After years of playing supporting roles in films like "8 Mile" and "Crossroads," Taryn Manning stepped out front in a big way on Netflix's hit drama series "Orange is the New Black," portraying Litchfield prison's bible-toting baddy Tiffany "Pennsatucky" Doggett.

The 36-year-old actress became a breakout star after a guest stint in season one of the series. But given her dynamic portrayal of such a deep and edgy character - who can forget her eerie, decaying grin? - it was inevitable that she'd be back for upcoming seasons. In season two, her character became a series regular - the primary antagonist - a sneak with violent tendencies who also claims to be a devout Christian capable of performing miracles.

Despite feeling grateful for the meaty role and the fan admiration that has come with it, the actress, who is also a singer and former fashion designer, admitted to feeling somewhat typecast in her career. She longs to play the "pretty girl" now and then.

HNGN's editors couldn't agree with her more. We caught up with the real-life pretty girl ahead of "OITNB's" June 12 season three premiere, and the star dished about what fans can expect, releasing a new EP, what it's like to be an internet meme - and even having a desire to become a mom one day.

HNGN: After seeing your appearance on "Orange is the New Black," it's nice to see you all glammed up. Do you enjoy pampering yourself?

Manning: I don't tend to wear a lot of makeup in my private time, and don't really get dressed up that much. Still, it's fun to do it if I have people helping me with the hair and makeup. It's not something I generally do by myself, though [laughs].

What's your number one beauty product?

I love this stuff called Sole Serum. It's for your feet; men and women can use it, and it's incredible. In New York, you're always walking, and this stuff has a numbing component. It's all-natural and you put on a light layer. It totally works, and I swear by it. You can buy it online, and a tube will last for ages.

So, you are an actress, fashion designer, singer-songwriter, just to name a few things. Is there anything else on your to-do list?

Yeah sure, I want to do the family thing. I want to be a mom. I've seen what it has done for friends and how it's changed their lives in such amazing ways.

Have you set a timetable?

Well, I need to find the right person to do it with first [laughs]. That hasn't happened. But I'm open to adopting, too. There's really no timetable. When it happens, it happens.

Are you still involved with fashion design?

Fashion design was something I did for seven years with my best friend. It was a career within itself. It actually got to be too much because we were doing everything. We hung in there for the seven years and the line was adorable, but it was really hard to maintain. We did everything from the design to the fabric selection, sewing, management - everything. Neither of us studied fashion, so talk about a "school of hard knocks." It was more like, "We're going to make clothes."

We ended up doing a trade show, and so much stuff was ordered that we couldn't get all the fabric. There were just dumb things we didn't think of that I don't think a fashion school could've taught you. But I loved it, and if it came back around in a different way I'd totally do it again.

You had a band, Boomkat, with your brother Kellin a few years back. Is music still a passion?

I put out a single called "All The Way" earlier this year. I love the music thing, and my brother and I are getting back into it. It feels like every seven years we are reinvigorated. So, Boomkat is recording again, and I'm really happy. It's great working with him again after the whole down thing with the music industry. We were on tour and having a great time when we got a call telling us our label was absorbed and had been sold. We love it because the writing comes from the heart, so my brother is back and I never really stopped writing and working with other producers. I also play guitar, so there's that whole other side of me. The album I'm working on is what I would call more "age appropriate," just in the sense that I love music. It's an outlet and also who I am.

You always look ageless - about 17! How do you accomplish that?

I don't know, maybe it's the stress [laughs]. But I'm little and sometimes I don't see myself the same, but I can't see how others would. Right now there's a role I'm up for, and I'm perfect for it. They loved me until they found out my age. Now they are tripping out about it. But I'm like a vampire, ageless [laughs]. But my age is on IMDB, so what can you do about it?

Speaking of IMDB - it says you're related to the Manning brothers of NFL fame. Once and for all, is that true?

Well, there is a potential link to my uncle Archie, but people seemed to go with it and I've tried so many times to say, "No." But maybe I am. I talked to my mom about it and she was talking about Uncle Archie, so maybe. But they're not like first cousins.

Have you ever tried using it to get into a game?

No, I don't do that kind of thing [laughs]. But I do love being a Manning, and I'm proud of it. They're winners!

But you are a martial arts expert, right?

I did that when I was younger. I have a third-degree green belt; it's almost brown. When I was younger, I was number one in the state of Arizona. I was pretty badass. But after coming in first for two years in a row, I kind of slacked off because I thought I was on top of the world. One of my best friends did it with me and she'd come in third, until she finally placed first. That's when I quit. I'm a sore loser.

Your character on "OITNB," "Pennsatucky," is pretty scrappy. Does the fighting come in handy for that?

Well, she's all talk and we haven't seen her fight too much. In the massive throw-down she got her butt kicked. But she was definitely out there with her little weapon that she made with her cross. But, sure, all that stuff helps.

Is she anything like you?

Ha - she's nothing like me! But there is an essence in every person and all of our roles. She's kind of warped and a screwed thinker.

Is it cathartic to play someone like that and just go crazy?

Oh yeah, it's totally fun. I love playing unapologetic or non-humble characters. In real life, I'm really shy and pretty quiet, so that's how I get to be a total a-hole. I just did a Lifetime movie about the three girls that were held captive in Ohio. It was a pretty gritty movie and did really well. I don't know how these roles find me; it's not like I go looking for them. I love having something I can sink my teeth into.

Have you ever resorted to becoming Pennsatucky when someone has upset you?

Not talking like her, but I can draw on her confidence and sometimes will say to myself, "Penns, I need you right now."

Can you talk about landing the part on the show?

Ahh - the call that changed my life. I never auditioned for the show. I found that they had been auditioning people for a while and couldn't find someone they liked. So I got this call, and my manager said, "There's something kind of interesting happening on Netflix." I'd rented movies from Netflix and he explained how they were doing original programming and it would be with Jenji Kohan from "Weeds," and the whole thing sounded interesting. After reading it, I thought, "I can do that." So basically I agreed and had to be in New York three days later as a "local hire." They didn't put me up in a hotel or anything; I had to figure it all out. That's the sacrifices you make for art. I don't think I made a penny that season, but it didn't matter because it grew and grew. So, in those three days I had no idea how drastically my life would change in so many ways.

In good ways?

I would never say bad; I just don't get to see a lot of my friends anymore. There are so few little periods of time with our schedule to do that. I get to see my mom and take care of all those adult problems - like bills - but in a good way. It did change my life. We film for six months, so it's like doing a movie, but you do get some down time because we're not in the same scenes all the time.

Is it cool to be involved in something so groundbreaking and that really changed the way people watch television?

"House Of Cards" came out and we had that experience. I saw an interview with Kevin Spacey where he gave a very eloquent speech about why he went that route, basically giving viewers the option to watch when they wanted to and felt like it. He explained how a week can go by - because life happens - and a TV show will lose viewers. I just thought, "What a smart man." So to be involved in something that is pioneering and changed television is awesome.

How do you watch the show? Do you binge watch?

I watch it as viewers do, but I space it out. I don't binge watch like some people. But that's one of the cutest things about the fans and people that love our show - to hear they're so excited about it and it's almost like a competition to watch. Twitter goes crazy.

Given that you're filming on a prison set for six-month periods, can it get to the point that you feel like you're an inmate at times?

It takes nine days to shoot an episode. We aren't working every day, but on days with the big scenes in the cafeteria, where everyone is in that drab khaki color with a couple of spruces of orange, you're just like - wow. But you never really feel like an inmate. You can feel trapped on the set, but at the same time it's probably wrong to feel that way.

Season three is about to air and you're going back to film another one?

Exactly, we are starting to film season four, and season three starts airing June 12.

What can you tell us about the new season?

I can't spoil anything! To me, the writing keeps getting better and the characters are being fleshed out and developed. People will come and go, but that's jail - it's ever-changing.

If you can't tell us about season 3, then what can you say about season 4?

Honestly, [laughs] they're so private about the show that they won't even tell us exactly when we start shooting. The whole thing is on lockdown. Secrecy is a pretty big rule. We don't see scripts in advance and won't until we start shooting.

How do you keep things light on the set?

Natasha Lyonne is the jokester, and that's constant. Adrienne, who plays Black Cindy, and Lea DeLaria, they are the class clowns. There are some people who play bizarre characters, like me, and Suzanne, who plays Crazy Eyes. She's a lot more reserved than anyone might think. We are both way more reserved than our characters, but everyone's different. I love Laura, I love Taylor, and I really love them all. And Laverne Cox! She loves to sing and dance, and is just an epic force. I think she was put here to be a voice for her community and help because she has helped so many people. She works so hard and is a total sweetheart. And she's super tall, gorgeous and way more woman than me. Teach me your ways, Laverne!

Your character is pretty fanatical, what has the fan response been?

Well, I know people go insane over the show. People come up to me and say, "My friend really likes you, but she's scared to come over and say hello." I'll usually call them over. My mom thought I might get some backlash because I'm yelling out racial slurs, anti-gay stuff; the character is just so radical that it's actually ungodly. I was a little nervous about all of that at first, but I dedicated myself and thought I'd just take it.

But nobody's made her the poster child for hardcore evangelism?

No, but there have been some memes floating around - like one about Christian Mingle. There's a T-shirt out there that has Jesus holding a lamb, but it has Pennsatucky's face. I think people know she's a little extreme, though, and it's been so much fun.

What's your stance on religion now?

Religion fascinates me. If I ever went back to school, I'd like to study religion - all of them. I think there's something to every religion, but I'd like to know why some are so radical and based in so much fear. Why do people kill in the name of God? Every religion has so many different sects, but ultimately they are fundamentally the same teachings, so I'd like to learn the source and how it all got to be what it is. I know that's a lot, but it fascinated me even before I got this part.

You had a frightening "close call" experience on a plane that had a major problem. Did you find yourself praying then?

That was three hours of torture. I wrote letters to my mom, my brother, my grandmother and my boyfriend at the time. I remember praying so much. I was just so scared and crying a lot. I remember thinking - at a time when I was too young to be full of regret - that I was just so scared. I was thinking, "Is it going to hurt?" We were told if we did land, we would probably be badly burnt. The news was on, and they were speculating and sensationalizing everything. I was with my publicist, and she kept things calm. It was because of her strength that I held it together - until she crumbled. There was a line for the bathroom because everybody needed to use it, and I remember just looking at all the different expressions on people's faces, and there was one moment I looked back and there was this old man. He looked at me and just gave me a "thumbs up." It was so scary, but that gesture reassured me. That's when I thought, "It'll be OK either way."

Did that experience help you understand why people are extremely religious?

Totally, but really through my letters, I expressed love. That I'll always love you and never forget you, and things like "I'm sorry if I never said enough." To me, God is love. I don't know a lot of prayers by heart, but I also don't believe in begging. I have a quote on Instagram - imagine all the people begging God for forgiveness, for whatever, rather than asking to be extended grace and to be more wise and to walk through something with grace and integrity. I know that doesn't apply to everyone, but God has a lot to tend to. It's really all about positive thoughts and energy. If a lot of people think positive thoughts for someone who's sick, for instance, you've seen heart rates change and things.

Are you still actively involved in animal charities?

I make time for that. "Dog" spelled backwards is "God." I lost my first dog at three years old, and that was the hardest thing I've ever been through. Animals are so underrated and so are dogs.

What other TV shows do you watch?

Believe it or not, I'm intrigued by all the prison shows, the real-life ones because they're on all the time. I think that's why our show is such a success. Everyone can relate to how making that one bad mistake or choice can throw us in the slammer forever. It doesn't mean you're a bad person; you just made a poor choice, but there are consequences. I mean, we all make mistakes.