Since 2013, Uzo Aduba has been charming (and freaking out) audiences with her role as Suzanne "Crazy Eyes" Warren on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. Her performance on the show has won her a Golden Globe, an Emmy, and most recently, a SAG Award — Uzo's heartfelt, inspiring acceptance speeches from the ceremony have gone viral two years in a row and give the world even more proof that she's a real force to be reckoned with. Beyond her acting achievements, Uzo just seems like a really cool person to chill with — she comes off as composed, self-aware, and able to laugh at herself. In case you need more reasons she deserves a spot at the top of your girl-crush list, we've got 11 of them for you to check out before season four of OINTB begins! Source: Getty / Gilbert Carrasquillo
You'll love the one she tells Seth Meyers about her mother not letting her change her traditional Nigerian name.
How fierce does she look in this Christian Siriano dress?
Uzo studied classical voice at Boston University and made her Broadway debut in 2007, portraying Toby in Coram Boy. From 2011 to 2012, she performed in Godspell and sang this song, "Simple Joys," from the musical Pippin.
Uzo took her high school prom date, Mark Crowley, to the 2016 SAG Awards. The two have been friends since elementary school — don't you love that Uzo still looks out for the people who knew her way back when?