Taryn Manning reveals she went 'fully method' to play "homophobic" role in 'OITNB'

Actor Taryn Manning says she went "fully method" to play the character of inmate Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett in the popular Netflix series 'Orange Is The New Black', which took a toll on her.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 40-year-old star, who has starred as Doggett since season one of the series, agreed that her character is "racist, homophobic" and "horrible."

In order to get into the skin of her character, the actor also revealed that she didn't make any friends on the set in the first season of the Netflix show, because she really wanted to do justice to her part.

"Everything that I'm not is what she was, so it was very tough," Manning said of her character.

Just like our loved ones give us pep talks whenever we are going through a tough phase, the star shared that she gave herself pep talks too.

"I gave myself a lot of pep talks: 'Just muscle through this and you're going to come out the other side. But if you're going to do this, do it well,'" she continued.

"So, I didn't make many friends that first season. I isolated myself," she added.

"'She wouldn't talk to them anyway, she doesn't like them,'" Manning explained talking about her thoughts at that time.

"As they all got along and had a great time, I was sitting over on the side in character like, 'Screw them.' That's when I realized that I was a little bit more method than I thought," she added.

Manning stated that's when she realised she had to go to a "dark place" to own her character, but she admitted that it took a toll on her.

"I thought that I could snap in and out," the actor said.

"But to go to that dark of a place and to own it, to convince people that this is truly how she is, it had to be fully method. Taryn went bye. It was all this girl that I created," she added.

Manning then shared that she thought she will "be assassinated" for playing the role of Pennsatucky.

"She's such a horrible person. But when it first came out, I will never forget. I was with Lea DeLaria, in New York the day after and it was like the Beatles were walking down the street. Girls screaming and crying and wanting a hug. I've never hugged so many people in my life. People just relate to this show on such another level," Manning said.

The 'Crossroads' actor went on to share that she's learned "so much" during her time on the series. She also revealed that "there's a piece of her in the character" who changed her life and she became "very religious" as a result.

"I learned so much from that role, it changed my life," Manning said.

"I became very, very religious and I've said 'no' to about six roles that I've been offered since [that are similar]. I definitely need to work, but I can't continue to play awful people or stereotypes. It just doesn't resonate with me.

The actor also revealed that she had turned down decent paycheques for other similar roles because she was "exhausted" to play the role of a horrible person.

"I'm a good person and not this horrible person that people want to send me roles for. I don't want to play it anymore. It's exhausting and it hurts," she said.

Manning starred in all the seven seasons of the series, which began in 2013. The final season of the series premiered on Netflix last week.

The actor will be seen in the upcoming film 'The Murder of Nicole Brown Simpson', with Mena Suvari playing the titular character. She will also star in the crime drama 'The Gateway', with Olivia Munn and a drama 'The Latin from Manhattan', with Drea de Matteo.