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Her MoviesA career guide · fact-checked September 2026
Laura Prepon is known for two of television's most memorable characters, Donna Pinciotti and Alex Vause. Between and around those runs she built a real film career, and some of it looks nothing like the sitcom that made her famous. Here is the movie side.
The early independents
Prepon started in film during the That '70s Show years with a run of independents: the comedy Slackers (2002), the drama Lightning Bug (2004), on which she also served as an executive producer, and the Sundance-screened Come Early Morning (2006). They were the first sign she wanted more than the basement in Point Place.
Karla (2006)
The sharpest departure of her career was Karla, in which she played Karla Homolka, one half of the Canadian couple behind a real and horrific series of murders. Trading the warmth of Donna for a genuinely disturbing true-crime lead was a deliberate, high-risk swing, and it remains the darkest role she has taken.
Lay the Favorite (2012)
Stephen Frears's gambling comedy, adapted from Beth Raymer's memoir, put Prepon in an ensemble alongside Bruce Willis, Rebecca Hall, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. She played Holly, a lighter, glossier role in a studio-backed comedy that arrived just as Orange Is the New Black was about to change her career.
The Girl on the Train (2016)
In the hit adaptation of Paula Hawkins's thriller, Prepon played Cathy, roommate to Emily Blunt's Rachel. It was a small part in a major film, but it put her on the big screen in exactly the kind of prestige thriller her television work had been building toward.
The Hero (2017)
Opposite Sam Elliott's aging Western star, Prepon played Charlotte Dylan in this well-reviewed indie drama, a grounded, adult role that leaned on chemistry rather than plot. It is a good showcase for what she does when a film gives her room.
See the full filmography Alex Vause, explained
Read next
- Alex Vause — her Orange Is the New Black character, explained.
- Behind the Camera — her career directing television.
- All the guides — every deep-dive in one place.