Watchung Actress Hitting Stride in New Netflix Drama

Watchung resident Laura Prepon has kept quite busy since her successful run on TV's "That '70s Show," as Donna Pinciotti—though her newest role is quite a change from her role as Eric Forman's (played by Topher Grace) girl.

Those who have been following the Watchung Hills Regional grad may have also seen her in the lead role of Chelsea Newman on NBC's short-lived "Are You There, Chelsea?," or in guest appearances in such popular shows as "Men at Work" and "How I Met Your Mother."

Prepon recently sat down with the Huffington Post's Chris Jancelewicz to talk about her role as Alex Vause in Netflix's "Orange Is The New Black," the story of suburbanite Piper Chapman in prison. The show takes on adult themes Prepon hasn't encountered in her previous TV series roles, but she's says she's adjusting to them well.

Her character in "Orange" is a "drug-smuggling lesbian," in her words, and she tells Jancelewicz that it took a little time to "figure her out."

"I also got this role on 14 hours' notice; they basically told me I had to move to New York and go to prison," she said in the interview.

In character, Prepon is barely recognizable: she dyes her hair, dons glasses, tattoos and tons of attitude. 

Despite her burgeoning career, IMDB reports Prepon continues to live in Watchung when not filming in Los Angeles, or presumably, a prison in New York.