Piper Elizabeth Chapman is a fictional character played by Taylor Schilling and is the protagonist of the comedy-drama Orange Is the New Black. A bisexual woman (and eventual inmate), she is engaged to Larry Bloom (played by Jason Biggs), had a relationship with Alex Vause (Laura Prepon) and is based on Piper Kerman. Schilling was nominated for awards in both comedy and drama categories for this role. Boston-bred and Smith College grad, Kerman got involved in a relationship with an international drug smuggler who lured her into the life. Chapman's fictionalized girlfriend Alex Vause is based on Catherine Cleary Wolters whom Kerman met in approximately 1991 in Northampton, Massachusetts. Eventually, 24-year-old Kerman flew a suitcase of money from the United States to Belgium for a West African drug lord and was named 5 years later as part of the drug ring. In fact, as part of her plea bargain, she has declared that she made three overseas trips on behalf of the drug ring. After breakin...