‘Orange Is The New Black’ Star Laura Prepon Reveals She Was Almost Piper, Not Alex

Orange Is the New Black is getting ready for the release of its third season after what has been a successful first two for the prison drama. Laura Prepon, who plays Alex Vause in the series, recently sat down with Rolling Stone and talked about her role in the series.

Prepon revealed that she had decided to take a break from TV just prior to auditions for the show.

“I had just finished Are You There, Chelsea? where I played Chelsea Handler; it only went one season and we were all bummed,” she stated. “So I told my manager, ‘You know what? I’m gonna take a little break from TV and focus on doing movies and directing.’ But then, because my manager knows my taste so well, he’s like, ‘You have to read this new script.’ “

Prepon also stated that her love for Jenji Kohan’s work influenced her decision to audition for Orange Is the New Black.

“They weren’t even casting Alex yet; they were only casting Piper, and I knew that I wasn’t exactly right for that role, but I didn’t care. I was a huge fan of Jenji Kohan, so I went in and auditioned. Then a little bit of time went by and Jenji’s like, ‘I can’t get you out of my head for Alex Vause.’ “

So, did Prepon identify with Piper, even though she had already felt connected to Alex?

“It’s funny; when you look at both characters, I definitely identify more with Alex. When I talked to Jenji later, she told me, ‘You know, with Piper you’re worried she’s gonna get her a** kicked in prison. When I look at you, I’m not scared about you getting your a** kicked.’ Not to say that Taylor [Schilling] would get her ass kicked, ’cause I think she’d do okay. But Alex is Maleficent-like, sexy, sassy — she can definitely looks like can take care of herself. She’s not getting her a** kicked.”

Prepon added that being a part of a show comprised mostly of women has been a completely different experience for her. “There’s a lot of us. I normally hang out with guys so when I actually got this show, all my guy friends were like, ‘Wait, it’s you and a bunch of women? What are you going to do?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know!’ ”

Prepon’s character was absent for a lot of Season 2 because Alex Vause had betrayed Piper and was released from prison. Going into Season 3, Alex and Piper will both be back at Litchfield, and new cast addition Ruby Rose is rumored to come between the ladies, according to Enstarz.

Watch the sparks fly when season 3 of Orange Is the New Black premieres June 12 on Netflix.

[Image Courtesy of Netflix]