Orange Is the New Black has legitimised Netflix as a formidable source of original programming. However, the prison drama, has also showcased one of television’s most diverse female casts in recent TV history, and included a number of LGBTQ standouts. And one of the cast members to real standout from the crowd is Lea Delaria.

She began her career billing herself as “That Fucking Dyke”.

“I called myself that because I would walk down the street and people would yell (it) at me. But after two years of performing I would walk down the street and people would yell (it) at me and I wouldn’t know if they were a fan or not!”

Lea Delaria

The “famously controversial” DeLaria was “the first openly gay comic to break the late-night talk-show barrier” with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. She has performed stand-up comedy for over 25 years and is a prominent figure in the world of LGBT comedy.

“In the showbiz world, if you’re like me — short hair, fat, butch, Italian, loud — you’re up against a lot of obstacles. So it’s a good idea to know how to do a lot of things…because you’re going to need all of them to pay your rent. …[Teenage boys] used to stop me on the street to spit at me. Now they come up and hug me and say, ‘Big Boo is my favorite character.’ She’s kind of like a teenage boy. So am I. A teenager in a suit.”

Lea Delaria

She is now treading the boards playing Big Boo in Orange Is the New Black, where Delaria is quickly becoming go-to girl for unorthodox orgasms – and the actress isn’t complaining.

In the first season of the Netflix comedy, no one could stop talking about Big Boo’s creative use of a stolen screwdriver. But for anyone who thought that was too provocative, you might want to stay away from the second episode of Orange’s second season.

In season 2, Big Boo once again proves that she can turn anything into a tool for sexual pleasure. Though this time, she might have definitely gone a bit too far…

When asked how Big Boo’s latest unexpected sexual escapade compares to the now-infamous screwdriver scene, Delaria says they can only be equated in terms of surprise.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to expect it, just like nobody was going to expect it with the screwdriver. But I’m curious to see how people will respond to it. Mostly the [reaction to the] screwdriver’s quite positive, but there are people who think that went too far. I just don’t party with them. They’re not my kind of people.”

Lea Delaria