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Samira Wiley

Samira Wiley

Actor · Born April 15, 1987 (39) · Washington, District of Columbia, USA

Primetime Emmy winner · 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards

Samira Wiley was born on 15 April 1987 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She is an actress and producer, known for Orange Is the New Black (2013), The Handmaid's Tale (2017) and The Sitter (2011). She was previously married to Lauren Morelli.

Biography from IMDb.

Born
April 15, 1987 (39)
From
Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

What are Samira Wiley's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
24%
Survival
24%
Morality
15%
Power
10%
Ideas
10%
Bonds
10%
Society
6%
Survival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed2 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeHope2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 8 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 5 · Stylized 3 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 5 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 2 · Shifting 4 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 5 · Funny 0

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 4 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 6 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

6 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 3 of 6 analyzed roles.

Ally
3 of 6
Herald
2 of 6
Hero
1 of 6

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
10
Melancholic
6
Thrilling
5
Hopeful
4
Dread
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteDevastating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Samira Wiley's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 18 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (6).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Samira Wiley's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

26 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 10 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Tangles(2026)

    as Donimo (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • They Fight(2026)

    as Ketta

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Atomic(2025)

    Show 5 episodes · Creator · as Cassie Elliott

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all shows

  • National Theatre Live: Blues for an Alabama Sky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Angel Allen

  • Blade Runner: Black Lotus(2021)

    Show 13 episodes · as Officer Alani Davis (voice)

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all shows

  • Breaking News in Yuba County(2021)

    as Jonelle

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Equal(2020)

    Show 1 episode · as Lorraine Hansberry

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • Vault(2019)

    as Karyn

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Love, Death & Robots(2019)

    Show 1 episode · as Lt. Colby (voice)

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Social Animals(2018)

    as Lana

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Explained(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 16 episodes · as Jessica Mathers

  • Will & Grace (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Show 3 episodes · as Nikki

  • Detroit(2017)

    as Vanessa

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Handmaid's Tale(2017)

    Show 46 episodes · as Moira Strand

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all shows

  • 37(2016)

    as Joyce Smith

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Nerve(2016)

    as Azhar

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Rob the Mob(2014)

    as Agent Annie Bell

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Orange Is the New Black(2013)

    Show 52 episodes · as Poussey Washington

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Being Flynn(2012)

    as Asha

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Sitter(2011)

    as Tina

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Person of Interest(2011)

    Show 1 episode · as Triage Nurse

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all shows

  • Unforgettable(2011)

    Show 2 episodes · as Gina

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all shows

  • Law & Order: Special Victims Unit(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Michelle Thompson

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Standing By (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Let Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Chick

Career shape

Star power in the 94th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 26 titles, 23 of them dated from 1999 to 2026; peak year 2017.

Biggest box office

Nerve (2016)

$85M worldwide

Highest rated

Tangles (2026)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

The Handmaid's Tale (2017)

Film career

MilestoneAward win
19992026

Peak 2017 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting26 of 26: 25 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score54thOther crew1 of 26: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · acting2010s16 · acting2020s6 · 6 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 9th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

Awards

a Primetime Emmy and 3 Screen Actors Guild Awards from 10 major nominations, 2015–2022.

WinNomination
  1. 2022
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  2. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
  3. 2020
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  4. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
  5. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  6. 2016
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  7. 2015
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Samira Wiley's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 31st percentile, the median of all 11; across their 8 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 47th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

47thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Approval · how many liked their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 8

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th3
  • 25th to 49th7
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 21 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser7
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

They Fight (2026)

87th percentile spread · 41% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Tangles (2026)

Midcredits 94th · 77% liked

Reviewers score the acting 66/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Samira Wiley's work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity5 titles32–69 · median 43 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Samira Wiley work with?

People who share at least 2 of Samira Wiley's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Fison shares the most, 2.

Directors

Composers

Producers