Lauren Lapkus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lauren Lapkus
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Lapkus in May 2016
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Born |
Dorthea Lauren Allegra Lapkus
September 6, 1985 Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
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Education | Evanston Township High School |
Alma mater | DePaul University |
Occupation | Actress, comedian |
Years active | 2005–present |
Spouse(s) |
Chris Alvarado
(m. 2014; div. 2016)Mike Castle
(m. 2018) |
Children | 2 |
Dorthea Lauren Allegra Lapkus (born September 6, 1985) is a talented American actress and comedian. She is famous for playing Susan Fischer in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black. She also played Jess in the HBO series Crashing.
Lauren has appeared in many other TV shows and movies. These include Jurassic World, The Big Bang Theory, and Good Girls. She also uses her voice for animated characters, like Lotta in Harvey Girls Forever!. Besides acting, Lauren is well-known for her work on various podcasts.
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Early Life and Comedy Beginnings
Lauren Lapkus was born on September 6, 1985, in Evanston, Illinois. From a young age, she loved making funny videos with her older brother. Later, at Evanston Township High School, she joined the school's annual student show called YAMO.
During her last year of high school, Lauren started taking improv classes. Improv is a type of acting where you make things up on the spot. She took these classes at the iO Theater. She then went to DePaul University and graduated in 2008. While studying, she kept performing improv almost every night. Lauren says that watching many TV comedies and Saturday Night Live when she was young inspired her to become a comedian.
After college, she moved to New York City. There, she joined the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, a famous improv group. In 2010, after about 15 months in New York, she moved to Los Angeles to continue her career.
Lauren's Acting Career
After moving to Los Angeles, Lauren started getting roles in commercials. She appeared in ads for brands like Snickers and Jack in the Box. She also performed a sketch on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. These early successes helped her find an agent. Soon, she landed a role in the TV show Are You There, Chelsea?.
One of her most famous roles was Susan Fischer in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. She got this part after sending in an audition video she filmed herself. She was in the first and second seasons of the show. In 2015, Lauren and the other actors in the show won a big award. It was the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. This award is for the best group of actors in a comedy show.
In 2014, Lauren was cast in the movie Jurassic World. She filmed her scenes in Hawaii and New Orleans. Many of her scenes with actor Jake Johnson were made up on the spot, which is called improvising. In 2015, she played Joy, a receptionist, in the TBS show Clipped. In 2016, Lauren wrote and starred in her own 30-minute comedy episode for Netflix Presents: The Characters.
From 2017 to 2019, Lauren had a recurring role in the HBO series Crashing. She played Jess, who was the main character's ex-wife.
Podcasts and Improv
Lauren Lapkus is also very active in the world of podcasts. In 2014, she started her own podcast called With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus. On this show, her guest each week pretends to be the host of their own podcast. Lauren then appears as a character on their pretend show. She has had many famous comedians as guests, like Paul F. Tompkins and Nick Kroll. Lauren has said she never expected to get into podcasts, but she finds it funny that she has one.
In 2020, Lauren launched another popular weekly podcast called Newcomers. She co-hosts it with her friend Nicole Byer. On this podcast, they watch famous movie series for the first time and talk about them. They have watched movies from Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Lauren also performs improv comedy regularly. She is a member of the UCB's main improv show called Asssscat. She is also part of an improv group called Wild Horses.
Personal Life
Lauren Lapkus married actor and improviser Chris Alvarado in 2014. They later separated in 2016.
On October 5, 2018, Lauren married actor Mike Castle. In 2021, she announced they were expecting a baby girl. Their daughter, Holly, was born that year. In 2023, Lauren shared that they were expecting another baby girl. Their second daughter, Gigi, was born in May 2024.
Selected Film and Television Roles
Lauren Lapkus has appeared in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of her notable roles:
- Movies: Jurassic World (as Vivian), The Unicorn (as Malory), The Wrong Missy (as Missy), and Happiest Season (as Mall Security Crystal). She also narrated the documentary The Last Blockbuster.
- TV Shows: Orange Is the New Black (as Susan Fischer), Crashing (as Jess), The Big Bang Theory (as Denise), and Good Girls (as Phoebe Donnegan). She has also done voice work for animated shows like Harvey Girls Forever! (as Lotta) and Star Trek: Lower Decks (as Jennifer Sh'reyan).
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Lauren Lapkus para niños