Natasha Lyonne facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Natasha Lyonne
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Lyonne in 2014
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Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein
April 4, 1979 New York City, U.S.
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| Years active | 1986–present |
Natasha Lyonne (born April 4, 1979) is an American actor, producer, director, comedian, and writer. She also works as a tech executive. Natasha started acting when she was a child. Later, she took on more grown-up roles in movies and TV shows. She has been nominated for many awards, including five Primetime Emmy Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2023, Time Magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Natasha's first acting appearance was in the movie Heartburn (1986). She also had a regular role in Pee-wee's Playhouse (1986) and a part in Dennis the Menace (1993). As a teenager, she appeared in independent films like Everyone Says I Love You (1996) and Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). She also starred in But I'm a Cheerleader (1999) and the popular American Pie film series (1999–2012).
She became very well-known for her role as Nicky Nichols in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black (2013–2019). Natasha also helped create, write, direct, and produce the Netflix series Russian Doll (2019–2022). More recently, she starred in the Peacock series Poker Face (2023–present) and the Netflix movie His Three Daughters (2024).
In 2025, Natasha announced that she co-founded an artificial intelligence film studio called Asteria. She started it with her boyfriend, Bryn Mooser, in 2022. Their goal is to make animated movies using AI tools and data that is collected responsibly.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Natasha Lyonne was born in New York City. Her parents were Ivette Buchinger and Aaron Braunstein. Her mother was born in Paris and came from a Hungarian-Jewish family who survived the Holocaust.
Natasha has shared that her family background is quite diverse. Her grandmother, Ella, and a few of her siblings survived the Holocaust. Natasha lived in Great Neck, New York, for her first eight years. Then, her family moved to Israel for about a year and a half. While in Israel, Natasha acted in the 1989 Israeli children's film April Fool. This experience sparked her interest in acting.
After her parents divorced, Natasha and her older brother, Adam, moved back to New York City with their mother. Natasha attended the Ramaz School, a private Jewish school. She was a scholarship student there. She left high school before her senior year to study film and philosophy at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. She left the program because she could not pay for it.
Acting Career Highlights
Early Roles and Breakthrough
Natasha Lyonne started her career very young. She was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency as a child. At age seven, she was cast as Opal in Pee-wee's Playhouse. She also had a small part in the movie Heartburn in the same year. Natasha later said that she had to learn to be a businesswoman at a very young age.
After playing Polly in Dennis the Menace (1993), Natasha got a role in the musical comedy Everyone Says I Love You (1996) when she was 16. She played D.J., the daughter of the main character. This led to her starring role in the comedy Slums of Beverly Hills (1998). Critics praised her performance as Vivian Abromowitz.
In 1999, Natasha starred as Megan Bloomfield in But I'm a Cheerleader. This movie helped raise awareness about the harms of certain practices. It has since become a very popular film. That same year, Natasha played Jessica in American Pie (1999), which made over $230 million. She also appeared in Detroit Rock City.
Mainstream and Independent Films
Natasha continued to work steadily in the early 2000s. She appeared in the TV film If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000). She also acted in the drama The Grey Zone (2001). Her other films included Scary Movie 2, Kate & Leopold (both 2001), and Blade: Trinity (2004). She also took on roles in smaller films like Zig Zag (2002) and Party Monster (2003).
In 2009, she starred in the comedy The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle. In 2010, her role as Debbie Tennis in the horror comedy All About Evil was well-received. Critics noted her strong and intense performance.
Natasha also performed on stage in New York. She was in the play Two Thousand Years in 2008. She was also part of the original cast of Love, Loss, and What I Wore (2009–2010). In 2010, she received praise for her role as Grace in the comedy Tigers Be Still.
Career Comeback and Awards
In 2011, Natasha had a supporting role in the drama 4:44 Last Day on Earth. Two years later, she joined the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black as a regular cast member. Her portrayal of Nicky Nichols earned her an Emmy Award nomination in 2014. She also won the Screen Actors Guild Award twice with her co-stars (2015; 2017).
Natasha's performance as Lou in Antibirth (2016) also received special attention. She continued to appear in various films, including Yoga Hosers (2016), Handsome (2017), and Ad Astra (2019).
In 2017, Natasha made her directing debut with the short film Cabiria, Charity, Chastity. She has also directed episodes of Orange Is the New Black, Shrill, and High Fidelity.
After Orange Is the New Black ended, Natasha began starring as Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll. She also created and produced this comedy-drama series with Leslye Headland and Amy Poehler. The show, which started in 2019, received excellent reviews. Critics praised Natasha's performance and the show's unique story. Russian Doll has had two seasons. Natasha earned three Primetime Emmy nominations for her work on the show.
In 2021, Natasha played American actress Tallulah Bankhead in the biographical drama The United States vs. Billie Holiday. In 2022, she made a cameo appearance as herself in the mystery thriller Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. She also hosted the season 47 finale of Saturday Night Live.
Recent Work and AI Film Studio
In January 2023, Natasha began starring as Charlie Cale in the Peacock series Poker Face. The show is a mystery series where her character can detect lies. It has received positive reviews, and a second season was released in 2025.
In May 2024, it was announced that Natasha will star in the MCU superhero film The Fantastic Four: First Steps, set for release in July 2025. In December 2024, she voiced the character Byrdie in two episodes of the Marvel Animation series What If...?.
In June 2025, Natasha publicly announced Asteria, the artificial intelligence film studio she co-founded with Bryn Mooser in 2022. The company aims to create animated feature films using AI tools and responsibly sourced data. Asteria is owned by Moonvalley.
Companies
In 2019, Natasha Lyonne co-founded a production company called Animal Pictures with Maya Rudolph. Their first project was the comedy special Sarah Cooper: Everything's Fine (2020), which Natasha directed. Animal Pictures also produces Russian Doll, Poker Face, Loot, and the animated series The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy. In October 2023, Maya Rudolph left the company, and Natasha now operates Animal Pictures by herself. In May 2024, she signed a deal with Sister, a production company that will work with her on future Animal Pictures projects.
Style and Influences
Natasha Lyonne enjoys making films that are full of details. She believes that good storytelling comes from understanding many different stories. She advises people to read books, watch movies, and listen to music to learn more.
She looks up to artists like John Cassavetes, Peter Falk, and Lou Reed. She also admires writers and directors Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron. Some of her favorite film performances include Giulietta Masina in Nights of Cabiria (1957).
Personal Life
As of 2023, Natasha Lyonne lives in New York City's East Village. She also has a home in Los Angeles.
Natasha is close to her friends and colleagues, whom she considers her chosen family. She is good friends with Katherine Waterston, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Janicza Bravo. She is especially close to Melanie Lynskey and Clea DuVall. She also has a strong friendship with Chloë Sevigny and Aubrey Plaza.
Natasha dated Fred Armisen starting in 2014, but their relationship ended in April 2022. By 2022, she was dating Bryn Mooser, with whom she co-founded the AI film studio Asteria. She publicly announced their relationship and plans in June 2025.
Natasha is a fan of crossword puzzles. In 2019, she even designed a crossword for The New York Times. During the 2023 Writers Guild of America strike, she helped raise money by offering fans the chance to solve a New York Times crossword with her. She is also interested in philosophy and classic movies.
Natasha has a pet dog named Rootbeer, who is a Maltipoo. Rootbeer often appears on her social media and in interviews.
Images for kids
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Lyonne at a screening of The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Natasha Lyonne para niños
