Laura Prepon Says Scientology Improved Her Acting Career: “It’s Magic, It Really Is”

Laura Prepon says she has Scientology to thank for her onscreen success.

The Orange Is the New Black actress expanded on her experience with the L. Ron Hubbard-created religion in its latest Celebrity Magazine issue, and how the process of auditing — a form of counseling central to Scientology philosophy — has improved her acting skills.

“I feel a lot of the auditing that I’ve had helps me to be willing to go there and be free and vulnerable and really jump into these scenes wholeheartedly,” she said in the interview of accessing her emotions in scenes. “There are days where it’s like, okay… let’s do this! And you have to drop all of your pre-conceived ideas, or mis-emotions, or being uncomfortable and just go there. It’s so gratifying and fulfilling as an artist to be able to really be there in present time, creating, with no vias [a Scientology term for communication “via” some physical intermediary, such as communicating via one’s mouth]. Auditing has helped so much in getting me to this place. I have more to go, and can’t wait for what’s to come.”

She explained further, “Another thing I really noticed from all the auditing I had was that I can move so freely up and down the Tone Scale [a Scientology term referring to a Hubbard-devised classification of emotional states]. I used to have this funny idea that the higher I went up the Bridge [to Total Freedom, a Scientology term referring to the steps an adherent must take to become “Clear”], I wouldn’t be as emotional about stuff. And I was worried because I’m an actress and as an artist, I need to tap into my emotions! What soon started happening was that the higher I went on the Bridge and the more auditing I had, I could move so much more freely on the Tone Scale. My emotions were so much more tangible and easy to access.”

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Prepon also praised the process for helping her stay withdrawn during stressful behind-the-scenes moments as well. “In my life, things have become much easier, I’m not affected like I used to be. Things don’t bother me that had before. I don’t react like I did before. I remember I was doing a show with an amazing actor, and we were waiting to hear the fate of our show. He turned to me one day and asked, ‘How are you always so relaxed? Nothing seems to bother you. I want to know what you are doing…’ — I take that as such a compliment and testament to the auditing I have done.”

She shared a similar anecdote from when she was directing the pilot for the show she co-created called Neighbros, which suddenly lost its shoot locations. “The fact that I had no irrational counter-emotion or reaction and just went into solution mode, I feel, is definitely a testament to my auditing.”

Read more of the interview via Gawker here.

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