Aduba was recognized for her acting in 2003, with a performance in Translations of Xhosa at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She won a Helen Hayes Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Play. She debuted on Broadway as Toby in Coram Boy in 2007. She was also a member of the Original Revival Cast of Godspell at the Circle in the Square Theatre from 2011 to 2012. Her first TV appearance was on the TV Series Blue Bloods in 2012. In 2013 she began to receive wider recognition and is now best known for her portrayal of Crazy Eyes, also known as Suzanne Warren, in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. In the season four episode "Bunny, Skull, Bunny, Skull", the inmates must watch the movie The Wiz. Crazy Eyes subtly references Aduba's performance as The Wiz Li