Lauren Lapkus

I believe that each person can make a difference, but it's so slight that there's basically no point.

I kind of see it as my personal therapy to get on stage and do characters.

I love L.A. and feel attached to this city, but I don't identify myself as being a part of it.

The connective tissue between storytelling, advice, and comedy is passion.

I love watching people tell stories, because it's very vulnerable.

I love the mall, and I love Howard Stern and Oprah.

I love improvising on the spot. I like that pressure.

The secret to podcast success is sticking with it and making it fun for yourself.

You have to go as hard as you possibly can, or it's going to be weak. Whenever I find myself not committing fully to a character, it's not as funny. It doesn't have that clear point of view, and you find yourself wandering all over the place, whereas committed characters make strong choices that are clear to the audience.

Every so often, you have to do a show that makes you walk to your car with your head down, wondering what you're doing with your life. It's good for you, as long as you're not feeling that way every night.

Society is really coming to a point where they're not asking if women can be funny anymore. We all know they obviously are.

Improv changed my life in the best way. I gained so much confidence and really learned how to use my sense of humor to do something other than make sarcastic comments to the TV, though that remains one of my best skills. I stayed in Chicago for college mainly to continue doing improv, which was an awesome decision for me.