Lauren Lapkus
Lauren Lapkus
Lauren Lapkusis an American actress and comedian, best known for portraying Dee Dee in the NBC sitcom Are You There, Chelsea? and Susan Fischer in the Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black. She has also made appearances on such television shows as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Middle, Hot in Cleveland, and @midnight. She is also known for her many podcast appearances, including Comedy Bang! Bang!, improv4humans, and her own podcast With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus. She was a...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionTV Actress
Date of Birth6 September 1985
CityEvanston, IL
CountryUnited States of America
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.
My improv definitely shows a different side of myself, which is more true to what my real humor is and what my real personality is, and I think - I guess 'wild' is a good word for it. I'm still sweet! But I won't let anyone walk all over me.
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.
I love watching 'The Real Housewives of New York.' That's my guilty pleasure. But I don't even feel guilty. I can just watch it, zone out, and forget about my problems.
I had a teacher who recommended I take improv classes in Chicago - I'm from Evanston, Illinois - so I did improv classes at Improv Olympic, and that kind of opened me up.
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,' which was hugely influential for me growing up.
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.
Most people have kind of done something that could put them in jail at least for one night.
I'm more of a tomboy - I fall into the jeans-and-a-T-shirt style, for sure - but I have a girlie side to me.
I often play characters on TV shows that are more sweet and naive and just kind of puppy-dog eyes, and I don't think I am like that as a person.
I love improvising on the spot. I like that pressure.
I believe that each person can make a difference, but it's so slight that there's basically no point.
Doing improv really got me started in my whole career.
Comedy is my first love; that's my main goal in life - to keep doing comedy.