The infamous yet widely admired Orange Is the New Black star Taryn Manning may often play angry, unpleasant, or downtrodden characters on TV, but she is miles away from this person in real life. Open-hearted, holistic, and empathetic, she is incredibly positive, telling me: I am happy and want to LIVE! I have the pleasure of hanging out with the seasoned actress, musician and designer, as she opens up to me about her controversial new role, and what she wants to do next in her career and in her personal life. We also have a great chat about how she stays healthy, builds her self-esteem, and helps others in the midst of it all.

Her latest film “Every Last One Of Them” hits theatres and digital October 22nd, co-starring Richard Dreyfus.