<Tr> <Th> Aliases </Th> <Td> Rosa Cisneros Young Rosa </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Significant other (s) </Th> <Td> Marco Andy </Td> </Tr> <P> Rosa "Miss Rosa" Cisneros is a fictional character from the Netflix dramedy series Orange Is the New Black, played by Barbara Rosenblat . The character made her first screen appearance during the premiere episode titled "I Wasn't Ready", which aired on July 11, 2013 . Stephanie Andujar portrayed "Young Rosa" in flashback sequences . Rosenblat originally auditioned for another character but producers asked her to portray Miss Rosa . The character is a cancer sufferer who is incarcerated in Litchfield federal prison because she committed armed bank robberies . Rosenblat did not want to shave her head for the role and a make - up artist was hired to fit a prosthetic appliance to her head creating the character's baldness . The application process took three hours, meaning that the actress had to arrive on set earlier than other cast members . Initially there was no character biography created for Miss Rosa and it was Rosenblat who implemented a Hispanic background and accent . The character is respected amongst fellow inmates and despite her criminal past she has a caring nature and good heart . </P> <P> The show decided to increase Miss Rosa's role during the second season; creating a backstory episode in which she was revealed to be a daring bank robber surrounded by tragedy . Other storylines include forming friendships with Lorna Morello (Yael Stone) and Yusef (Ben Konigsberg), growing animosity with the show's villain Yvonne "Vee" Parker (Lorraine Toussaint). The show remained focused on developing Miss Rosa's cancer storyline and her illness progressed to terminal stages . She was used to close the second season finale where she is told she has weeks to live . She escapes Litchfield in a stolen prison van and murders Vee with it . In the first episode of the third season, it is revealed that Miss Rosa commits suicide by driving the van into a quarry . </P>

Who plays rosa on orange is the new black