Lauren Neal grew up in Aurora, Colorado, before studying acting, dance, and art semiotics at Brown University. Lauren also holds a master's degree in data science from the University of Virginia. Lauren made her small screen debut in FOX’s unaired pilot “Delirium” after booking her first-ever TV audition. Her acting credits include “Westworld,” “9-1-1,” and “Dexter: Original Sin.” Lauren was the driving creative force behind the Cannes-selected microbudget feature “Under the Influencer.” Her Ivy League-set race satire “Spicy Wit”—which she wrote, directed, & produced—was featured in Ebony, Indiewire, and The Huffington Post. She is a two-time Commercial Directors Diversity Program semifinalist, a graduate of Warner Bros. Discovery’s inaugural VFX Coordinator training program, and the 2020 winner of Hyundai/Outfest’s Emerging Director Award. Lauren is known for an uncanny Prince drag impersonation as well as her award-winning original solo show “how to do thangz with wordz.”