Laura Prepon

The New Jersey Neighbor Who Didn't Ask for Permission

Laura Prepon broke into national television just as bell-bottom jeans were still far from being ironic fashion. In 1998, she landed the role of Donna Pinciotti on That '70s Show and broke the mold of the late-century high school girl. Her character didn't need male validation, because she had a deep voice and a presence that intimidated the Fox producers.

Donna was no ordinary girl.

For eight seasons, she was the moral anchor of a sitcom that ran on canned laughter and marijuana smoke. But Prepon wanted more than to be the protagonist's girlfriend. In 2001, she made her independent film debut in Southlander and began to take an interest in what happened behind the camera. The industry tried to typecast her in tough-woman roles, but she preferred to spend her time studying directing at the Total Theatre Lab in New York.

The series ended in 2006 and left Prepon in a tough spot. Many actors of her generation faded from view after their big projects wrapped. She took on smaller jobs in October Road and Are You There, Chelsea? while audiences wondered whether she would ever find a role worthy of her.

The Orange Jumpsuit and the Leap Behind the Camera

In 2013, Netflix changed the game with Orange Is the New Black. Prepon auditioned for the lead role of Piper Chapman, but creator Jenji Kohan decided she fit better as Alex Vause. It was a decision based on her cynical gaze and her ability to convey danger without moving a single facial muscle.

The series became a global binge-watching phenomenon. Her portrayal of an international heroin trafficker earned her star status worldwide once again. But the real turning point came in 2016 when Prepon stepped behind the camera to direct the episode titled The Reverse Midas Touch.

And the gamble paid off.

From that point on, directing became her main creative focus. She directed several episodes of the prison series and earned the respect of the crew for her precision on set and her understanding of visual language. It wasn't a famous actress's whim but a natural evolution toward full control of the narrative.

Books, Cooking, and the Silence Around Her Beliefs

Away from the film sets, her life took a path far from the Hollywood spotlight. In 2016, she published The Stash Plan and made the New York Times bestseller list with a book on nutrition and wellness. Her career as an author took shape in 2020 with the publication of You and I, as Mothers, in which she examined motherhood from a raw perspective.

Directing changed her priorities.

In her personal life, Prepon kept a low profile regarding her ties to Scientology for decades. In 2016, she decided to leave the organization permanently, although she didn't make it public right away. She later explained that motherhood and her personal growth led her to distance herself from those beliefs in favor of a more organic, family-centered life.

In 2023, she briefly returned to her role as Donna in the sequel That '90s Show to bring things full circle for the original audience. Her appearances were limited to guest spots while she focused on her own line of kitchen utensils and the pre-production of new documentary projects. The first season of this revival had a budget of five million dollars per episode.