Miriam Morales (Class of 2002), is a New York native, born in East Patchogue. From an early age, Morales had a knack for performance. At five-years old, Morales performed in her first play - a church play - and fell in love with it. Acting, singing, dancing, and writing were an essential part of her upbringing, and are at the core of everything she does. In the Long Island hamlet of Brentwood, Morales was named Queen of the “Puerto Rican Hispanic Day Parade” in town, and won a handsome $5,000 prize along with it. At age 13, Morales had her first professional audition for the series Ghostwriter.
After graduating from high school, Morales attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, in New York. While training at The Academy, Morales was busy almost 24/7; she worked two jobs, commuting to and from Long Island, and took voice and speech classes during the weekend. Morales says that this time-commitment - focusing solely on the craft - was “what she needed at the time.” After her graduation from The Academy in 2002, Morales ventured to Los Angeles, attending the TVI Actors Studio-- if only briefly.
When Morales returned to New York, she attended Fordham University at Lincoln Center, graduating with degrees in Communications/Media Studies and Latin American/Latino Studies. Morales’s strong educational background has opened many doors for her, including a position with a Youtube network in the late 2000’s. An accomplished content creator, Morales published a blog, Scripts of Flair for several years. In its infancy, Scripts of Flair operated as an acting blog, but broadened into a trendy, chic creative hub. One that “Focuses on styling on a budget, beauty information and living a motivational lifestyle.” Morales plans to publish a book, regaling life lessons with a motivational flair.
Morales is most famous for her role of “Pidge,” in the critically acclaimed Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. A longtime fan of the series, Morales described the role as a “dream come true.” For this, Morales (and the cast) received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, in 2018. Morales has called her time with Orange Is the New Black as “revolutionary,” and “inspiring,” and celebrates the show’s diversity and inclusion. In 2017, Morales played a drug-addict, Rosy in the drama-thriller Ornament of Faith. Having four weeks to prepare for her role, she was put on an intense workout regimine, a strict diet, and prepared a “thick New York accent.” Recently, Morales can be seen in an episode of Sneaky Pete, and Inside the Rain, and the role of Brittany Green in numerous episodes of The Color of Love.
With a renaissance approach to life, Morales’s career is only beginning. The steps she takes - both subtle and overt - to uplift underrepresented voices and normalize diversity are churning one after another. With contributions throughout entertainment, Morales is creating a distinct and long lasting legacy for herself.
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