Lauren Christine German was born on November 29, 1978 in Huntington Beach, California, USA. Lauren trained as a dancer at the Orange County High School of the Arts.

She made her television debut in 2000. In 2002 she placed 47th on Maxim magazine's "Hot 100 of 2002" list. In 2003 she auditioned for the role of Erin in the film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre," but ultimately got a small yet memorable role as a hitchhiker. She is best known for her role as Beth in the film "Hostel: Part II." In 2011 Lauren starred in the lead role in the film "The Divide." In 2011–2012 she appeared in the series "Hawaii Five-0." From 2012 to 2015 she appeared in the series "Chicago Fire," for which in 2015 she was nominated for a People's Choice Award in the category "Favorite TV Character We Miss Most."