Francesca Curran – born May 10, 1993, 31 years old.
Francesca Curran is an American actress who defines good acting skills with her role in Orange is the New Black prison drama series. Onscreen, she is a totally bald and fierce prison inmate with tattoos on her body but in reality, there is no comparison between the two. Her Instagram page is filled with beautiful pictures of the actress having no resemblance to her character on the TV show. Despite the visible contrasts between her and her character on the Netflix hit show, Curran was nothing but amazing in the role and fans loved her time on the show. Beyond OITNB, the American actress has also been in other projects you would like to know about.
- Name: Francesca Lorraine Curran
- Date of birth: May 10, 1993
- Age: 31 years old
- Place of birth: Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA
- Nationality: American
- Education: The American Musical and Dramatics Academy of NYC
- Parents: Dave and Dina Curran
- Height: 1.78 m
- Occupation: Actress
- Years active: 2016-present
- Net worth: NA
- Instagram: @francesca_curran
- Twitter: @francescaraine
Early life and educational background of the actress
Curran was born in the United States, Eden Prairie, Minnesota to be precise and her date of birth is May 10, 1993. This means the actress is currently 31 years old. Her parents are identified as Dave and Dina Curran but they have no ties to the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, it is clear that she is really talented in her craft. Her venture into the performing arts was apparently due to her natural talent and the interest she probably nurtured since childhood but Francesca Curran knew the value of education and sought to acquire more skills and hone the ones she has.
Thus, she attended and studied musical theater at The American Musical and Dramatics Academy of NYC. Her time at the prestigious theater and film conservatory also equipped her with voice acting and dance skills as well. The actress also knows how to speak Spanish which is a plus in her chosen career.
How Francesca Curran joined the season 4 cast of Orange is the New Black
The actress is widely known for her part in the Netflix show. According to her, she auditioned for the role on a hot August morning, dressed in construction boots and a ripped muscle tank but wasn’t really convinced she will get it. However, she knew she gave her best shot at the role and it did yield desirable results.
While waiting for a doctor’s appointment, she got a call from her agent, confirming she got a spot on the popular show. She was overwhelmed with joy, hugging the first nurse that came her way. To date, she has remained grateful for the opportunity to play that role as it thought her a lot. Though the plot is all made up, Orange is the New Black brought to the spotlight, many real-life problems people face, especially as they have to do with race.
She got extra training to portray Helen Van Maele in Orange is the New Black
Francesca Curran is best known for playing inmate Helen Van Maele (“Skinhead Helen”) in Orange is the New Black to rave reviews. She didn’t just breathe life into the character but became Helen and rendered a stellar performance, even though the character and her real-life are on different lanes.
To play the role well, Curran received combat training, jumping walls, kicking, and doing all sorts of physical activities. Eventually, she was able to perform most of the stunts we saw in her season.
Transforming Francesca Curran into “Skinhead” Helen took hours
When she shared pictures of her transformation side by side with her normal photos, fans couldn’t believe their eyes as she looked totally different. While her neo-Nazi character shaved her head and has tattoos on her face and neck, oozing an aura of violence, the actress who depicted it is all glitz and glam in reality. She had to shave off her hair for the role and wears wigs and beautiful makeup afterward, looking totally different.
Hours of make-up application go into getting Helen’s tattoos and fierce looks right before filming starts. As a result, she would arrive before anyone else and be the last to leave the set. Beyond the makeup and orange suit, Francesca added the right ingredients to make the character one of the best on the show.
She has been in a few commercials
Curran is not just the star we know from OITNB, she has also done commercials for big brands. One of her appearances was made for the famous Warner Bra commercial, “Girls Gone Comfortable.” For the advert, she portrays how comfortable bras can make women forget to take them off.
Francesca Curran’s movies and TV shows
- Seneca as Lexi – 2019
- Orange Is The New Black (TV Series) as Helen Van Maele – 2016-2018
- Popternative (TV Series) as Self – 2021
What is Francesca Curran doing now?
Considering how much love she got on the set of Orange is the New Black, Curran is definitely going to be on our screen more often. She joined her costars in 2018 to bag a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance In A Comedy Series.
Following the end of her time on the show, Francesca started tapping into her popularity by joining the online magazine Pretty Smart.
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Francesca Curran’s movies and TV shows
Unfortunately for lovers of the talented actress, she has been in too few projects so far. After her OITNB role which lasted from 2016 to 2018, spreading across 19 episodes, her next acting project was in a film titled Seneca. She played Lexi in the 2019 film and in 2021, she appeared as herself in one episode of the TV series Popternative. These three projects are what she is known for so far.
While we are yet to see her in more roles, there is no doubt that Curran has what it takes to enjoy a robust career in the entertainment industry. She also has age on her side and can still make an impact.