Ep 17: Samira Wiley

May the lord open! The Emmy award winning The Handmaid’s Tale star Samira Wiley joins me for the second episode of Reign with Pride, opening up about being same-sex parents, coming out, and learning to take pride in the intersections of her identity. Samira Wiley has been the definition of a role model since she first starred as Poussey in Orange Is The New Black. Samira went on to win an Emmy Award for her performance as Moira in The Handmaid’s Tale which she dedicated to her wife, Lauren. She received the Human Rights Campaign's Visibility Award, and appeared as a couple on the cover of OUT magazine, giving same sex relationships the visibility they deserve! YES! I caught up with Samira just a few months after the birth of their baby daughter, George and she has so many amazing words about raising a new generation to take pride in their identity. Samira herself is now proud to call herself a ‘gay woman’ but it hasn’t always been the case, as as Samira revealed she was encouraged to enter into a fake ‘relationship’ with a gay male friend to protect her career. Now Samira, who credits playing Moira in The Handmaid’s Tale with helping her find her voice, sees her relationship as one of her greatest achievements and we love to hear it! I have to confess that I have been obsessed with Samira since I started watching The Handmaid’s Tale - which I think is THE best TV show ever made (it’s a fact!) - so of course we had a little chat about season four. If you haven’t caught up, there are some plot spoilers in the first ten minutes so listen with caution! This mini-series of four episodes will feature some of the most prominent role models in the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate Pride Month - something that means so much to me! When I was growing up I didn’t feel like I truly had any role models - like Samira - and I know that listening to these guests would have helped ‘younger me’ and also, ‘adult me’ during the multiple times in my life when I have struggled with taking pride in who I am. If you are struggling with your identity at the moment or just need someone to talk to please reach out to the LGBT Foundation, who I mentioned in this episode. Their helplines are always open and confidential and you can find out more at lgbt.foundation. I hope you love this episode as much as I do and I truly hope this series will help you take pride in your identity no matter how you identify. You can follow me at @joshsmithhosts across social media and please get in touch as I love to hear from you! Love Josh xxx Thank you to our sponsors this week, Jean Paul Gaultier fragrances. When it comes to embracing the LGBTQ+ community in its entirety, there is no one quite like Jean Paul Gaultier! The brand is a symbol of queer freedom and the gorgeous new RAINBOW limited edition Le Male Pride collector bottle symbolises just that. 100% of profits will go towards the national LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity, AKT who have provided over 250,000 nights off the street for LGBTQ+ young people at risk of, or experiencing homelessness. You can pick up your very own Le Male Pride bottle right now from Look Fantastic. P.S You will also have heard an advert for my favourite skincare brand, Aurelia London who are, not only, THE experts in Probiotic Skincare but using their Probiotic Concentrate with my Aurelia London Day Moisturiser has bought back my glow, just in time for me to re-enter civilisation! Yay! FYI - Aurelia London's probiotic skincare is effective for skin conditions from dullness to ageing to rosacea and pigmentation to acne. And as a treat for you, you can get 20% off the entire range by heading to aurelialondon.com and using the code JOSH20 at the check out! Hope you love it as much as I do! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices