Prepon was born inWatchung, New Jersey.[1] She is the youngest of five children of Marjorie (née Coll), a high school teacher and gourmet home chef, and Michael Prepon, anorthopedic surgeon.[1] Her father wasJewish, ofEastern European Jewish descent, and her mother has mostlyIrish Catholic ancestry.[2][3] Her paternal grandfather, Louis Prepon, was from a town in present-day Ukraine that, over different periods, was part of the Russian Empire and Poland.[4] Her maternal 3rd great-grandfather was Union Army GeneralJoseph Bradford Carr.[5] Prepon has said she had aninterfaith upbringing, observing both Jewish andCatholic religious traditions.[6]
Prepon appeared in plays such asA Woman of Property andAscension Day while in New York.[1] In 1996, she studied drama with acting teacher Caroline Thomas at Thomas' Total Theatre Lab.[8] Later, in September 1997, she premiered on aLevi Strauss-developed show calledThey Go On, an Internet-based soap opera.[9] Prepon had also worked as a model and has done photo shoots in Paris, Milan, and Brazil.[1]
Prepon starred asDonna Pinciotti on theFox sitcomThat '70s Show from 1998 to 2006. Donna became the girlfriend and next-door neighbor ofEric Forman (Topher Grace). Randy Pearson (Josh Meyers), who was introduced in the eighth and final season of the series, became Donna's third love interest after Grace left the series. Prepon attended film school while she worked onThat '70s Show.[10]
Prepon co-starred in the college comedySlackers (2002), about three best friends who are blackmailed for cheating their way through college.[11] She was nominated for a Teen Choice Award in 2002 for her role inThat '70s Show.[12] In 2001, she made her film debut inSteve Hanft's musical comedy-dramaSouthlander withBeck,Beth Orton andHank Williams III, where she played Seven=Five, a young TV telepathic. In 2004, Prepon worked on the independent drama filmThe Pornographer: A Love Story. The film tells the story of an obsessive relationship between a director and an actress.
Prepon was named one ofStuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" in 2002 and one ofMaxim magazine's "Hot 100" in 2005.[13] Prepon had a cameo voice appearance as a United Nations Space Command marine inHalo 2, which was released in 2004.[14] Her first notable film role came in 2004 with the dark dramaLightning Bug withBret Harrison,Kevin Gage andAshley Laurence. Branching into other arenas than acting, Prepon also served as executive producer of the film.[citation needed] She also appeared on an episode ofMTV's Cribs in 2003.
In 2006, Prepon co-starred withMisha Collins in the psychological thrillerKarla, based on the true story ofPaul Bernardo and his wifeKarla Homolka, a Canadian couple who kidnapped, sexually abused, and murdered three girls, marking a contrast to her usual lighthearted roles.[15] She was also an executive producer ofE! Hollywood Hold'em the same year.[16] Prepon co-starred withBryan Greenberg as Hannah Daniels in theABC dramaOctober Road, which debuted March 15, 2007. The show was canceled by ABC on May 12, 2008, despite strong ratings and a grassroots campaign from the show's fanbase to keep the show alive. In April 2007, she starred in a dramatic short filmOnce Upon a Time. She also appeared in the 2005Oxygen romantic comedyRomancing the Bride. She also was the original voice forHayley Smith on the Fox animated sitcomAmerican Dad! and voiced her in an unaired pilot.[citation needed] She appeared as Lauren, the long-lost sister of Mary Shannon (Mary McCormack) in theUSA Network mystery dramaIn Plain Sight in the episode "A Frond in Need".[17] On February 5, 2010, it was announced that Prepon signed on to star inAwkward Situations for Men, a pilot on ABC.[18] In 2009, Prepon appeared in the CBS sitcomHow I Met Your Mother as Karen, one of the girlfriends ofTed Mosby (Josh Radnor), in the episode "Sorry, Bro". She reprised her role in the episodes "The Front Porch" in 2009 and "Say Cheese" in 2010. She also appeared in the Fox medical dramaHouse M.D. in the episode "Private Lives".[19]
Prepon had been taking directing classes at theArt Center College of Design. She directed a short film,Abide with Me, about a 10-year-old boy who, "upon bearing witness to his father's murder, is rendered mute". Prepon stated she plans on makingAbide with Me into a feature film.[20]
In 2016, Prepon and nutritionist Elizabeth Troy co-wroteThe Stash Plan, a wellness book that draws on Prepon's experiences eating organic foods since she was a child, and her struggles with weight, low energy, and digestive issues.[29][30][31] The book debuted at No. 10 under "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous" onThe New York Times Best Seller list.[32] Since publishingThe Stash Plan, Prepon has expanded her cooking career, launching a line of kitchenware products called PrepOn Kitchen and regularly posting instructional videos online.[33]
In 2016, Prepon appeared in the psychological thrillerThe Girl on the Train, based onPaula Hawkins'novel of the same name.[34] In 2017, she played Charlotte oppositeSam Elliott inThe Hero.[35] Prepon directed the tenth episode ofOrange Is the New Black's fifth season, titled "The Reverse Midas Touch".[36] On April 30, 2022, it was announced that Prepon would have a guest appearance in the follow-up sitcom,That '90s Show.[37]That 90's Show debuted January 19, 2023 on Netflix.
In August 2017, Prepon gave birth to a daughter with fiancé actorBen Foster.[41][42] Prepon and Foster married in June 2018.[43] Their second child, a son, was born in February 2020.[44] Ben Foster filed for divorce from Prepon on November 12, 2024, citing “irreconcilable differences”.[45]
Prepon became aScientologist in 1999.[46] In 2021, she revealed that she had not practiced Scientology since 2016 and it was no longer a part of her life.[47]
Main role (season 1, 3–7), recurring role (season 2); 82 episodes Directed season 5, episode 10: "The Reverse Midas Touch", season 6, episode 11: "Well This Took a Dark Turn", season 7, episode 5: "Minority Deport"
