Lauren Lapkus

Lauren Lapkus (born September 6, 1985, in Evanston, Illinois) is an American actor and comedian known for turning sharp improvisation into scene-stealing screen work. Also credited as Dorthea Lauren Allegra Lapkus (and appearing in Arabic as لورن لپکس), she has built a career that moves easily between TV comedy, studio films, and voice acting.

Lapkus broke through with her recurring role as Susan Fischer on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black, returning to the series across multiple seasons. She later became a standout as Jess on HBO’s Crashing, where her fearless, character-driven humor helped define the show’s comedic rhythm.

Her television résumé includes appearances on Are You There, Chelsea?, Hot in Cleveland, Clipped, The Big Bang Theory, and Good Girls. On the film side, she’s featured in projects ranging from Jurassic World to comedies like The Wrong Missy, alongside notable credits such as The Out-Laws, Unbound, The To Do List, Dreamworld, Are You Here, and Blended.

Lapkus is also a familiar voice in podcast comedy, appearing on shows like Comedy Bang! Bang! and improv4humans, and hosting With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus. In animation, she voiced Lotta in Harvey Girls Forever!, extending her comedic range beyond live action.