The Stunning Transformation Of Lauren Ambrose

Lauren Ambrose is a unique performer in that her range and ability to adapt to different creative mediums have won her fans of all ages. In 2025, she was best known as adult Van on Showtime's "Yellowjackets," but her career began decades prior and has taken many interesting turns. Ambrose started out with aspirations to become a singer, dipping her toes in musical theater while working hard to develop her voice. Born and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Ambrose was close enough to New York City that she was able to juggle middle school with auditioning for off-Broadway plays, which eventually led to her getting cast in some notable film and TV roles in the '90s, such as the cult classic teen comedy "Can't Hardly Wait" and fan favorite TV drama "Party of Five."

While Ambrose learned a lot from working in film, her big break came in the form of a TV series, the hit HBO show "Six Feet Under." Ambrose played the role of Claire Fisher from 2001 until 2005, making time for marriage and children and returning to her theater roots, where she later made it big on Broadway. Along the way, Ambrose dabbled in jazz singing and voice acting until she appeared on the small screen again in "Servant" and "Yellowjackets." Ambrose has already had a long and impressive career and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. Read on to learn more about the stunning transformation of Lauren Ambrose.

Lauren Ambrose was born in February 1978 and raised in New Haven, Connecticut. Long before Ambrose graced both the big and small screen with her acting talent, she aspired to become a singer. "I was always singing from when I was little ... singing in church with Sister Marie Antionette," she told BroadwayWorld.

When she was just 11 years old, she appeared as a contestant on "Star Search," a talent competition show that was the first stop for many pop stars, such as Justin Timberlake, LeeAnn Rimes, Christina Aguilera, and even Beyoncé. Ambrose didn't make it to the show's winner's circle, and according to her, it all came down to song choice. "Honestly what I remember is that they made me sing ... the other song that I didn't want to sing," she shared with guest host Lionel Richie and Ryan Seacrest on "Live With Kelly and Ryan." "The girl coming back was singing the ballad and I had to sing the uptempo." Even though Ambrose wasn't thrilled about it, she looked adorable belting out "Dancing in the Street" in a perfectly '80s purple ensemble.

Richie told Ambrose she'd brought a lot of character and personality but she countered, "I think I was bringing a lot of, uh, fear." Despite Ambrose's embarrassment while looking back at her 11-year-old self, it was clear that from an early age, she had an "It" factor that would eventually lead her to fame.

Although "Star Search" wasn't a ticket to fame for Lauren Ambrose, she didn't let the experience deter her. She continued to sing, and since her hometown of New Haven was in close proximity to New York City, she began auditioning for plays there. When Ambrose was in middle school she landed a role in an off-Broadway production at the Vineyard Theatre company which had a big impact on the young actor. "Here I was in Union Square with all these actors who were trying to make it," she shared with Vanity Fair. "I was like, 'This is unbelievable.'"

The role itself was an excellent starting point for Ambrose, as it called for her to really test out her acting chops. "It was this intense exploration of big emotions—big, intense emotions," she explained. Ambrose continued to perform in small plays where she soaked up the atmosphere of the theater and found that she loved being a part of that world. "...the people were so invested in what they were doing and it was just such an incredible community," she told "Broadway World." "...I never really had that feeling before."

While Lauren Ambrose began her career slowly making a name for herself in the theater world, her first big acting gig was in the 1997 film "In & Out." Ambrose had very recently graduated from New Haven's High School in the Community when she was cast as Vicky in the film alongside revered actors such as Kevin Kline, Bob Newhart, Wilford Brimley, Tom Selleck, and Debbie Reynolds.

Reynolds and her off-screen antics made a big impression on Ambrose. The young actor watched the Hollywood veteran ham it up while performing impromptu versions of songs like "Singin' in the Rain." Reynolds made a point to let Ambrose know who she was, and Ambrose recalled her saying, "I'm Princess Leia's mother," but of course, Ambrose already knew that. Spending time working on a film set populated by famous actors was a thrill for her and she was starstruck. "I was just like — this is the best," she told Vanity Fair. "It was showbiz!"

Lauren Ambrose's film career was on a roll in the late '90s. After her appearance in "In & Out," she starred in the 1998 ensemble teen film "Can't Hardly Wait." Ambrose played the cynical Denise Fleming, who sported a very era-appropriate cropped hairstyle and harbored complicated feelings for her ex-BFF Kenny Fisher, played by Seth Green. The film's cast consisted of a slew of stars and actors who would later become stars, including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Selma Blair, Jason Segel, Melissa Joan Hart, and many others.

During an appearance on "Live With Kelly and Ryan," Ambrose reflected on the success of her castmates ahead of the film's 25th anniversary. "It's just amazing. 'Can't Hardly Wait' is full of actors who have had long careers now," she mused. "You look at that cast now, and like, the extras [are famous]" (via People).

While Ambrose shared the screen with so many of her talented peers, the actor did not get pulled into a fast-paced Hollywood lifestyle. "I've always felt outside of all of it, on some level, and like I've always been proving myself at every level," she shared with Vanity Fair.

Many fans know and love Lauren Ambrose from her breakout TV role as Claire Fisher on the hit HBO series "Six Feet Under," which premiered in 2001. As soon as Ambrose got the script, she knew she wanted the part. "I remember reading it and being like, 'I must ... I have to get this one,'" the actor shared with BroadwayWorld. Ambrose nailed her audition with director Alan Ball, and the job turned out to be an extremely valuable learning experience for her in terms of honing her craft. "I feel like it was acting boot camp for me ... that was such an education," she said.

Just watching her TV mom Frances Conroy deliver an emotional scene in the series' pilot was an inspiration for Ambrose, and Conroy gave the young actor some insight into her process. "Everybody has their moment to do their work — when they say action, that's my time to do my work," Ambrose recalled Conroy telling her, and it was something that Ambrose took to heart.

Ambrose starred on the show for all of its five seasons, garnering multiple Primetime Emmy nominations and several Screen Actors Guild Awards along with a Gold Derby TV Award in 2010 for supporting actress of the decade. Saying goodbye to "Six Feet Under" was bittersweet for Ambrose because the finale was centered on her character and somewhat mirrored the actor's own experience. "The character got in the car and went off on her adventures, and that's literally what I did," she told Vanity Fair. "It was so transparent for me that I was really living it and really saying goodbye."

By the early '00s, Lauren Ambrose's career was thriving, but she didn't let her acting success get in the way of her personal life. In 2001, Ambrose married director Sam Handel. In 2007, they welcomed their first child together, a son named Orson, followed by the birth of their daughter (whose name is not public knowledge) in 2012. Ambrose and Handel were not just partners, they have collaborated on creative projects as well. In 2013, Handel wrote and directed a short film titled "The River," which starred Ambrose as Maria, a pregnant woman in search of a place to swim.

As for how Ambrose balances the demands of motherhood with her busy career, it seems as though her children are pretty into their mom's work. When Ambrose starred in "My Fair Lady," she told Broadway.com, "My kids know the whole score. I feel like both of them could go on for me at any minute. They know the whole backstage." And when Ambrose was working on the series "Servant," her daughter got in on the act as well, appearing as an extra in an episode. "She was amazing, she was so brave," Ambrose shared on an episode of "The Talk."

In 2009, Lauren Ambrose made a return to her singing roots by forming a jazz band and performing at the legendary Joe's Pub in New York City. The band was called The Leisure Class and it allowed Ambrose to put her extensive vocal training to use. As a teenager, she'd studied at the prestigious Tanglewood summer academy and focused on classical music. "All my friends went off and became opera singers," Ambrose shared with The New Yorker. "I always liked singing jazz ... they're all happy that I'm finally doing something with it."

As for the band name The Leisure Class, there was a bit of irony involved when it came to figuring out what to call the group. "It comes out of all of us being, I don't know, gypsy people," Ambrose explained. "The other part of it is that we're totally not in the leisure class. These guys are the hardest working people I've ever met." Ambrose described The Leisure Class as having a New Orleans jazz kind of sound with some rock song covers thrown in. "It's, like, rockin' circus music at times," she said.

Lauren Ambrose's vocal training ended up serving her well in other aspects of her career aside from musical theater forays and her stint as a jazz chanteuse. In 2009, the actor lent her voice to the film "Where the Wild Things Are," directed by Spike Jonze. Ambrose played K.W. in the movie, and finding the right voice for the character was a collaborative effort with Jonze. "I said these lines so many different times and so many different ways ... I guess we were just trying to whittle it down to the essence, every time," she told Girl. "[H]is goal was really to try to get people, like, worn down, till they were sort of very free in their vocal quality."

Ambrose appreciated Jonze's unconventional approach to the project, having the voice actors run around and play games with one another, even though she joined the cast late and didn't get to participate in all the activities. Jonze himself stood in for the actor playing the film's main character, Max, which helped Ambrose get the desired result from her performance. "[V]oice work is ... you're sort of alone in a booth, and it's quite sterile. But this was quite messy. And free and sort of organic. And I think that that's reflected in the piece," she explained.

Although Lauren Ambrose continued taking on film and TV roles after "Six Feet Under" ended, her main focus at the time was theater. When Ambrose returned to New York, she found steady work in a string of Broadway hits such as "Awake and Sing!" and "Exit the King," as well as a critically acclaimed Shakespeare in the Park production of "Romeo and Juliet." She even turned down a role in "Twilight" because she wanted to prioritize her theater work. "It's all in a life," she told Vanity Fair. "I'm sure I made poor choices."

Despite her self-deprecating remark, Ambrose excelled on Broadway, and in 2018, she landed the coveted role of Eliza Doolittle in a production of "My Fair Lady," which garnered her a Tony Award nomination. "I was absolutely thrilled and honored and feel so grateful to the universe to have gotten the part," Ambrose told Broadway World. "[T]here's so many great parts out there, and this is one of the great parts for a woman to play."

In 2019 Lauren Ambrose made a triumphant return to TV, starring in the psychological thriller series "Servant," directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Ambrose played Dorothy Turner, a woman who veers in and out of a catatonic state after causing the accidental death of her baby.

Filming of the Apple TV+ series coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, and Ambrose counted herself lucky to have the ability to work through such a difficult period, even as shooting the show began to mimic aspects of the show itself. "[I]t felt like art imitating or perhaps commenting on life. A family trapped in a house together — an invisible threat and emotions are running high," Ambrose shared with Forbes. "I am just so grateful to be an actor who got to work a bit during these crazy times."

After the series' four-season run, Ambrose had a hard time saying goodbye to her character because she'd had such an intense and positive experience working on the show. "There have been marriages, births, deaths. They're really carved into my heart," she told Elle. Ambrose also had a tough time bidding farewell to the house in which most of the series was filmed, though she did manage to take some of Dorothy's clothes with her as a parting gift to herself. "Many of them were tailored for me! It's true!" she said.

In 2023, Lauren Ambrose made yet another splash on the small screen when she joined the cast of Showtime's hit series "Yellowjackets" for its second season. "Yellowjackets" tells the story of a high school girls' soccer team who resort to unthinkable acts after a plane crash leaves them to fend for themselves in a wilderness that may or may not be haunted by supernatural elements. Ambrose plays Van in the present-day timeline, one of the few survivors of the ordeal, alongside Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress, Juliette Lewis, and Christina Ricci.

For Ambrose, it was a dream job because she'd already been a huge fan of the show before she was cast. "I actually saw the show and loved it so much and I thought ... 'Gosh, I'd love to be on this show with these amazing women,'" the actor shared during an appearance on "Today." Fans were just as thrilled because Ambrose bears a striking resemblance to Liv Hewson, the actor who plays Van in the wilderness timeline. Hewson told "Hollywood Elite" that working on the character with Ambrose was "really meaningful" for Season 3 as Van's storyline continued to develop.

While the show has been a huge hit with fans, Ambrose was just happy to get to work alongside such a talented cast. Even more special was the fact that it featured women so prominently and in such a unique way. "[L]ooking at the call sheet in the morning and seeing all the people at the top of it are women my own age, like, made me cry," Ambrose told Elle. "It was just such an awesome sight."