Taylor Schilling Doesn’t Get to the Movies Much, Binges on Dave Eggers and Susan Miller

Orange is the New Black returns to Netflix for its fifth season in June, but Taylor Schilling has been keeping busy this week at the Tribeca Film Festival with the premiere of her new film Take Me, a dark comedy in which she’s kidnapped, as well as in her new capacity as the festival’s official co-timekeeper, along with Rosamund Pike (and in partnership with IWC Schaffhausen). Here’s what else she’s been marking her days with, in her culture diet.

What’s the first thing you read in the morning?

It changes. A lot of times it’s a meditation book; a lot of times it’s the New York Times. I recently got a hard copy subscription—I know, I know—but I only get it when I’m living in Brooklyn. I really try to look at it, and it really mocks me whenever I don’t, because they just pile up when you’re not paying attention to the news. But to be honest, the majority of the time, maybe 70 percent of the time, I’m reading it on my phone. I’ve also been reading poetry in the morning, Mary Oliver’s new book. I just picked it up and it’s really lovely.

What other books are on your bedside table right now?

Shadows Bright as Glass by Amy Ellis Nutt, which is about this artist named Jon Sarkin. It is so interesting. He was a chiropractor, and then he had a stroke and started doing these beautiful, wild sort of free associated works of art. I just finished A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius—I’d just read The Circle, and I really loved that, but I was kind of late to the game to everything else Dave Eggers. He’s got an incredible mind. There’s also this book called The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca Solnit, who’s great.

What TV shows have been keeping you up at night?

Big Little Lies. That’s the last thing I really dove into. It was so extraordinary.

What’s the last movie you saw in theaters?

Oh my god… I think it was Manchester by the Sea. I guess that’s not that long—well, it’s been six months. [Laughs.] But I thought it was incredible. And I did see La La Land, which I thought was beautiful. I do watch movies at home a lot—I have a habit of trying to watch old movies, like trying to catch up on all of the ‘70s films I never saw. I also really like watching documentaries, so that kind of leaves me spending time on my computer. Last night I was watching something about the Louvre that was like CBS made in 1952 or something. [Laughs.] I don’t even know how current it was—it wasn’t great production quality. Besides that, I saw Gleason, which was at Sundance last year, about this football player named Steve Gleason who was diagnosed with ALS when he was 34. It’s incredible.

What’s the last thing you saw at the theater?

Phaedra(s), with Isabelle Huppert, at BAM.

What’s the last piece of art you bought?

There’s this woman named JoJo Whilden, who’s a photographer. I just bought two of her works from a collection called Skid Marks.

What’s the last song you had on repeat?

I just was listening to Lorde’s new song, “Green Light.” And Drake’s new album is of course so good.

What’s the last concert you saw?

Beyoncé at the MetLife in New Jersey, which was f—ing great. She’s amazing.

What are your favorite social media accounts to follow?

I’m really not on social media very much, but when I do get into it, it’s kind of exciting. I like to see what my friends are doing—that’s all I really look at.

Do you ever read your horoscope?

All the time. God, I love it. I’m a Leo. That’s like my zone-out place, my happy place—I’ll just go online and look at horoscopes, especially Susan Miller, for 20 minutes.

Is there any upcoming release you’re excited about?

Well, I’m excited to see Laurie Metcalf in A Doll’s House: Part 2. I also want to see The Glass Menagerie—I heard that was really beautiful.

Last thing: what’s the last thing you do before you go to bed?

I try to stay off my phone and just go for a solid, real live book.

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