Who Is Judy King on Orange Is the New Black?

She Is Played by Blair Brown

If actress Blair Brown looks familiar to you, don't be surprised — she's starred in a whole bunch of popular TV shows. After playing Nina Sharp on Fringe, she went on to have parts in The Affair, Person of Interest, and Limitless.

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She's Going to Make Waves in Litchfield

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While the inmates are off swimming in the lake in the season three finale, we get to see a bit of Judy's spirited personality shine through when she arrives at the prison only to find it completely empty. In an interview with TV Guide in February, Brown described her character as "slightly appalling and very cheerful, and probably fairly amoral," and said that "it's interesting to watch because she's so 'other' than anybody else in prison." Well, that's for sure.

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She's a Mixture of Some Familiar Faces

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"I think a lot of people think, 'Oh, she cooks, so she's like Martha Stewart.' 'Oh, she Southern. She's like Paula Deen.' She's actually Judy King, a creation of Jenji [Kohan] and the writers," Brown told TV Guide. Still, it's hard not to draw comparisons to the real-life TV chefs, especially Stewart, who also served time behind bars after she was convicted of insider trading. Knowing Kohan and the rest of the incredibly talented OITNB writing staff, though, Judy will no doubt be original in her own way.

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She Becomes Fast Friends With One of the Show's Biggest Characters

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Unlike most new inmates at Litchfield, Judy is likely not going to have to face the hazing that comes with being a newbie thanks to her instant friendship with Poussey Washington (Samira Wiley), whom Brown calls "Judy's greatest ally." Since Poussey has always been obsessed with Judy's fictional cooking show, Judy King at Home, it will be interesting to see how their friendship blossoms, especially after the ups and downs that Poussey faced in season three.

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