Lorna Morello is a fictional character from the Netflix dramedy series Orange Is the New Black, played by Yael Stone.

Morello is based on two real-life inmates featured in Piper Kerman's 2010 memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.

Morello's role was increased in the second season, and her backstory was shown in its fourth episode, "A Whole Other Hole", where it was revealed that she was not engaged to Christopher, and had in fact stalked and harassed him after one date.

On September 17, 2012, Nellie Andreeva from Deadline Hollywood reported that Australian actress Yael Stone had been cast as a Boston-Italian transport driver in Orange Is the New Black.

[4] Morello is based on two real-life inmates featured in Piper Kerman's 2010 memoir Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women's Prison.

[5] Stone said "when I began the show, I had my ideas about who Morello was, but it was pretty fascinating to really understand these characters, these supporting roles, are made of people and an experience that actually happened.

"[5] During her research for the role, Stone read some first-hand accounts from women in prison and spoke with lawyers and judges about their clients.

Morello's mother needed constant care, as she was ill, while her father and brother just sat around the house watching television.

[7] Morello escaped by going to the movies and committing mail fraud by purchasing designer clothing online, then claiming she never received the items to get a refund.

[7] Her bedroom walls were shown to be covered in posters and collages, which prompted Eliza Berman from Slate to note that Morello had created a "teenaged refuge" and that she was "stuck in adolescence".

[11] Morello is a big fan of the musical film West Side Story and its lead actress Natalie Wood, so she styles her hair and make-up in a similar way.

[12] Morello scrapes out lipstick tubes with her fingernails to achieve her signature red lips, and she uses instant coffee to create brown eye shadow.

[13] Her vintage-style waves are set with toilet paper curlers and Lizzy Dening for Grazia observed that they reflected Morello's "romantic ideals".

[13][14] Morello's pre-prison style consisted of designer outfits, as showcased at her trial when she wore a little Dolce & Gabbana dress covered in chains.

Prior to that, she had imagined her own version of Morello's history, believing that she might have committed an assault or been charged for the mail fraud.

"[15] After taking Miss Rosa (Barbara Rosenblat) to a hospital appointment, Morello took advantage of the situation and drove to Christopher's house.

Nevertheless, Morello saves Nicky from abusive head guard Desi Piscatella (Brad William Henke) and tells her that she fears that Vince wants nothing to do with the baby.

Nicky then calls Vince and tells him that he needs to take responsibility for his wife and child, leading him and Morello to decide to be a family.

[citation needed] Laura Bennett from The New Republic branded Morello "one of the most memorable characters" on Orange Is New the Black, and said she had "the most amazing accent on television".

[18] Alyssa Rosenberg, writing for The Washington Post, observed "Yael Stone's performance as inmate Lorna Morello seems to be the consensus choice for biggest breakout.

[28] Nijla Mu'min from Bitch praised Stone's "stirring" performance as Morello, and thought the character became more interesting following the revelation about her relationship with Christopher.

[29] Mu'min said "She becomes even more fascinating as a sweet, charming, racist woman living in delusion, denial, and dreams, like so many people in the world.

[31] Potts dubbed Morello's story as "more shocking, more devastating, more brilliantly written and acted than nearly anything that didn't involve the wonderful Uzo Aduba in Season 2.

[31] However, Vogue's John Powers disliked Morello's backstory, saying she had to "labor mightily to overcome the cliché tale of her wacko romanticism, which felt so much richer when you only imagined it.

"[32] In June 2015, Kevin Fallon from The Daily Beast said Morello had become a "fan favorite" and praised her upbeat and happy disposition, saying she was "a sunny breath of fresh air".

[33] Orli Matlow of Bustle.com found Stone's portrayal of Morello "so endearing" that it makes the audience forget that she is a violent criminal.