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If you haven't paid much attention to Laura Prepon since That '70s Show went off the air, now's the time to get reacquainted. This week, the 33-year-old actress returns to the small screen, co-starring in Jenji Kohan's (Weeds) new Netflix series, Orange Is the New Black, which comes out Thursday. In it, Prepon plays Alex Vause, an ex-drug smuggler, who got the love of her life, Piper (played by Taylor Schilling), arrested for assisting her in some dealing. From the onset, it's safe to say the days of goofy Laura Prepon sitting in a circle smoking Js with Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson are long gone. Here, she's negotiating the trials of prison life. She's quite dark and conniving in one scene, tender and sweet in the next. We talked to Prepon recently about playing her first lesbian, shooting nude scenes, how to rock some prison wear, and more.
ESQUIRE.COM: In Orange Is the New Black, you play a lesbian ex-drug dealer. What's more of her identity: her sexuality or her criminal past?
LAURA PREPON: Definitely her sexuality. Especially because Piper is the love of this girl's life. Piper really did break her heart. I think if anything, the main thing is just that the love for this woman... I don't think she likes to be completely identified by one particular thing. Even though she comes off as this hardass, we do get to see her vulnerable sides, her insecurities, and that's the cool thing about being in a prison. These women are put in this building with four walls: There's no escape and it's pretty raw. There's no hiding from anything, including yourself.
ESQ: Is this the first lesbian you've played?
LP: Yes.
ESQ: Is thinking about a character who's attracted to women different than thinking about a character who's attracted to a guy?
LP: It's weird. When I first decided to play this role, I was like, "Wow, I've never played a lesbian before. What's it going to be like?" When I met Taylor — Taylor's amazing. The two of us really have great chemistry. What I realized was if it's with a man or a woman, it's all about the chemistry. And when we're together, you see this amazing affinity that these two women have for each other. The main thing I learned doing love scenes with a woman was, if it's there, it's there.
ESQ: In the pilot, you two have some pretty intense eye-staring going on.
LP: That's good, that's good. I get a little uncomfortable watching it, because I get a little uncomfortable watching stuff I do in general. But this show really does push the envelope. We all do things in it we've never done before. I'm a little nervous about it.
ESQ: Did you ever know anyone who went to prison?
LP: [Pauses.] Yeah.
ESQ: What's the scariest part of that experience do you think?
LP: People in general have a preconceived idea of what prison is, from seeing documentaries or whatever. There are also different levels of prison. This isn't maximum security. This is... I don't know if you'd call it minimum security. Possibly. But what's interesting is, you have these women here who are not good people and they should be there. There are other women there because they made a really bad mistake. And there are other women there because they actually got out and they can't deal with society so they do something ridiculous to be put back in there — they're more comfortable in prison. So, the interesting thing I learned working on the show is that you have these women working in this environment and they are stripped barebones and they have to be very inventive and ingenious. There's a particular hierarchy in the prison — class distinctions, high-school cliques. You have to learn how to navigate.
ESQ: What's worse: Having these psychological games you're playing with other prisoners or the disgust that comes along with prison?
LP: It's something that these women get used to. That's one thing about the nudity. When I found out there was nudity for my character — when an actress is faced with that, it's a big decision. The reason why I was ultimately okay with that is that it's not gratuitous. It's part of these women's lives. They go to the bathroom without doors on the stall. They shower without curtains. If you're the one hiding behind a towel, you're actually the one who's out of place.
ESQ: Did these nude scenes make you nervous at all?
LP: Yeah, of course. Whenever there's a nude scene, it's always uneasy. You're not in the comfort of your own home with your significant other. You're in front of 40 crew members, you know? it's a very unnatural thing, but then you have to look natural on camera. At the end of the day, when you have an amazing co-star like I had with Taylor, then it's that much easier. You guys are just there for each other.
ESQ: In the beginning, there's a scene where a warden-type is sympathizing with Piper in the sense that her sentence wasn't fair. Is this show making any statements about the penal system?
LP: It's an interesting question. We do shed light on different types of corruption in the penal system. The character of Porn Stash, the more you watch the show, the more you'll see he's pretty corrupt and does some messed-up things. It's always good to shed light on these things. It can never hurt to bring awareness to this type of stuff.
ESQ: Jenji Kohan created Weeds, which people loved. You've been on a lot of shows yourself. What does she do that's different than other show runners?
LP: Nothing Jenji does is taboo. She's not afraid to go there and I really respect that. She's fearless in that way. It's rare that you get to play these strong, different types of women. It's all about the material and you're searching for things that are going to push you as an actress and make you go outside your comfort zone.
ESQ: Is this your favorite show you've done since That '70s Show?
LP: It's hard to say. From '70s to October Road to the show I did last year, the Chelsea show [Are You There, Chelsea?] — they're all different and they're all special to me in their own ways. It's hard to say that this is my favorite thing. It's like comparing apples to oranges. It's like asking which of your children you love more.
ESQ: It does seem like one of the more layered and dark characters youv'e done.
LP: Yeah, Alex is definitely the darkest. I guess you could say she's the most complex person I've played. I've never played a manipulative, drug-smuggling lesbian before. For me, it's pushing me in an area that's great. There are days when I'd read the script and I'd be like, "Oh, God, I can't believe I have to do that."
ESQ: Is it possible to look good in prison garb?
LP: We try. Jenji wanted to be very authentic, very real. Which is awesome — there's days when they barely put any make-up on you and the only thing I have is eyeliner. My character is rockabilly and there's a part of the story... There's a whole barter system that goes on between the women and she barters to get her black eyeliner. What's cool is we all wear the same kind of canvas, federal-issued jumpsuit. But we all put or own little twist on it.
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