Piper Chapman is the lead character in the Netflix series Orange is the New Black. In the show, she is played by actor Taylor Schilling, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1984. Although Piper Chapman is not a real person, she is based on a real person.
Many of the Show's Characters are Based on Real People
Alex Vause, Piper Chapman's one-time girlfriend, who had enticed Chapman into a life of crime, is based on Piper Kerman's former girlfriend Nora, who persuaded Kerman to launder money and traffick drugs for a Nigerian businessman.
Miss Claudette, Crazy Eyes and Red Reznikov are all based on inmates Piper Kerman encountered during her time at Dansbury.
Nowadays, Piper Kerman serves on the Women's Prison Board Association and often speaks out on issues concerning the incarceration of women.
A bisexual, she is married to writer Larry David, who visited her every week while in prison. The character of Larry Bloom is based upon Larry David.
Here's an interview with both Taylor Schilling and Piper Kerman:
