Michelle Hurst, born and bred in Brooklyn, NY, has an extensive career in theater, film and television. On stage, her roles have ranged from Euripides' MEDEA to a ghostly African-American slave in In This Place... to Sheila in Tough Titty. Her film roles cover everything from the very serious (SMOKE) to the outrageously funny (AIRHEADS). Television roles run the gamut of doctors, lawyers, and judges to car rental clerks and intake nurses. She is most notably known for the character Miss Claudette in Netflix's award-winning series Orange is the New Black. She also is the only American actor to appear on the PBS program, Last Tango in Halifax.