Madeline Brewer was basically a ghost in the halls of Litchfield Penitentiary by the time the later seasons of Orange Is the New Black rolled around. But if you’re a Day One fan, you know her. You definitely know her. Tricia Miller, the girl with the cornrows and the neck tattoo who just wanted to pay back her debts.
It's wild to think that this was actually Madeline Brewer’s first ever on-camera job. Like, ever. She walked onto that set as a 21-year-old musical theater grad from New Jersey and walked off as one of the most heartbreaking figures in modern TV history. Honestly, her performance as Tricia set the tone for what the show was actually about: the human cost of a broken system.
Who Was Madeline Brewer in Orange Is the New Black?
Most people remember Tricia for the "braids." Madeline actually spent about 25 minutes in the chair every morning getting those seven cornrows tight to her head. It was a massive departure from her real life—she’d just come off being crowned Miss Pitman in 2010. Imagine going from a pageant stage to playing a heroin addict in khakis.
Tricia was the heart of the "Red’s family" dynamic in Season 1. She wasn't just another inmate; she was the one with the notebook. Remember that? She kept a literal tally of everything she had ever stolen, intending to pay it all back. It was this weird, sweet, tragic moral code that made her death in Episode 10, "Bora Bora Bora," hit like a freight train.
The character was only 19 years old. When she overdoses on Oxycontin—drugs forced upon her by the skeezy guard George "Pornstache" Mendez—the show took a dark turn. It wasn't just a "prison dramedy" anymore. It was a tragedy.
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Why Tricia Miller’s Death Still stings
There’s a specific kind of anger fans feel about Tricia. It’s because she was trying. She was detoxing. She was doing the work. Then Mendez locks her in a storage closet because he’s scared she’ll snitch, and he finds her dead later. The worst part? He stages it to look like a suicide.
To this day, if you browse Reddit or fan forums, people are still fuming that the other inmates (aside from maybe Red and Nicky) never really knew the truth. They thought she gave up. She didn't. She was murdered by negligence and a cover-up.
The Madeline Brewer Effect
Madeline has talked about how she found out Tricia was dying. She got an email from the show's creator, Jenji Kohan. Usually, that’s a "it’s not you, it’s the plot" kind of talk. Kohan explained that Tricia’s death had to happen to show that Litchfield wasn't a joke. It had to have stakes.
From Litchfield to Gilead: Life After OITNB
If you didn’t recognize Madeline Brewer in The Handmaid’s Tale, you’re not alone. She plays Janine Lindo (Ofwarren), and the transformation is even more intense. She went from the neck tattoo and cornrows to a missing eye and a total psychological break.
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It’s a pattern for her. Madeline seems to gravitate toward these "fragile but fierce" characters. She’s since moved on to massive projects like Alice in Borderland and the final season of You on Netflix.
- Tricia Miller (OITNB): The tragic catalyst.
- Janine (The Handmaid's Tale): The resilient survivor.
- Bronte (You): The "final girl" energy in Joe Goldberg’s world.
She’s basically the queen of the "Wait, I know her from somewhere!" realization.
The Reality of the "Orange" Legacy
The show ended years ago, but the Madeline Brewer Orange Is the New Black connection remains the foundation of her career. She wasn't a lead. She didn't even make it past the first season. Yet, she is frequently cited alongside Poussey Washington as the most "unfair" death in the series.
Interestingly, Madeline actually worked as a hostess at a New York restaurant even while the first season was airing. She wasn't some Hollywood elite; she was a working actress who got lucky with a brilliant script and then worked her tail off to stay relevant.
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If you're revisiting the show, watch Tricia’s flashbacks in Episode 10 again. Notice how she tries to pay for the headphones after stealing them. It's a small detail, but it's the core of why that character mattered. She wasn't a "criminal." She was a kid who fell through the cracks.
How to Appreciate Her Work Today
If you want to see the full range of what she can do, watch her performance in the film Cam. It’s a psychological thriller where she plays a camgirl whose identity is stolen. It’s miles away from the prison yard, but it has that same "unsettling" energy she brought to Litchfield.
Check out the first season of Orange Is the New Black on Netflix to see where it all started. Pay attention to the scenes with Natasha Lyonne (Nicky)—the chemistry there was some of the best in the early series. It makes the eventual loss of Tricia feel that much more personal for the audience.