Laura Gómez revealed that she felt ‘very surprised by turns and twists’ her story line took on ‘OITNB,’ and teased that the final season will be ‘very special’ while speaking with HollywoodLife at the Netflix show’s red carpet premiere!
Seeing Laura Gómez’s character, Blanca Flores, board that bus at the end of Season 6 of Orange Is The New Black was heartbreaking for her and viewers. But Laura appreciates that the Netflix show doesn’t sugarcoat real issues that immigrants and people of color battle in America, and she chatted about playing such a character who portrays this struggle in an EXCLUSIVE interview with HollywoodLife. “It’s been a gift and I really feel very surprised by turns and twists that my story line has taken,” Laura told us on the red carpet at OITNB‘s final season premiere in New York City on July 25. “But I also feel very lucky because it’s such an amazingly talented cast and a show that is so beloved…people really care about these characters and I like that because they are a reflection of what is out there. It’s not just completely created in fantasy land..This is as close to reality it gets.”
Laura reflected on Blanca’s seven-season transformation, after the show first started streaming in 2013. “I feel like it took me places emotionally, it reminded me that there are no small roles and that some people surprise you,” the actress told HollywoodLife. “Because they can show one face at one moment, but really they are deeper than they seem, and that’s what Blanca is. And it made me go places emotionally that I would never have expected, and I am so grateful.” Laura, who was the image of elegance in a Ralph Lauren wrap dress and Jimmy Choo shoes, also couldn’t help but poke fun at her character’s appearance on the show! “To be able to get rid of all sense of vanity in order to portray this is a gift for an actor,” Laura mused, who wore a faux unibrow for the show.
Now that the final season is streaming, we asked Laura how she said farewell to her longtime role. “By letting her go. I think sometimes there’s not much more to do, just be grateful moment to moment,” Laura admitted, adding, “This character was a part of me for seven years. She’s a part of TV history and this season is going to be very special for the audience.”
You can watch HollywoodLife’s full interview with Laura at the premiere above! The red carpet turned into a glam train, as Laura was joined by co-stars like Danielle Brooks who shined in a custom sequined dress, blazer and a larger-than-life wide brim hat (a la Beyoncé’s 2018 Grammys look) from Christian Siriano. She also debuted a baby bump underneath all those silver sequins! Speaking of Bey, Laverne Cox also took a cue from the megastar and wore her hair in the same iconic updo seen on the album cover of B’Day.