Taylor Schilling, born Taylor Jane Schilling on July 27, 1984, in Boston, Massachusetts, is an American actress best known for her role as Piper Chapman on the Netflix original comedy-drama series "Orange Is the New Black."

Her parents, Patricia Miller, an MIT administrator, and Robert J. Schilling, a former prosecutor, divorced when she was young, and she split her time between West Roxbury and Wayland, Massachusetts.

Inspired by the NBC medical drama "ER," she began acting at a young age and participated in her middle school's production of "Fiddler on the Roof." After graduating from Wayland High School in 2002, she attended Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2006.

She later entered the graduate acting program at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts but left after two years to pursue acting full-time, supporting herself as a nanny in Manhattan.

Taylor Schilling made her film debut in the 2007 drama "Dark Matter" and gained recognition for her role as Nurse Veronica Flanagan Callahan in the NBC medical drama "Mercy" from 2009 to 2010.

She continued to build her career with roles in films such as "Atlas Shrugged: Part I" (2011), "The Lucky One" (2012), and "The Titan" (2018). Her portrayal of Piper Chapman in "Orange Is the New Black" earned her critical acclaim, including a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and two Golden Globe nominations.

She was in a relationship with Emily Ritz, a musical and visual artist, but they broke up in 2021. She currently resides in Brooklyn, New York, and remains close friends with her "Orange Is the New Black" co-stars Laura Prepon and Natasha Lyonne.

Throughout her career, Taylor Schilling has received numerous awards and nominations, including the 2013 Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for her role in "Orange Is the New Black."