Lauren White - Award-Winning Actress and Producer

Lauren White

Lauren White most recently played the young wife of Michael McKean in the HBO Max pilot, Delilah, and was a Primetime Emmy® Contender for her work on the Amazon buddy comedy, Partners in Wine, which was featured in Variety.

How did it start? From home performances for family as a child, to creating and producing her own television show, Way Cool, using a VHS camcorder at ten years old, Lauren has always been a natural performer. This passion grew and manifested with theater performances and on-screen work, as Lauren graduated high school at 16 and pursued a BA in Communications and Master’s Degree in Biomechanics, Kinesiology and Physiology.

This comedic darling couldn’t deny her on-screen passion, holding her own opposite Amy Poehler and Adam Scott on Parks and Recreation. Then standing alone in the indie feature (and trailer for), Better Living Through Chemistry, with Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Ray Liotta and Jane Fonda, and working on Netflix’s House of Cards alongside Diane Lane and Campbell Scott. Additionally, she can be seen in the Award winning short film, Cordially Invited, numerous commercials, as well as online in 4 seasons of the sketch comedy show, Little Bits and she is an active, voting member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Lauren is an avid animal lover and makes time to actively volunteer with Mutts Matter Rescue and The Pet Matchmaker to help save animals in need. Her passion for performance and production is apparent in all of her work, from 30 second commercials to feature films.

I’m so excited for you to connect with Lauren, check out her work, and follow along as she continues to share her passion for performance and production, and bring levity and joy to others.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

Sure thing! I’m Lauren White, an award-winning actress and producer you might recognize for one of my comedic roles, including “Lacey” on Parks & Recreation. 

My passion is making people laugh and I’m on a mission to spread kindness. The goal of my career and projects is to promulgate joy, as well as alleviate loneliness and suffering through her relatable performances.

I adore animals and volunteer with Mutts Matter Rescue to transport, foster and facilitate adoptions for critters in need. 

With the state of the world, things have slowed/stopped quite abruptly….but good things are in the works. Can’t wait to share them with you when they blossom!

How did you get started?

My career was sparked by home performances for family and a VHS camcorder show, aptly titled, Way Cool, created at 10 years old.  I couldn’t resist the urge to make people smile. 

It’s funny, I started performing as a hobby, never thinking of it as a viable option. One day, I just had the realization of “why not?”  I’d earned my degrees and done the “real job” thing and figured I should give it a go!

Since then, I’ve been celebrated in Variety, Yahoo! Entertainment, Authority Magazine, The Baltimore Sun and on AfterBuzz TV  for my work as a Primetime Emmy® Contender; content creator (Covid-19: Stop Spreading That Sh*t); as well as an actress on House of Cards and the HBO Max pilot, Delilah.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

Spreading joy. Whether it’s complimenting the barista at the coffee shop, remembering the security guard’s name at a red-carpet event or people saying they laughed watching me on a Netflix rerun of Parks and Recreation, making someone smile and feel “seen” is the best feeling in the world. I am so grateful to be able to do that on a larger scale (my work reaches more people than I personally could in a day).

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

Yes, absolutely. My passion is bringing levity to others, usually in the form of laughter or smiles. Sometimes it’s as simple as just knowing someone is there ‒ that can be in person or even remotely by relating to a performance in a film.

Even on a day-to-day basis, I try to compliment people or ask them about themselves. Sometimes it really brightens their day!

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

No pressure [laughs] My family and friends, my furkids, Lucy and Suzie, bring me immense joy. Really, pretty much all animals bring me joy. There are many little joys in each day, if we look for them, but as a blanket statement, I can whole-heartedly say family, friends and animals, every time.

I would also say laughter makes me feel the most alive. There’s nothing like a genuine laugh, especially when shared with another person. The best is when you’re laughing and you don’t even know why. Laughter really is the best medicine.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

I feel like I should be holding a “work in progress” or “construction zone” sign. This is evolving and, surprise! I’m human, so I’m not perfect [laughs]

Meditation, especially in the morning, is a necessity. I find that with continued practice I’m far more grounded and things are easier to deal with.

Physical workouts, even if it’s just taking the dogs for a walk, are huge too. After a good workout, I feel good and so accomplished.

When things are uncomfortable or unfortunate, yucky or otherwise not-going-the-way-we-want, I try to question the situation or upset. If someone is being a jerk, I try to think about where they’re coming from and have compassion. Once I realized that people who hurt others are hurting in their own way, compassion became a little easier. I still have immediate reactions to things but in questioning “what can I learn from this?” or “what’s going on with this person?” or “can this benefit me somehow?” I can find more peace in a stormy situation.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

Ha! That’s a good question! I really don’t know. On one hand, I think she’d say, “yeah, I knew it” and on the other she’d say, “what do you mean you’re not a veterinarian?!” Growing up, being a vet was literally the only thing I could think about/see myself doing. 

It’s funny too – I can’t remember what grade it was, but we had to do a group project where I believe we made a newspaper? Something like that…. I, of course, opted for the “Entertainment” section of the paper and wrote a story about my life as a performer. So….maybe I knew way back when!

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation? 

I don’t know that I have a go-to….but there are a bunch I like!

It’s okay

I am loving kindness

This is temporary

I deserve it all, I deserve it now, I deserve to receive it in the highest way

Less is more

What is your biggest dream?

My biggest dream…whew, that’s a tall order. I have a few but I think the biggest would be to eliminate hurting/suffering. Animals and children would have kind, loving homes in our world which runs on compassion. All people would find peace within themselves and spread kindness and love. We can do that….right?

To learn more and connect with Lauren and her work, visit her website www.MsLaurenWhite.com and on Instagram @MsLaurenWhite and on IMDB here

Joy Corner is an interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here