▁she ▁got ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁production , ▁J od ie ▁F oster ▁said , ▁" I ▁read ▁the ▁book ▁[ O range ▁Is ▁the ▁New ▁Black : ▁My ▁Year ▁in ▁a ▁Women ' s ▁Pr ison ] ▁and ▁I ▁said ▁to ▁my ▁agent , ▁' Oh ▁man , ▁I ▁really ▁want ▁to ▁do ▁this .' ▁He ▁was ▁like , ▁' Well , ▁[ the ▁show runner ▁is ] ▁Jen ji ▁Koh an !' ▁And ▁I ▁was ▁like , ▁' W ould ▁you ▁please ▁pass ▁along ▁that ▁I ' d ▁like ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁this ?' ▁Then ▁eventually ▁I ▁found ▁out ▁a ▁friend ▁of ▁mine ▁was ▁doing ▁prep ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁show , ▁and ▁I ▁told ▁her , ▁' Please ▁tell ▁the ▁writer ▁[ Pi per ▁K erman ] ▁I ▁love ▁that ▁book ▁and ▁I ' m ▁dying ▁to ▁do ▁something .' ▁Then ▁that ' s ▁what ▁happened . ▁They ▁don ' t ▁tell ▁you ▁what ▁episode ▁you ' re ▁shooting ▁so ▁it ' s ▁a ▁wonderful ▁exercise ▁and ▁med itation ▁in ▁letting ▁go ▁because ▁you ▁have ▁no ▁idea ▁what ▁you ' re ▁doing . ▁One ▁episode ▁takes ▁eight ▁days ▁to ▁prep ▁and ▁eight ▁to ▁shoot . ▁It ' s ▁a ▁fast ▁deal . ▁And ▁I ' d ▁never ▁done ▁TV ▁before ." ▁ ▁Series ▁cre ator ▁and ▁show runner ▁Jen ji ▁Koh an ▁stated ▁that ▁F oster ▁directed ▁the ▁episode ▁as ▁" sort ▁of ▁her ▁dry - run ▁for ▁when ▁she ▁does ▁her ▁television ▁thing ", ▁referencing ▁an ▁as - of