented people in one room at one time, all getting along. It’s great. It was perfect.

AP: Is there anything about the set that surprised you?

Rose: There’s a lot of re-purposing. … There’s parts of the set where it’s someone’s bunk, but then it’s someone else’s bunk after four o’clock.

AP: You were a fan of the show before becoming a cast member. How did it feel to join the cast?

Rose: The only one I went like, ‘Oh, what’s going on?’ was with Laura Prepon. She had the prison outfit, the glasses, the brows and the hair. She was (her character) Alex walking down the corridor. I just went, ‘Hi! You’re really good-looking.’ She’s just so tall and statuesque.

AP: Is there anyone you didn’t have scenes with that you wish you did?

Rose: I did a lot of scenes with pretty much everyone. I think Laverne (Cox), maybe, I didn’t get any scenes with (her), but we hung out a lot, and whenever she was there on the set, I would always go and sit in her room.

AP: You also work as a disc jockey. How do you balance that with acting?

Rose: I get these weekend opportunities to travel to different parts of the world and DJ, so it’s literally the perfect mix. I have a fantastic combination career. It’s a hobby, but it’s something I’ve done for the last 10 years and so it’s always going to be part of me.

AP: How did you start acting?

Rose: I actually went to school for acting when I finished high school and about halfway through that first year, I ended up booking MTV (in Australia) and so I proceeded to do television presenting, I had a clothing brand and created my own radio station. … I did all these crazy things and it was almost like they were all sidesteps to get me into the door with acting. … I’m definitely where I want to be now and it feels amazing.

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Follow Alicia Rancilio at http://www.twitter.com/aliciar

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Online:

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