Alysia Reiner

Alysia Reiner
Reiner in May 2017
Born
Alma materVassar College
OccupationActress
Years active1993–present
Known forNatalie "Fig" Figueroa in Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019)
Spouse
(m. 1997)
Children1

Alysia Reiner is an American actress.[1] She is best known for playing Natalie "Fig" Figueroa in the Netflix comedy drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019), for which she won a Screen Actors Guild Award for her role as part of the ensemble cast.

Reiner starred in and produced the financial drama Equity, which was bought at Sundance by Sony Pictures Classics and released nationwide. It is now being developed into a TV series by Tri-Star and ABC. Reiner has appeared in several Off-Broadway plays and won an Obie Award for her performance in An Oak Tree.[1] In Sideways, the critically acclaimed comedy–drama film, Reiner played Christine Ergarian, where she won her first ensemble cast SAG award. She played District Attorney Wendy Parks in the ABC crime-legal drama TV series How to Get Away with Murder and Sunny in the FX comedy Better Things.

In 2014, she also appeared in Season 4 of Masters of Sex on Showtime, as Lilian Izikoff on Rosewood, and Trina in Michael Showalter's TBS series Search Party.

Early life

Reiner was born in Gainesville, Florida, in 1970. She graduated from Vassar College and studied acting at the British American Drama Academy and the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.[2][3] Reiner is Jewish.[4]

Career

Theatre

She joined Tim Crouch in the Obie Award–winning An Oak Tree at The Barrow Street and Jayson with a Y with The New Group. At The Beckett, she played roles in Anaïs Nin: One of Her Lives and Wasps in Bed. She has been deemed "Off-Broadway Favorite" by Theatremania and was called "priceless" by The New York Times.

Film and television

Reiner with Orange Is the New Black cast in 2013

Reiner has appeared in several films, including Kissing Jessica Stein, The Vicious Kind, Arranged, Schooled, That Awkward Moment, and 5 Flights Up. In 2004, she played the role of Christine Erganian, Thomas Haden Church's character's fiancée, in the film Sideways, which won Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.[1] She also had roles in several independent films.

On television, Reiner has appeared on more than 50 shows as series regular, guest star or in recurring roles, including Natalie Figueroa in the Netflix comedy–drama series Orange Is the New Black.[5][6][7] In 2014 she joined the cast of ABC legal drama series, How to Get Away with Murder produced by Shonda Rhimes, in a recurring role of D.A. Wendy Parks, a prosecutor who goes up against Viola Davis' character.[8] In 2018 Reiner joined the cast of The Deuce as agent Kiki Rains.[9]

In 2014, Reiner announced that she would be launching Broad Street Pictures to produce films with strong female roles.[10]

Personal life

Reiner with husband David Alan Basche in 2011

Reiner has been married to actor David Alan Basche since 1997.[11] The couple have a daughter, Livia, and reside in Harlem, New York City.[citation needed]

Reiner is involved with many nonprofit organizations and charities, including the Cancer Support Community, Actors for Autism, PEN International, SAY: The Stuttering Association for the Young, Bent on Learning, Safe Kids Worldwide, The Young Women's Leadership Network, Amnesty International,[12] Cool Effect,[13] and Election Defenders. Before the 2022 midterm elections, Reiner posted on Instagram using the #IDCHECK hashtag, asking voters to check their IDs to make sure they meet local requirements and citing VoteRiders as a resource for voter ID information and assistance.[14]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Row Your Boat Scenes deleted
The Stand-In Soap opera nurse
2000 Little Pieces Casting director
2001 Kissing Jessica Stein Schuller Gallery Artist
2002 Hourly Rates Gail
2004 Sideways Christine Erganian
The Three Body Problem Nina Short film
2005 One Last Thing... Tai Uhlmann
2006 A-List Reporter
Cycle Unknown Marie Short film
The Narrow Gate Rachel
2007 Arranged Leah
Schooled Miss Luna Hill
2008 The Peppermint Tree Laura
2009 The Vicious Kind Samantha
The Jacket Joan Short film
Speed Grieving Malia Short film
2012 Backwards Meghan
Delivering the Goods New Head Chef
2013 King Theodore Live Jordyn Short film
2014 That Awkward Moment Amanda
The Story of Milo & Annie Mercedes Short film
Kelly & Cal Trish
Fort Tilden Cobble Hill Mom
Revenge of the Green Dragons TV News Reporter
5 Flights Up Blue Leggings
Primrose Lane Theodocia
The Girl in the Book Interviewer
No Letting Go Lisa
2015 Ava's Possessions Noelle
The Networker Beth
The Other Side Rivka
2016 Equity Public Attorney Samantha Ryan Also producer
2017 The Female Brain Erin
2018 Egg Tina Also producer
An Acceptable Loss National Security Advisor
2020 School Spirits Canaldi
2021 A Mouthful of Air Pam
Spider-Man: No Way Home Agent Sadie Deever Uncredited cameo[15]
2022 So Cold the River Alyssa Bradford-Cohen
The Independent Kathy Gibbs
2023 The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed Sister

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Law & Order Gretchen Stewart Episode: "Sundown"
2000 Family Law Ms. Holland Episode: "Echoes"
2002 The Drew Carey Show Sally Episode: "What Women Don't Want"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Cindy Kerber Episode: "Juvenile"
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Leslie Hurst Episode: "Stray"
2004 The Jury Dr. Ainsley Solomon Episode: "The Boxer"
2006 The Sopranos Linda Vaughn Episode: "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..."
Love Monkey Megan Episode: "Coming Out"
2008 The Starter Wife Cindy 2 episodes
2009 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Paula O'Keefe Episode: "Lady's Man"
White Collar Manager Episode: "Free Fall"
30 Rock Real Estate Agent Episode: "Sun Tea"
2010 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Michelle Linden Episode: "Lost Children of the Blood"
Law & Order Amy Felner Episode: "Love Eternal"
2011 Blue Bloods Hannah Episode: "Model Behavior"
2012 The Exes Cindy Episode: "The Party"
2013–19 Orange Is the New Black Natalie "Fig" Figueroa Main role (season 7), recurring role (season 1–3, 5–6), guest role (season 4); 47 episodes
Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
2014 Hawaii Five-O Special Agent Chapman Episode: "Ka No'eau"
2014-15 How to Get Away with Murder D.A. Wendy Parks 4 episodes
2015 Bones Amelia Minchin Episode: "The Lost in the Found"
2016 Unforgettable Joyce Chen Episode: "Breathing Space"
The Mysteries of Laura Liz Walters Episode: "The Mystery of the Political Operation"
Rosewood Lilian Izikoff 2 episodes
Masters of Sex Anita Episode: "Freefall"
Search Party Trina 2 episodes
2016–2022 Better Things Sunny 15 episodes
2017 Odd Mom Out Prosecutor Episode: "Jury Doody"
Chopped Herself Episode: "Star Power: Screen Sensations!"
Younger Louise Episode: "A Novel Marriage"
Broad City Episode: "Mushrooms"
2018 The Blacklist Judge Sonia Fisher Episode: "The Informant (No. 118)"
2018–2019 The Deuce Kiki Rains 10 episodes
2018–2020 Butterbean's Café Ms. Marmalady (voice) 18 episodes
2019 Bubble Guppies Computer Voice (voice) Episode: "Secret Agent Nonny!"
All Rise Deb Thompson Episode: "The Joy from Oz"
2021–2022 Around the Sun (audio drama) Sam (voice) 2 episodes (co-starring David Alan Basche)
2022 Shining Vale Kathryn 5 episodes
Ms. Marvel Agent Sadie Deever 4 episodes
2023 The Rookie Lieutenant Pine Episode: "Daddy Cop"
2024 The Diplomat Secret Service agent 2 episodes

References

  1. ^ a b c "Alysia Reiner Biography". Alysia Reiner Biography. Archived from the original on April 30, 2021. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  2. ^ "A woman to reckon with". The Westerly Sun. 17 July 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2018.
  3. ^ @alysiareiner (25 December 2012). "Merry Christmas from this mystical..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  4. ^ @alysiareiner (December 25, 2012). "Merry Christmas from this mystical jew who believes in miracles RT @marwilliamson Christmas happens in our hearts..." (Tweet) – via Twitter. [user-generated source]
  5. ^ "Alysia Reiner Talks About Being a Part of Orange is the New Black". Indiewire Television. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  6. ^ "'Orange Is the New Black's Badass Assistant Warden Talks Gender Roles". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  7. ^ "Orange Is the New Black's Alysia Reiner: "I'm a Total Mush Ball"". Shape Magazine. Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
  8. ^ Lesley Goldberg (August 11, 2014). "ABC's 'How to Get Away With Murder' Adds 'Orange' Alum (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  9. ^ "Your Guide To The Characters Of The Deuce".
  10. ^ "'Orange is the New Black' Actress Launches Production Company". Variety. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
  11. ^ "David Alan Basche - Actor". DavidAlanBasche.com.
  12. ^ Reiner, Alysia. "About: Alysia Reiner". AlysiaReiner.com. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  13. ^ Cabrera, Ana [@AnaCabrera] (April 22, 2017). "@alysiareiner doesn't need to get a message to POTUS on climate change, just the average American @cool_effect" (Tweet). Retrieved 22 April 2017 – via Twitter.
  14. ^ "alysiareiner's instagram 2022-9-30 story.jpg on Egnyte". Egnyte. Retrieved 2023-04-08.
  15. ^ Alysia, Reiner [@alysiareiner] (August 8, 2022). "It is indeed!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2023 – via Twitter.