What’s Next For Samira Wiley? ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Star Joins Hulu’s ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ After Poussey’s Death

Poussey Washington may be dead but the career of the actress who played her isn’t. Recently it was revealed that “Orange Is the New Black” star Samira Wiley has landed a new gig following her tragic, Season 4 exit from the Netflix series.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the 29-year-old actress has been cast in Hulu’s “Handmaid’s Tale” based on Margaret Atwood’s novel of the same name. The series, which will premiere in 2017, tells the story of “life in the dystopia of Gilead, a totalitarian society in what was formerly part of the United States.” After an environmental disaster hits, birthrates begin to plummet. This results in women being turned into property of the state by “twisted fundamentalism.”

Poussey will portray the fiery character Moira in the fictional series — a handmaid-in-training, who is also a lesbian, that tries to rebel against the male-dominated totalitarian regime of Gilead. Moira is also the best friend of the main character Offred in the series. “Mad Men” actress Elisabeth Moss will portray Offred — one of the last remaining fertile woman in the society.

"I am thrilled that MGM and Hulu are developing ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ as a series, and extra thrilled that the very talented Elisabeth Moss will be playing the central character,” Atwood said in a Hulu press release. “‘The Handmaid's Tale’ is more relevant now than when it was written, and I am sure the series will be watched with great interest. I have read the first two scripts and they are excellent; I can hardly wait to see the finished episodes.”

Wiley is also excited to partake in the TV series, which Atwood will serve as a consulting producer on. After Hulu welcomed Wiley into their family, the actress responded in a tweet that she was happy to bring Atwood’s story to life on the small screen.

Although this is Wiley’s first series regular role since “Orange Is the New Black,” fans of the actress can also see her in a recurring role on FXX’s “You’re the Worst” and in the flick “Nerve,” starring Emma Roberts, Dave Franco and Wiley’s “Orange Is the New Black” co-star Kimiko Glenn.