Biography

Lauren Lapkus

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Dorthea Lauren Allegra Lapkus is an American actress, comedian, impressionist and pod-caster. Lapkus is known for portraying Susan Fischer in the Netflix comedy-drama series Orange Is the New Black (2013-2014, 2019) and Jess in the HBO comedy-drama series Crashing (2017-2019). She has also appeared in the television series Are You There, Chelsea? (2012), Hot in Cleveland (2012), Clipped (2015), The Big Bang Theory (2018-2019), and Good Girls (2020-2021), and in the films Jurassic World (2015), The Unicorn (2018), and The Wrong Missy (2020). She played the voice role of Lotta in the animated comedy series Harvey Girls Forever! (2018-2020).
- IMDb mini biography by: Bonitao

Graduated from DePaul University in 2008 with a degree in English.
Lauren performs improv and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles.
Has a daughter Holly with husband Mike Castle.
Her father is of Lithuanian descent. Her mother is of half Greek and half Serbian ancestry.
Was on improv teams in Chicago with SNL's Paul Brittain and Vanessa Bayer.

I love creating characters that are ridiculous and flawed. To me, the most important thing about comedy is the joy it can bring to the performers and the audience alike. I love making people laugh and not over-thinking things. Some of my favorite moments are when I am doing an improv scene with friends, and I can't stop laughing during it.
I did a number of local children's theater plays growing up, but in 5th grade, I had some good times on stage making people laugh as a troll in "The Hobbit". That solidified my dream to be on Saturday Night Live (1975), which was hugely influential for me growing up.
I love improvising on the spot. I like that pressure.
Improv changed my life in the best way. I gained so much confidence and really learned how to use my sense of humor to do something other than make sarcastic comments to the TV, though that remains one of my best skills. I stayed in Chicago for college mainly to continue doing improv, which was an awesome decision for me.
Every so often, you have to do a show that makes you walk to your car with your head down, wondering what you're doing with your life. It's good for you, as long as you're not feeling that way every night.

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