WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.080 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. Hello. Today, 00:00:02.180 --> 00:00:04.799 we're doing a bit of a case study, really, looking 00:00:04.799 --> 00:00:08.259 at career agility. We're analyzing a performer 00:00:08.259 --> 00:00:12.240 who I think uniquely bridged this gap, you know, 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:17.320 between very niche, disciplined improv comedy. 00:00:17.539 --> 00:00:20.120 Right. The small black box theater stuff. Exactly. 00:00:20.120 --> 00:00:23.160 And then, boom, high stakes, mainstream studio 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:27.460 work. Film, TV. A pretty rare trajectory, actually. 00:00:27.559 --> 00:00:30.640 We are diving deep into the sources around Dorothea 00:00:30.640 --> 00:00:33.880 Lauren Allegra Lapkus. Lauren Lapkus. Yeah. Our 00:00:33.880 --> 00:00:36.479 mission here really is to sift through her professional 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:39.619 biography, all these articles, interviews, career 00:00:39.619 --> 00:00:42.079 summaries we've got. Lots of material. And pinpoint 00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:44.179 how she did it, how she took that foundational 00:00:44.179 --> 00:00:47.179 skill, improv, which often stays pretty niche. 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:49.789 And made it, well, essential. profitable even 00:00:49.789 --> 00:00:52.490 across these huge platforms she's not just another 00:00:52.490 --> 00:00:54.609 successful comedian there's a strategy there 00:00:54.609 --> 00:00:58.130 she's almost like uh an anomaly in modern entertainment 00:00:58.130 --> 00:01:00.149 and the thing that hits you first is just the 00:01:00.149 --> 00:01:03.549 range the visibility if you were watching prestige 00:01:03.549 --> 00:01:06.750 tv back then you definitely know her as susan 00:01:06.750 --> 00:01:09.930 fisher The correctional officer in Orange is 00:01:09.930 --> 00:01:11.670 the new Black. Oh yeah, seasons one and two. 00:01:11.790 --> 00:01:14.170 Kind of awkward, sharp. Memorable character. 00:01:14.530 --> 00:01:17.969 But then, if you watched network sitcoms, totally 00:01:17.969 --> 00:01:20.069 different vibe. She was Denise in The Big Bang 00:01:20.069 --> 00:01:22.209 Theory. Right, towards the end of its run. And 00:01:22.209 --> 00:01:25.189 for the HBO crowd, she played Jess in Crashing, 00:01:25.250 --> 00:01:28.329 Pete Holmes' show. His ex -wife, yeah. Much more 00:01:28.329 --> 00:01:31.189 raw, grounded feel to that series. So that's 00:01:31.189 --> 00:01:33.890 already three very different corners of TV. And 00:01:33.890 --> 00:01:36.290 then you layer on the huge blockbuster. Jurassic 00:01:36.290 --> 00:01:40.680 World. 2015, Vivian. That global hit. It's just, 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:43.200 that combination is kind of staggering, isn't 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.099 it? Critical darling, ensemble show, massive 00:01:46.099 --> 00:01:49.060 network sitcom, and a tentpole movie. It really 00:01:49.060 --> 00:01:51.400 is. The sources nail it down. She's fundamentally 00:01:51.400 --> 00:01:54.250 a comedian and actress. Been active since 2005. 00:01:54.569 --> 00:01:56.329 Yeah, that's nearly two decades of building this. 00:01:56.390 --> 00:01:58.629 That longevity doesn't happen by accident. It's 00:01:58.629 --> 00:02:00.450 about constantly applying those skills. Okay, 00:02:00.489 --> 00:02:02.209 so let's unpack that. You can't really understand 00:02:02.209 --> 00:02:04.849 the output, the success, without digging into 00:02:04.849 --> 00:02:06.890 the training, right? No way. Nobody just jumps 00:02:06.890 --> 00:02:10.490 from, you know, local theater to a universal 00:02:10.490 --> 00:02:12.550 studio set. We've got to start at the beginning. 00:02:12.810 --> 00:02:16.030 Evanston, Illinois. Absolutely. So, Dorothea 00:02:16.030 --> 00:02:18.969 Lauren Allegra Lapkus, born September 6, 1985. 00:02:19.449 --> 00:02:22.139 Evanston roots. And the key thing the sources 00:02:22.139 --> 00:02:25.520 point out isn't just where she was born, but 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:27.479 what she was watching. Ah, the early influences. 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:32.240 Yes. She credits watching tons of TV sitcoms, 00:02:32.240 --> 00:02:36.780 like reruns, syndicated shows. Okay. And, crucially, 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:40.599 Saturday Night Live. That seems to be what really 00:02:40.599 --> 00:02:43.520 sparked the comedy bug for her. So she's studying 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:45.860 it almost, not just watching passively. Seems 00:02:45.860 --> 00:02:48.020 like it. Like vocational research, as you put 00:02:48.020 --> 00:02:49.539 it. And you see that turn into action pretty 00:02:49.539 --> 00:02:52.259 quick, even in high school. At Evanston Township 00:02:52.259 --> 00:02:54.719 High School, she was in this annual student show, 00:02:54.900 --> 00:02:57.400 Yamo. Yeah, Yamo, which for anyone who doesn't 00:02:57.400 --> 00:02:59.460 know, is a pretty big deal at that school. It's 00:02:59.460 --> 00:03:02.159 not just a play. It's student run, writing, directing, 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:04.840 performing, new stuff every year. Huge undertaking. 00:03:05.180 --> 00:03:07.159 That kind of experience right there. It teaches 00:03:07.159 --> 00:03:10.139 you stage stamina, sketch structure, really foundational 00:03:10.139 --> 00:03:12.159 stuff. But it wasn't just school activities. 00:03:12.360 --> 00:03:14.860 There's a more formal training element that kicks 00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:17.080 in early. And this is maybe the most important 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:19.479 part of the foundation. During her senior year 00:03:19.479 --> 00:03:21.639 of high school. While still in high school. Yeah. 00:03:21.719 --> 00:03:24.419 She starts taking improv classes at the IO Theater 00:03:24.419 --> 00:03:28.039 in Chicago. Okay, let's pause there. IO. That 00:03:28.039 --> 00:03:31.259 name, along with UCB, gets mentioned constantly 00:03:31.259 --> 00:03:35.039 in comedy history. What does training at IO actually 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:37.939 mean for her skill set? It means she got grounded 00:03:37.939 --> 00:03:41.219 in long -form improv. which is very different 00:03:41.219 --> 00:03:43.300 from, say, short -form games you might see on 00:03:43.300 --> 00:03:46.900 TV. How so? IO, especially under Del Close's 00:03:46.900 --> 00:03:50.180 influence, really championed The Herald. It's 00:03:50.180 --> 00:03:52.000 about building entire interconnected scenes, 00:03:52.199 --> 00:03:54.659 characters, worlds, all from one suggestion. 00:03:54.979 --> 00:03:57.360 It's less about quick jokes. More about character 00:03:57.360 --> 00:04:00.539 exploration. Patience. Exactly. Deep character 00:04:00.539 --> 00:04:03.400 work, empathy, sustaining a reality, building 00:04:03.400 --> 00:04:05.340 something together. Okay, so she's honing that 00:04:05.340 --> 00:04:07.860 world -building skill in Chicago. And she keeps 00:04:07.860 --> 00:04:09.900 it up through college. Right. She goes to DePaul 00:04:09.900 --> 00:04:12.719 University, graduates 2008, degree in English. 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:14.719 Interesting. The English degree connection. Lots 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:16.879 of comedians have that humanities background. 00:04:17.279 --> 00:04:19.100 Seems to provide a good grounding in narrative, 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:21.500 maybe. But yeah, while she's getting the degree, 00:04:21.779 --> 00:04:24.740 the sources are clear. She's doing improv basically 00:04:24.740 --> 00:04:27.000 every night. Wow. So it's like a dual education, 00:04:27.300 --> 00:04:30.959 analyzing text by day. And creating characters 00:04:30.959 --> 00:04:32.879 on the fly by night. The English degree gives 00:04:32.879 --> 00:04:35.199 her maybe the structure. The improv gives her 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:38.129 the spontaneous execution. Makes sense. So post 00:04:38.129 --> 00:04:41.170 -graduation 2008, she does the thing, moves to 00:04:41.170 --> 00:04:43.250 New York City. A classic path for an aspiring 00:04:43.250 --> 00:04:45.629 performer. And immediately gets into the upright 00:04:45.629 --> 00:04:48.870 Citizens Brigade theater scene, UCB. Right, which 00:04:48.870 --> 00:04:51.310 is another crucial step and a bit of a pivot 00:04:51.310 --> 00:04:54.550 from IO. Okay, explain that pivot. If IO is about 00:04:54.550 --> 00:04:58.209 the long -form world, what's the UCB focus? Why 00:04:58.209 --> 00:05:01.170 is that transition significant? UCB, especially 00:05:01.170 --> 00:05:03.589 at that time, was very focused on finding the 00:05:03.589 --> 00:05:06.300 game of the scene. What's the unusual thing here? 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:09.620 How do we heighten it? So faster, sharper, more 00:05:09.620 --> 00:05:12.379 analytical about the comedy premise itself? Yeah, 00:05:12.420 --> 00:05:14.100 you could say that. It's about identifying that 00:05:14.100 --> 00:05:17.620 core comedic idea and really exploring it, escalating 00:05:17.620 --> 00:05:20.259 it. So moving from I .O.'s world building to 00:05:20.259 --> 00:05:23.660 UCB's game finding, that gives her a really powerful, 00:05:23.740 --> 00:05:26.399 comprehensive toolkit. She can build the character 00:05:26.399 --> 00:05:28.699 and drive the scene's comedy. Precisely. But 00:05:28.699 --> 00:05:30.379 here's where it gets interesting strategically. 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:33.079 The sources all flag this. She's in New York 00:05:33.079 --> 00:05:36.920 in the legendary UCB scene for only 15 months. 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:39.259 Yeah, that's really short. Then she packs up 00:05:39.259 --> 00:05:42.519 and moves to Los Angeles in 2010. Now, I gotta 00:05:42.519 --> 00:05:47.259 ask, leaving New York UCB that quickly, isn't 00:05:47.259 --> 00:05:49.699 that moving away from the pure stagecraft focus 00:05:49.699 --> 00:05:52.120 towards, well, the industry, towards getting 00:05:52.120 --> 00:05:54.769 work? That's a really sharp observation. And 00:05:54.769 --> 00:05:56.610 yeah, I think the sources imply exactly that. 00:05:56.649 --> 00:05:59.629 For a lot of improvisers, New York is about maximizing 00:05:59.629 --> 00:06:02.790 stage time artistic development. In pure, maybe? 00:06:03.089 --> 00:06:05.769 Kind of. Moving to L .A., especially that fast, 00:06:06.069 --> 00:06:08.829 signals a clear commercial ambition. She was 00:06:08.829 --> 00:06:11.410 likely trading some of that intense UCB -NY stage 00:06:11.410 --> 00:06:14.589 time for visibility. Visibility to agents, casting 00:06:14.589 --> 00:06:17.230 directors, the whole machine out there. Exactly. 00:06:17.470 --> 00:06:21.019 Pilot season. The infrastructure is just bigger 00:06:21.019 --> 00:06:22.740 in L .A. for screen work. It was a calculated 00:06:22.740 --> 00:06:25.259 risk leaving NY so soon. And the sources suggest 00:06:25.259 --> 00:06:27.339 it paid off pretty quickly, right? Almost immediately. 00:06:27.420 --> 00:06:29.579 She gets to L .A. in 2010, within about a year. 00:06:29.680 --> 00:06:33.120 The momentum starts. Yeah. She lands those crucial 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:37.459 first gigs, commercials, Snickers, Jack in the 00:06:37.459 --> 00:06:40.060 Box. Things that need quick, memorable character 00:06:40.060 --> 00:06:43.399 work. Perfect for an improviser. Plus, a sketch 00:06:43.399 --> 00:06:46.100 on Jimmy Kimmel Live at the L .A. pipeline right 00:06:46.100 --> 00:06:48.100 there. Prove you could pop on screen. And those 00:06:48.100 --> 00:06:51.199 smaller wins, they do one big thing. They get 00:06:51.199 --> 00:06:53.920 you representation. Exactly. Those commercials, 00:06:54.019 --> 00:06:56.439 the Kimmel spot, they led directly to her getting 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:59.300 an agent, a manager. Which then leads to actual 00:06:59.300 --> 00:07:01.560 series work. Right. A supporting role in Are 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:05.180 You There, Chelsea in 2012. That show didn't 00:07:05.180 --> 00:07:07.560 last long, I remember. No, but it did matter. 00:07:07.620 --> 00:07:10.620 It got her inside a studio production, on set 00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:13.980 experience, valuable reps. It set the stage for 00:07:13.980 --> 00:07:17.360 the next thing, which was... Much bigger. Much 00:07:17.360 --> 00:07:19.720 bigger. Correctional officer Susan Fisher, Orange 00:07:19.720 --> 00:07:21.759 is the New Black. Yeah. I mean, that show is 00:07:21.759 --> 00:07:23.959 a phenomenon. One of Netflix's first huge original 00:07:23.959 --> 00:07:26.279 hits. Changed everything. And she was there from 00:07:26.279 --> 00:07:28.300 the start. Season one, season two. Yeah. And 00:07:28.300 --> 00:07:31.639 came back briefly later on. 2019, yeah. And that 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:33.639 character, Fisher, it felt like such a perfect 00:07:33.639 --> 00:07:35.920 use of her training. Well, Fisher is grounded, 00:07:35.959 --> 00:07:39.879 but also awkward, deeply human, empathetic. She 00:07:39.879 --> 00:07:42.069 wasn't just a punchline machine. No, it was a 00:07:42.069 --> 00:07:45.470 dramedy, a complex world. Exactly. Lapkus brought 00:07:45.470 --> 00:07:48.209 that kind of deep, believable character work, 00:07:48.250 --> 00:07:50.990 the I .O. stuff, into this high stakes ensemble 00:07:50.990 --> 00:07:53.629 drama. And the show got massive recognition, 00:07:53.949 --> 00:07:57.629 including for the cast. Oh, yeah. 2015. She and 00:07:57.629 --> 00:08:00.810 the whole OITNB cast won the Screen Actors Guild 00:08:00.810 --> 00:08:03.790 Award. Outstanding performance by an ensemble 00:08:03.790 --> 00:08:06.550 in a comedy series. That's huge. SAG Awards are 00:08:06.550 --> 00:08:08.829 voted on by other actors. It's major validation 00:08:08.829 --> 00:08:11.470 from peers. Absolutely. It cements her as a key 00:08:11.470 --> 00:08:14.230 player in a top tier ensemble. It says her approach, 00:08:14.350 --> 00:08:16.589 that blend of realness and comedic timing was 00:08:16.589 --> 00:08:18.889 vital to that show's success. OK, so the SAG 00:08:18.889 --> 00:08:21.199 Award. Validates the ensemble work. But then 00:08:21.199 --> 00:08:22.899 comes the test of applying those foundational 00:08:22.899 --> 00:08:26.480 skills, the UCB game finding maybe, to a totally 00:08:26.480 --> 00:08:28.519 different arena. It's a blockbuster. Jurassic 00:08:28.519 --> 00:08:30.680 World. Vivian, filming in Hawaii, New Orleans. 00:08:30.800 --> 00:08:33.279 This is a massive four -quadrant movie meant 00:08:33.279 --> 00:08:36.220 for everybody. Yeah, $150 million plus budget. 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:38.399 Universal Pictures. This is the big leagues. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:41.059 And this is where that improv training becomes 00:08:41.059 --> 00:08:44.860 really interesting, strategically. How does what 00:08:44.860 --> 00:08:47.659 you learned in a tiny Chicago theater help you 00:08:47.659 --> 00:08:50.389 on a set like that? Well, the sources give us 00:08:50.389 --> 00:08:53.470 a fantastic insider detail here. A lot of her 00:08:53.470 --> 00:08:55.590 scenes, especially with Jake Johnson. Who played 00:08:55.590 --> 00:08:57.830 Lowry, the control room guy. Right. A lot of 00:08:57.830 --> 00:08:59.350 their interaction was apparently improvised. 00:08:59.470 --> 00:09:01.710 Wait, really? On a movie that big? With dinosaurs 00:09:01.710 --> 00:09:03.909 and effects and everything, they let them improvise? 00:09:04.009 --> 00:09:06.980 Seems so. Which sounds counterintuitive, right? 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:10.100 Every minute on set costs a fortune. So why allow 00:09:10.100 --> 00:09:12.200 it? What's the benefit for the production? I 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:14.440 think it comes down to efficiency and authenticity. 00:09:14.779 --> 00:09:16.940 Okay. If you have actors trained like Lapkus 00:09:16.940 --> 00:09:20.019 and Johnson, who can generate funny in -character 00:09:20.019 --> 00:09:22.600 dialogue on the spot that fits the scene's needs. 00:09:22.820 --> 00:09:25.759 Then you don't need writers standing by to punch 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:28.340 up lines. Exactly. They're the punch -up. They 00:09:28.340 --> 00:09:30.740 can find moments of genuine chemistry and humor 00:09:30.740 --> 00:09:33.340 faster than going through rewrites. You can actually 00:09:33.340 --> 00:09:36.000 save time and make the characters feel more real, 00:09:36.039 --> 00:09:38.779 more spontaneous. So improv isn't just being 00:09:38.779 --> 00:09:41.500 funny. It's actually a valuable production tool 00:09:41.500 --> 00:09:44.600 on a massive scale. That's the key insight. It 00:09:44.600 --> 00:09:46.480 makes an actor with that background incredibly 00:09:46.480 --> 00:09:49.100 valuable. They're not just saying lines. They're 00:09:49.100 --> 00:09:51.419 creative partners who can elevate the material 00:09:51.419 --> 00:09:54.139 in real time. That's a huge advantage. And you 00:09:54.139 --> 00:09:56.700 see that kind of blend, maybe scripted framework, 00:09:56.820 --> 00:09:59.559 but room for improv in her TV work, too. Definitely. 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.639 Look at Crashing on HBO, 2017 to 2019, playing 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:06.340 Jess, P. Holmes' ex -wife. That show felt very 00:10:06.340 --> 00:10:09.220 naturalistic, almost loose. Right. Based on Holmes' 00:10:09.360 --> 00:10:12.139 life, demanded that kind of emotional honesty. 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:15.340 Probably used lightly scripted outlines, allowing 00:10:15.340 --> 00:10:17.679 actors like Lapkus to fill in the nuances. But 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:20.240 then she flips again. She proves she can handle 00:10:20.240 --> 00:10:22.779 the total opposite environment. The multicam 00:10:22.779 --> 00:10:25.269 sitcom. The Big Bang Theory. Playing Denise, 00:10:25.570 --> 00:10:27.070 Stewart's girlfriend at the comic book store. 00:10:27.330 --> 00:10:30.570 Eight episodes, 2018 -2019. And that contrast 00:10:30.570 --> 00:10:33.190 is really telling about her range. Crashing is 00:10:33.190 --> 00:10:36.110 all atmosphere, character moments. Big Bang is 00:10:36.110 --> 00:10:38.269 tight scripts, hitting jokes for a live audience, 00:10:38.429 --> 00:10:40.990 precise timing. Totally different muscles. And 00:10:40.990 --> 00:10:43.450 she excelled at both. She'd also had earlier 00:10:43.450 --> 00:10:45.830 series regular experience on Clipped. Oh, right. 00:10:45.990 --> 00:10:48.970 That TBS show in 2015 with Ashley Tisdale and 00:10:48.970 --> 00:10:51.480 George Wendt. Yeah. Playing Joy the Receptionist. 00:10:51.480 --> 00:10:54.059 Yes. Ten episodes there. And then more recently, 00:10:54.259 --> 00:10:57.419 lending comedy and drama again as agent Phoebe 00:10:57.419 --> 00:10:59.600 Donegan on Good Girls. Right. The FBI agent. 00:10:59.620 --> 00:11:01.860 She was in quite a few episodes of that. 17 across 00:11:01.860 --> 00:11:06.159 2021. The sheer variety of the screen work is 00:11:06.159 --> 00:11:10.360 just wow. But as the sources keep hammering home. 00:11:10.600 --> 00:11:13.220 It's only half the picture. Exactly. Her most 00:11:13.220 --> 00:11:15.419 unique impact, arguably, has been in the audio 00:11:15.419 --> 00:11:18.600 space. Yeah, this is where Lauren Lapkus becomes 00:11:18.600 --> 00:11:20.720 a really fascinating case study. The screen credits 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:22.960 are impressive, sure, but the audio empire she 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:25.539 built alongside it, that's something else. Especially 00:11:25.539 --> 00:11:27.700 because, as you said, she apparently never expected 00:11:27.700 --> 00:11:30.240 to get into podcasts at all. Which is kind of 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:32.399 funny because she's become one of the most prolific 00:11:32.399 --> 00:11:36.399 and, frankly, innovative people in comedy podcasting. 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:38.360 Well, think about the timing. The big comedy 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:41.779 podcast, Boom, sort of post -2014, it created 00:11:41.779 --> 00:11:45.240 this perfect lab for her skills. How so? A lab? 00:11:45.480 --> 00:11:47.879 Well, improv thrives on audience reaction, collaboration. 00:11:48.259 --> 00:11:50.580 But audio, it strips away everything else. No 00:11:50.580 --> 00:11:53.360 costumes, no blocking, no sets. Just voice, character, 00:11:53.480 --> 00:11:56.490 persona. Cure performance in a way. Low stakes, 00:11:56.690 --> 00:11:59.190 high output. Exactly. She could refine characters 00:11:59.190 --> 00:12:02.289 constantly without the pressure of a TV or film 00:12:02.289 --> 00:12:04.289 set. And the prime example of that innovation 00:12:04.289 --> 00:12:08.149 has to be with special guest Lauren Lapkus. Oh, 00:12:08.169 --> 00:12:12.470 absolutely. Ran on Earwolf 2014 to 2019. The 00:12:12.470 --> 00:12:15.529 premise alone is just genius. Explain it because 00:12:15.529 --> 00:12:18.529 it's wonderfully meta. OK, so instead of Lauren 00:12:18.529 --> 00:12:21.250 hosting and interviewing a guest. The guest comes 00:12:21.250 --> 00:12:23.690 on pretending to be the host of their own podcast. 00:12:23.970 --> 00:12:26.570 Right. Whatever bizarre podcast concept they 00:12:26.570 --> 00:12:29.029 invent. And Lauren shows up as a character being 00:12:29.029 --> 00:12:31.049 interviewed on their fake show. So she flips 00:12:31.049 --> 00:12:33.409 the whole format on its head. Completely. And 00:12:33.409 --> 00:12:35.169 think about what that does for her creatively. 00:12:35.509 --> 00:12:37.649 She never has host burnout. She doesn't have 00:12:37.649 --> 00:12:39.769 to prep interview questions or guide the conversation. 00:12:40.250 --> 00:12:43.190 Her only job is to invent and perform a new character. 00:12:43.740 --> 00:12:46.600 Every single week. Pure invention. Instant character 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:49.179 creation. That's an incredible workout for those 00:12:49.179 --> 00:12:51.480 improv muscles. And look who played along. The 00:12:51.480 --> 00:12:54.220 guest list was insane. Paul F. Tompkins, Andy 00:12:54.220 --> 00:12:57.620 Daly, Nick Kroll, Betsy Sodaro, Scott Aukerman. 00:12:58.379 --> 00:13:01.759 Basically, the Mount Rushmore of improv podcasting. 00:13:01.779 --> 00:13:04.279 They all jumped into her weird sandbox. That 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.259 trust speaks volumes about her ability. It's 00:13:06.259 --> 00:13:08.659 like high -level artistic jamming disguised as 00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:12.200 a silly podcast. Totally. But then, she pivots 00:13:12.200 --> 00:13:15.419 again. 2020, she launches a new show, Newcomers, 00:13:15.419 --> 00:13:18.179 with Nicole Byer. On HeadGum. And this one feels 00:13:18.179 --> 00:13:20.399 very plugged into, like, the modern listener 00:13:20.399 --> 00:13:22.320 experience, the feeling of being overwhelmed 00:13:22.320 --> 00:13:24.799 by pop culture. It's such a brilliant concept. 00:13:25.059 --> 00:13:27.720 The premise is simple. Lauren and Nicole watch 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:31.620 huge, iconic film franchises. Things everyone 00:13:31.620 --> 00:13:33.840 else seems to know inside out. For the very first 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:36.100 time. And they talk about it. It's literally 00:13:36.100 --> 00:13:38.830 the beginner's mind. applied to pop culture canon. 00:13:38.990 --> 00:13:40.870 It taps right into that feeling of, am I the 00:13:40.870 --> 00:13:42.830 only one who hasn't seen Star Wars? Yeah. Or 00:13:42.830 --> 00:13:45.250 whatever. Exactly. And they act as guides, consuming 00:13:45.250 --> 00:13:48.049 decades of lore and give you this fresh, funny, 00:13:48.129 --> 00:13:51.049 immediate take. They remove that barrier of assumed 00:13:51.049 --> 00:13:53.110 knowledge. And the scope. They didn't just dip 00:13:53.110 --> 00:13:55.669 their toes in. Oh no. They went in. Star Wars, 00:13:55.950 --> 00:13:59.210 Lord of the Rings, the entire MCU. Fast and Furious. 00:13:59.710 --> 00:14:02.110 Tyler Perry's whole universe. Batman movies. 00:14:02.370 --> 00:14:05.070 It's staggering. They subject these cultural 00:14:05.070 --> 00:14:07.590 monuments to this hilarious newbie critique. 00:14:07.950 --> 00:14:09.750 It's kind of like what we aim for here, right? 00:14:09.830 --> 00:14:11.950 How do you quickly make sense of a huge amount 00:14:11.950 --> 00:14:14.649 of material? Yeah, it's expert distillation through 00:14:14.649 --> 00:14:17.590 a comedic lens. And they bring in great guests, 00:14:17.629 --> 00:14:21.450 too. John Gemberling, Demi Adjouib, PFT again, 00:14:21.690 --> 00:14:25.259 Betsy Sedaro. drawing on that same improv community 00:14:25.259 --> 00:14:27.940 to help navigate. It all connects back, which 00:14:27.940 --> 00:14:31.299 leads to her other major podcasting pillar, just 00:14:31.299 --> 00:14:33.460 being an incredible guest herself. Right. This 00:14:33.460 --> 00:14:35.559 is what I think of as her R &D lab strategy. 00:14:36.139 --> 00:14:38.460 Her appearances on other shows aren't just guest 00:14:38.460 --> 00:14:41.179 spots. They're workouts. You mean like on Improv 00:14:41.179 --> 00:14:43.620 Free Humans? Yeah. 42 appearances between 2012 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:48.450 and 2023. And comedy, bang, bang, 58 times since 00:14:48.450 --> 00:14:51.889 2012. Wow, that's nearly 100 recorded top -tier 00:14:51.889 --> 00:14:54.070 improv sessions over a decade. Just think about 00:14:54.070 --> 00:14:56.009 the volume of character work that represents. 00:14:56.370 --> 00:14:58.230 That's how she stays so sharp for the screen 00:14:58.230 --> 00:15:00.549 roles. She's constantly practicing in public, 00:15:00.669 --> 00:15:02.649 basically. It's deliberate practice, building 00:15:02.649 --> 00:15:05.429 that character library. If a TV show needs a 00:15:05.429 --> 00:15:08.250 quirky receptionist or an intense agent... She's 00:15:08.250 --> 00:15:10.950 probably got dozens of variations already tested 00:15:10.950 --> 00:15:15.110 out on CBB, RI4, Air. And the output doesn't 00:15:15.110 --> 00:15:16.970 stop there. She has other long running shows, 00:15:17.070 --> 00:15:19.870 too. Freedom with Aukerman and PFT. Still going, 00:15:19.990 --> 00:15:23.509 right? Yep. Since 2018, over 170 episodes. Three 00:15:23.509 --> 00:15:26.570 friends riffing, essentially. And Raised by TV 00:15:26.570 --> 00:15:29.090 with John Gabrus. That ran for a good while. 00:15:29.169 --> 00:15:32.309 71 episodes reviewing old TV. And then there 00:15:32.309 --> 00:15:33.990 are these other shorter run experiments, too. 00:15:34.110 --> 00:15:37.769 Like Lap Time with Lauren Lapkus in 2020. Psychic 00:15:37.769 --> 00:15:40.950 Pea Show back in 2015. She co -hosted Wild Horses. 00:15:41.600 --> 00:15:43.899 The perspective. And she crosses over to appearing 00:15:43.899 --> 00:15:46.259 on shows about the industry like going on. I 00:15:46.259 --> 00:15:47.799 was there, too, to talk about making Jurassic 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:50.740 World. OK, so she uses the audio world for everything. 00:15:51.100 --> 00:15:53.559 Character practice, format, experimentation, 00:15:53.879 --> 00:15:57.299 career reflection. It's all intertwined. It really 00:15:57.299 --> 00:15:59.639 proves she sees every platform as a chance to 00:15:59.639 --> 00:16:02.620 hone that core skill from IO and UCB creating 00:16:02.620 --> 00:16:04.779 compelling characters. And that skill is ultimately 00:16:04.779 --> 00:16:07.320 rooted in live performance. which she clearly 00:16:07.320 --> 00:16:09.620 hasn't abandoned. Not at all. That seems to be 00:16:09.620 --> 00:16:11.620 the constant anchor. The sources are clear. She 00:16:11.620 --> 00:16:14.120 still performs improv regularly. She's a cast 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:16.659 member at UCB's main show, ASCOT, right? Yeah, 00:16:16.759 --> 00:16:19.259 the legendary long -running Herald show. Very 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:22.500 structured, demanding, based on guest monologues. 00:16:22.679 --> 00:16:25.299 Keeps you incredibly sharp. And she's also in 00:16:25.299 --> 00:16:28.259 that all -female improv group, Wild Horses. With 00:16:28.259 --> 00:16:30.519 Stephanie Allen, Mary Holland, and Aaron Whitehead. 00:16:31.500 --> 00:16:35.659 They perform, they tour. So being in both a UCB 00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:39.580 flagship show and an independent team that keeps 00:16:39.580 --> 00:16:41.860 her connected, keeps the live performance muscles 00:16:41.860 --> 00:16:44.399 working, it's like her gym routine. Exactly. 00:16:44.440 --> 00:16:47.379 And that live work feeds directly into her more 00:16:47.379 --> 00:16:50.039 structured sketch comedy projects. Like that 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:52.720 Netflix special, The Characters. Right, 2016. 00:16:53.419 --> 00:16:55.679 Netflix picked a handful of comedians and gave 00:16:55.679 --> 00:16:57.720 each of them their own 30 -minute sketch episode. 00:16:58.000 --> 00:17:00.860 She wrote and starred in hers. That's a massive 00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:03.179 vote of confidence from Netflix, basically saying, 00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:05.140 here's half an hour, show us your best original 00:17:05.140 --> 00:17:07.980 stuff. A huge platform to showcase her specific 00:17:07.980 --> 00:17:10.740 comedic voice, her best character creations to 00:17:10.740 --> 00:17:12.539 a giant audience. And that kind of work gets 00:17:12.539 --> 00:17:15.019 noticed by the industry too, beyond the SAG award. 00:17:15.279 --> 00:17:17.599 Yeah, she got a primetime Emmy nomination, Outstanding 00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:19.839 Actress in a Short -Form Comedy or Drama Series. 00:17:20.099 --> 00:17:22.900 For what? For the earliest show, that Funny or 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:25.700 Die web series with Ben Schwartz back in 2016. 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:28.799 Ah, okay. So getting Emmy recognition for short 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.299 -form digital work while also doing network TV 00:17:31.299 --> 00:17:34.720 and starring in blockbusters, that really highlights 00:17:34.720 --> 00:17:37.500 her ability to succeed at every level. It's conquering 00:17:37.500 --> 00:17:39.440 all tiers of the media landscape simultaneously. 00:17:39.539 --> 00:17:42.720 And there's one more tier where that improv background 00:17:42.720 --> 00:17:46.099 is a massive asset. Voice acting. Oh, absolutely. 00:17:46.660 --> 00:17:49.299 Animation. Yeah. It demands instant, distinct, 00:17:49.539 --> 00:17:52.660 sustainable character voices. That's pure improv 00:17:52.660 --> 00:17:54.859 skill application. And she's built up a pretty 00:17:54.859 --> 00:17:56.980 hefty portfolio there. For sure. She was the 00:17:56.980 --> 00:18:00.180 voice of Lotta in Harvey Girls Forever. on Netflix. 00:18:00.380 --> 00:18:02.980 52 episodes. That takes vocal stamina. And for 00:18:02.980 --> 00:18:05.099 the sci -fi fans, she's Jennifer Sharan in Star 00:18:05.099 --> 00:18:08.019 Trek Lower Decks. The Andorian officer. 10 episodes 00:18:08.019 --> 00:18:10.400 of that so far. Being able to create those distinct, 00:18:10.539 --> 00:18:13.440 sometimes alien personas just with your voice 00:18:13.440 --> 00:18:15.640 is perfect for her skill set. Plus recurring 00:18:15.640 --> 00:18:19.559 voices on big shows like American Dad and Big 00:18:19.559 --> 00:18:22.160 City Greens. Right. She's become a go -to voice 00:18:22.160 --> 00:18:24.970 actor. because she's versatile and efficient. 00:18:25.289 --> 00:18:27.650 She can probably nail a character voice quickly, 00:18:27.750 --> 00:18:30.289 saving time in the booth. Okay, one last area 00:18:30.289 --> 00:18:32.910 the sources touch on is her willingness to jump 00:18:32.910 --> 00:18:35.349 into the unscripted world of reality and game 00:18:35.349 --> 00:18:37.450 shows. Yeah, which shows a different kind of 00:18:37.450 --> 00:18:40.089 confidence, right? Handling pressure, being quick 00:18:40.089 --> 00:18:43.329 -witted, but as herself, mostly. The biggest 00:18:43.329 --> 00:18:45.589 example has to be who wants to be a millionaire. 00:18:45.849 --> 00:18:48.890 Right, as a celebrity contestant. And she won 00:18:48.890 --> 00:18:51.970 big for charity. How much? Half a million dollars. 00:18:52.669 --> 00:18:55.789 $500 ,000. That's serious pressure answering 00:18:55.789 --> 00:18:58.069 those questions. Wow. And she pops up elsewhere 00:18:58.069 --> 00:19:01.369 too, like nailed it. Yep. Hell's Kitchen, Family 00:19:01.369 --> 00:19:04.490 Feud, the $100 ,000 Pyramid, Celebrity Wheel 00:19:04.490 --> 00:19:06.630 of Fortune. So she's comfortable across the board, 00:19:06.769 --> 00:19:09.789 food shows, game shows, team competitions. Seems 00:19:09.789 --> 00:19:11.829 like it. Willing to just jump in and play, be 00:19:11.829 --> 00:19:13.930 funny, even if it means looking silly sometimes. 00:19:14.390 --> 00:19:16.109 Okay. So before we wrap up and try to distill 00:19:16.109 --> 00:19:17.650 the main takeaway, we should probably quickly 00:19:17.650 --> 00:19:19.890 mention the personal milestones the sources include, 00:19:20.089 --> 00:19:23.130 just for context. Good idea. provides a fuller 00:19:23.130 --> 00:19:25.809 picture. The sources note her first marriage 00:19:25.809 --> 00:19:28.609 was to Chris Alvarado, another improviser. Married 00:19:28.609 --> 00:19:31.809 in 2014, separated early 2016, divorced later 00:19:31.809 --> 00:19:34.109 that year. Correct. Then she married actor Mike 00:19:34.109 --> 00:19:37.150 Castle in October 2018. And they've started a 00:19:37.150 --> 00:19:39.269 family while she's kept up this incredible work 00:19:39.269 --> 00:19:41.410 pace. Yeah, they have two daughters, the first 00:19:41.410 --> 00:19:44.170 born in July 2021. And the second just recently, 00:19:44.269 --> 00:19:49.309 May 2024. So, yeah. Managing an incredibly demanding 00:19:49.309 --> 00:19:52.269 multi -platform career and a young family. That's 00:19:52.269 --> 00:19:54.809 a lot. It really is. Okay, so let's bring it 00:19:54.809 --> 00:19:57.609 all together. What's the so what for you, the 00:19:57.609 --> 00:19:59.710 listener? If we're connecting this back to our 00:19:59.710 --> 00:20:02.069 theme of quickly gaining and applying knowledge. 00:20:02.509 --> 00:20:04.309 I think the sources paint a really clear picture. 00:20:04.710 --> 00:20:07.329 Lauren Lapkus built this amazing career by leveraging 00:20:07.329 --> 00:20:10.329 a very specific, rigorous improv foundation. 00:20:10.710 --> 00:20:13.769 That two -pronged approach. IO for the deep character 00:20:13.769 --> 00:20:16.250 stuff. And UCB for the sharp scene structure, 00:20:16.410 --> 00:20:19.049 the game. And she used those skills to succeed 00:20:19.049 --> 00:20:21.390 across every level of media. Yeah, she took what 00:20:21.390 --> 00:20:23.430 she developed in low stakes, high rep environments 00:20:23.430 --> 00:20:26.170 like the podcasts with the special guest Comedy 00:20:26.170 --> 00:20:29.470 Bang. Bang. Her R &D lab. Exactly. And turned 00:20:29.470 --> 00:20:31.990 that into a tangible advantage in high stakes 00:20:31.990 --> 00:20:35.029 arenas. Winning a SAG award for a complex ensemble 00:20:35.029 --> 00:20:37.450 drama. Or being trusted to improvise dialogue 00:20:37.450 --> 00:20:40.250 in a massive blockbuster like Jurassic World. 00:20:40.470 --> 00:20:43.390 She treats the stage and the podcast like development 00:20:43.390 --> 00:20:45.210 and the screen work is the polished execution. 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.380 It's a really smart system. Okay, so that leaves 00:20:48.380 --> 00:20:50.440 us with our final provocative thought for you. 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:53.220 Building on these strategic choices she made. 00:20:53.500 --> 00:20:56.259 Given that her success seems built on this constant 00:20:56.259 --> 00:20:59.460 learning, adapting, moving between formats, live 00:20:59.460 --> 00:21:02.839 stage, scripted TV, spontaneous audio. Which 00:21:02.839 --> 00:21:05.440 of those platforms do you think is the most crucial 00:21:05.440 --> 00:21:08.039 training ground now for the next generation of 00:21:08.039 --> 00:21:10.480 comedians trying to build a similar multi -platform 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:13.839 career? Is it still the intense rigor of... Live 00:21:13.839 --> 00:21:16.700 improv? Like performing on ASCAD every week? 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:18.920 Is that the ultimate forge? Or maybe the discipline 00:21:18.920 --> 00:21:21.160 of hitting your marks on a network sitcom. Does 00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:23.059 that constraint teach the most valuable timing? 00:21:23.440 --> 00:21:26.940 Or is it the wild freedom of niche audio, like 00:21:26.940 --> 00:21:29.519 newcomers or character podcasts? Does that low 00:21:29.519 --> 00:21:31.460 -stakes experimentation actually build the most 00:21:31.460 --> 00:21:34.480 versatile, hireable skills for the future? Where 00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:36.779 are those foundational skills best honed today 00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:39.160 for what comes next in entertainment? Something 00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:39.880 to think about.