The Untold Truth Of Laura Prepon

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Laura Prepon has grown to become a well-known name in the entertainment industry. The statuesque actor is widely recognized for her popular television roles on "That '70s Show" and the Netflix super giant "Orange Is the New Black." While acting is certainly Prepon's meat and potatoes, it isn't all that she does, not by a long shot. Aside from wowing fans in front of cameras, the talented Jersey girl can cook, write, and create even more!

Prepon is a multi-talented actor, but one of her most important roles is wife and loving mother of two. She also loves her natural red hair, playing a few rounds of Halo or poker with the guys, and her home state. She is an interesting, intelligent lady whose most intriguing qualities aren't the ones fans often see onscreen. The untold truths behind actor Laura Prepon are what make her truly unique, compelling, and downright captivating. 

Professional poker player Jennifer Tilly isn't the only actor who is skilled at the game. Poker is one of Laura Prepon's favorite pastimes. When she sits down with a handful of cards, the actor is sometimes referred to by a name many won't hear anywhere else. Her guy friends — and she has plenty, by Prepon's admission — came up with the perfect moniker. Prepon elaborated on the nickname to Women's Health, "Well, they named me the Red Dragon, so I guess that says something. You know, you can't name yourself in poker; your name has to evolve. I can definitely hold my own against them. I have taken their money many times."

Prepon doesn't just enjoy the game; she is pretty darn good at it. In a Young Hollywood interview, she disclosed that she even knows a few "chip tricks," something she brings out when playing with friends but never when she is at the casino (where she keeps her cards close, so to speak, making sure other players don't know she is good). Chip tricks are apparently a dead giveaway for a poker champ. It's better to be subtle. Similarly, Jennifer Tilly explained to Kelly Clarkson, "I had to let not all my emotions flicker across my face, just the one that I wanted to flicker. And it took me a couple years to train myself out of that, but actors are really good at bluffing."

Laura Prepon is such an effortless actor; it is surprising to learn that this avenue of work wasn't where she got her start in entertainment. Prepon was actually a model long before acting took center stage, and she was a downright good one, too! The actor stumbled into the modeling world when she was 15 years old. She told Edge Magazine, "I never wanted to model. I'm the youngest of five kids, and my eldest sister was working at Glamour magazine. I was always tall and skinny as a kid and she suggested I try it." Prepon initially dismissed the idea, but eventually, she took her sister's advice, popped into an agency with a 4-by-6 photo of herself, and walked out of the building with a modeling contract. 

Her career took her all over the world, living abroad independently before she was a legal adult. As Prepon found out, being good at something doesn't mean you will automatically love it. "You're really just a hanger for clothes," she said in a Pop Entertainment interview. "Some people don't mind it. They love it. But for me personally, it was just slowly chipping away at me. The essence of me — and all I had to give — didn't really matter. This is not me. This is not what I want to do." 

After putting in long hours being creatively amazing, Laura Prepon counts on various decompression methods to relax and unwind. These include things like Salsa and ballet dancing as well as spin and other modes of exercise. While sweating off the stress is wonderful, for the mother of two and esteemed actor, there is nothing quite like a couple rounds of combat to soothe her soul. She shared with Us Weekly that she loves a popular video game. "I've stayed up for days on end playing Halo on Xbox," Prepon said.

Not only does Prepon enjoy a few rounds of "Halo" in her downtime, but she is such a fan that she even lent her voice to one of the few female characters in the "Halo 2" franchise. The other female marine voice in the game is none other than actor Michelle Rodriguez. Prepon has also done voice-over work for shows including "King of the Hill."

Laura Prepon is one of many actors who've left Scientology. While she has been somewhat mum about her choice, Prepon did tell People, "I'm no longer practicing Scientology. I've always been very open-minded, even since I was a child. I was raised Catholic and Jewish. I've prayed in churches, meditated in temples. I've studied Chinese meridian theory. I haven't practiced Scientology in close to five years and it's no longer part of my life."

Parenthood likely had something to do with Prepon's decision to defect. She continued in her People interview, explaining, "If motherhood has taught me anything so far, it's that something can work out for a period of time, and then you move on and evolve from that." 

One former Scientologist disagrees with how Prepon left. Famous actor and ex-Scientologist Leah Remini told "Daily Blast Live" that Prepon should have spoken up more. "For those of us who were in the public eye and who were speaking on behalf of Scientology, getting people into Scientology, I feel that we have a responsibility to do the work when we find out that none of those things that we were doing was not only helpful, but damaging and very harmful to people's lives. ... Not everybody feels that they have a responsibility; they feel they should just go on with their lives while some of us take a beating."

There is little Laura Prepon can't accomplish. She has conquered the modeling scene, made a name for herself on the small screen, created her own YouTube channel, and penned several books. Her YouTube channel focuses on healthy living tips and sage advice surrounding parenting practices. With over 200,000 subscribers, it is clear her words and experiences are resonating with fellow parents everywhere.

Both of Prepon's books have been significant successes, as well. Her first literary work, "The Stash Plan," was co-written with Elizabeth Troy and published in 2016. The cookbook chronicled Prepon's health journey via food and was so good it landed on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her second penned piece shifted toward parenting and Prepon's personal journey. "You and I, as Mothers: A Raw and Honest Guide to Motherhood" is an anthem for all who find themselves in the unfamiliar and exhausting waters of being a new parent. Prepon discussed how the book came to be in an interview with Weekend Jaunts. "I felt like there's all these books about pregnancy, but there wasn't a book for us. I couldn't find a resource to turn to. When I started to talk to mothers, I realized we are all struggling with a lot of the same things — from stress, loss of control, mom guilt, self-care — there were so many things [in] common. And I knew I needed to write a book on it."

An entire world of parents thanks you!

Motherhood has led Laura Prepon to be totally transparent about parenting. She shares so much of the good, bad, and ugly in hopes of helping other parents, that it is nearly impossible not to adore and respect her as a woman, wife, and mom. One of the more challenging parts of her parenting journey was the loss of a second pregnancy. Her second baby showed significant health issues at her 16-week ultrasound. Because of the problems, the pregnancy had to be terminated. 

Prepon struggled with such a traumatic event, recalling to People, "To get to the second trimester and then be told this awful news, I felt like a failure. I felt like my body had failed and failed having another baby. The whole cycle of 'what's wrong with my body' came back." She clawed her way back to health by leaning on her husband and engaging in the art of appreciating herself. "I started self-love — literally putting my hands on my body parts and saying I love you arms and I love you stomach, I love you thighs. When I got pregnant again with my son, I would talk to the baby. I would put my hands over my belly and send love and energy to that place," she told The Local Moms Network. 

Prepon now has two healthy, beautiful children, proving all of the trials and tribulations of parenthood are worth it to her. 

Hollywood is packed with natural redheads, and actor Laura Prepon is one of them. Laura Prepon's luscious mane has been red, blonde, and black. All colors are equally stunning, but one specific hue is the actor's favorite, and that is her naturally red hair.

Prepon dyes her hair for her acting roles. She went blonde in season 7 of "That '70s Show" because of another role she was simultaneously taking on that required her to be blonde. Her role as Alex Voss in "Orange Is The New Black" turned her locks an edgy shade of black. "[My character] is this rockabilly international drug mule; I need black hair for that. People are not going to recognize me in this role, and it's amazing. As an actor, one of the cooler things is when people don't know that it's me," Prepon told Pop Entertainment. While she is happy enough to change her looks for the sake of a character, red is where the "roots" are for Prepon, and she shared the feeling of going back to red with her Twitter followers. "Love being a redhead again! Happy to share it with the Twitter world first."

When approached with the timeless question of "do blondes have more fun?" Prepon had this to say to Women's Health: "Now that I'm blonde, yeah, totally. ... My hair can be any color, and I'll always have fun."