Born April 4, 1979 in
New York City, New York as Natasha Braunstein, to race car driver Aaron Braunstein and former ballerina Yvette Lyonne. Natasha Lyonne began her acting
career in 1986 in the
Meryl Streep movie
Heartburn and on the TV series
Pee-wee's Playhouse. After moving to Israel and then back to the states with her mother after her parents divorced, Natasha began acting again. Her biggest step onto the Hollywood stage came much later when
Woody Allen chose her to play his daughter, and narrate the
musical Everyone Says I Love You. Her other notable
roles include
Slums of Beverly Hills,
American Pie,
Detroit Rock City,
But I'm a Cheerleader, and
Scary Movie 2. After
Detroit Rock City, Natasha had a short relationship with her costar
Edward Fulong, which ended probably due to the actor's
drug problem (
read problems). Currently enrolled as a film major at
NYU, Natasha has deffered her entrance there several times to pursue her
Hollywood career.
Quote: "I don't know that I'm better [than other rising actresses]. I think it's just that I'm weirder." --New York magazine interview
Filmography (incomplete)
1986 Heartburn: Rachel's Niece (unaccredited)
1986 Pee-wee's Playhouse: Opal (TV)
1990 A Man Called Sarge: Arab Girl
199? As the World Turns
1993 Dennis the Menace: Polly
1996 Everyone Says I Love You: DJ, narrator
1998 Krippendorf's Tribe: Shelly
1998 Slums of Beverly Hills: Vivian
1998 Modern Vampires: Rachel
1999 American Pie: Jessica
1999 Detroit Rock City: Christine
1999 Freeway II: Confessions of a Trick Baby: "White Girl"
1999 But I'm a Cheerleader: Megan
1999 The Auteur Theory: Rosemary
1999 When Autumn Leaves
1999 Rat Girl
2000 If These Walls Could Talk 2: Jeanne (TV)
2000 Night Visions: Bethany (TV)
2001 Plan B: Kaye
2001 Scary Movie 2: Megan
2001 American Pie 2: Jessica
2001 The Grey Zone: Rosa
2001 Night at the Golden Eagle: Amber
2001 Kate & Leopold: Darci
2002 Comic Book Villains: Judy
2002 Grounded for Life (TV): Gretchen
2002 Zig Zag: Jenna the Working Girl
2003 Old School: Sara
2003 Die, Mommie, Die!: Edith Sussman
2003 Party Monster: Brooke
2004 Blade: Trinity: Sommerfield
2004 Madhouse: Alice
2004 America Brown: Vera
2005 Crazy for Love: Grace
2008 Goyband: Fani
2008 Tricks of Love: Sally
2009 Outrage: Born in Terror: Molly
2009 Loving Leah: Esther
2009 The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle: Tracy
2010 All About Evil: Deborah Tennis
2010 Heterosexuals: Ellia
2010 Jelly: Mona Hammel
2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (TV): Gia Eskas
2011 New Girl (TV): Gretchen
2011 4:44 Last Day on Earth: Tina
2011 Night Club: Mrs. Keaton
2012 Weeds (TV): Tiffany
2012 American Reunion: Jessica
2013 As Da Art World Might Turn (TV): Zemora
2013 Clutter: Lisa Bradford
2013 G.B.F.: Mrs. Hogel
2013 The Rambler: Cheryl
2013 He's Way More Famous Than You (herself)
2014 The Quitter: Gloria
2014 Loitering with Intent: Kaplan
2015 #Horror: Emma
2015 Sanjay and Craig (TV): Chido
2015 Inside Amy Schumer (TV): Stacy
2015 Bloomin Mud Shuffle: Jock
2015 Addicted to Fresno: Martha
2015 Hello, My Name Is Doris: Sally
2015 Sleeping with Other People: Kara
2015 Girls (TV): Rickey
2016 Adam Green's Aladdin: Mom
2016 Jack Goes Home: Nancy
2016 Darby Forever: The Baddest Girl
2016 Antibirth: Lou
2016 Yoga Hosers: Tabitha
2017 Handsome: A Netflix Mystery Movie: Detective Fleur Scozzari
2017 Girlfriend's Day: Mrs. Taft
2013-2019: Orange Is the New Black (TV): Nicky Nichols
2016-2019 Steven Universe (TV): Smoky Quartz
2016-2019 The Simpsons (TV): Sophie
2020 Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (TV): Woman in Hair Salon
2018-2020: Ballmastrz 9009 (TV): Gaz Digzy
2018 Show Dogs (Mattie)
2018 Corporate (TV): Gretchen
2018 A Futile and Stupid Gesture (Anne Beatts)
2018-2019 Big Mouth (TV): Suzette
2019 Russian Doll (TV): Nadia Vulvokov
2019 Documentary Now! (TV): Carla Meola
2020 Crossing Swords (TV): Norah
2020 Bless the Harts (TV): Debbie Donatello
2020 The United States vs. Billie Holiday: Tallulah Bankhead
Natasha Lyonne is currently a
rising star in Hollywood, and I'm sure that means this node will grow in the future.