On Monday night Conan O'Brien put the fate of his famous ginger hair in the hands of Litchfield Prison's own Sophia, the inmates' go-to beautician on "Orange Is The New Black." She kept his signature coiffed hairdo, but gave Conan's sidekick Andy Richter something a little less subtle.
Sophia, played by Laverne Cox, stepped in last-minute to assist O'Brien before he introduced the "Orange Is The New Black" cast on the Aug. 4 episode of his show. The TBS late-night host sat down with stars Taylor Schilling, Jason Biggs, Uzo Aduba, Natasha Lyonne, Lea DeLaria and Kate Mulgrew, whose fiery red hairdo on the show inspired Richter's style from Sophia.
O'Brien filmed the cold open with Cox, who questioned the comedian's sexuality since his voice is higher than the transgender actress's voice. "You know Coco, I really do admire you," Sophia told O'Brien. "You really are an inspiration: the very first transgender talk show host."
The sketch ended with O'Brien, Richter and his house band, Jimmy Vivino and the Basic Cable Band, recreating the Netflix series' opening credits with Regina Spektor's theme song, "You've Got Time." The Basic Cable Band also dressed in orange jumpsuits, identical to the ones worn by new prisoners on the show.
Later in the show, Mulgrew had a bone to pick with O'Brien over a stunt he had her perform on his NBC Late Night show 15 years ago. "15 years ago, you almost destroyed my career," she said. "In front of millions, you forced me to perform an Irish jig!" To seek her revenge, she made O'Brien stand up and do the jig alone to the amusement of the audience and Mulgrew's co-stars.
