Lauren Lapkus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lauren Lapkus
Lapkus in May 2016
Born	Dorthea Lauren Allegra Lapkus (1985-09-06) September 6, 1985 (age 39) Evanston, Illinois, U.S.
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 on September 6, 1985, is an American actress and comedian. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows and movies. You might recognize her as Susan Fischer in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black or as Jess in the HBO series Crashing.

Lauren has also appeared in many other TV shows like The Big Bang Theory and Good Girls. On the big screen, she was in films such as Jurassic World and The Wrong Missy. She also uses her voice talents for animated shows, like playing Lotta in Harvey Girls Forever!. Besides acting, Lauren is famous for her work on various podcasts, including her own shows like With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus and Newcomers.

Early Life and Education

Lauren Lapkus was born in Evanston, Illinois. From a young age, she loved making funny videos with her older brother. When she was in high school at Evanston Township High School, she took part in the school's yearly student show called YAMO.

During her last year of high school, Lauren started taking classes to learn improv comedy at the iO Theater. She then went to DePaul University and finished her degree in English 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 younger inspired her to become a comedian.

After graduating from college, she moved to New York City. There, she joined the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, a famous improv group. After about 15 months in New York, she moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to continue her career.

Lauren's Acting Career

After moving to Los Angeles, Lauren Lapkus quickly started getting roles. She appeared in commercials 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 after, she landed a role in the TV show Are You There, Chelsea?.

One of her most famous roles was as Susan Fischer, a correctional officer, in the first two seasons of the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black. In 2015, Lauren and the other actors in the show won a special award called the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. This award is given to the best group of actors in a comedy series.

In 2014, Lauren started her own podcast called With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus on the Earwolf network. On her show, her guest each week pretends to be the host of their own podcast, and Lauren plays a character on their "show." She has had many famous comedians as guests. Lauren has said she never thought she would get into podcasts, but she finds it funny that she now has one.

In mid-2014, Lauren was cast in the big movie Jurassic World. She filmed her scenes in both 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 appeared in the HBO series Crashing. She played Jess, who was the main character's ex-wife.

In 2020, Lauren started another weekly podcast called Newcomers with her co-host Nicole Byer. On this podcast, the two friends watch famous movie series for the first time and talk about them. They have watched and discussed movies from the Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, Fast & Furious, and Marvel Cinematic Universe series.

Lauren still performs improv comedy regularly. She is a member of the UCB's main show, Asssscat, and is part of an improv group called Wild Horses.

Lauren's Family Life

Lauren Lapkus married actor and improviser Chris Alvarado in 2014. They later separated in 2016.

In 2018, Lauren married actor Mike Castle. In May 2021, Lauren shared that she and her husband were going to have a baby girl that summer. Their first daughter was born in July 2021. In December 2023, Lauren announced she was expecting another baby girl, and her second daughter was born in May 2024.

Film and Television Roles

Lauren Lapkus has been in many films and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Film Appearances

Television Appearances

Podcasts

Lauren Lapkus has been a guest or host on many podcasts. Here are some of them:

See also

In Spanish: Lauren Lapkus para niños