Natasha Lyonne Struggled to Find Her Next Big Role Following ‘Russian Doll’
Natasha Lyonne has been in Hollywood for years and is now a total boss on screen. She’s got that raspy voice, brassy New York accent, and sarcastic attitude that we all love. But the 44-year-old is not just an actor – she’s got a ton of skills up her sleeve, including writing, producing, and directing, among others.
Lyonne has appeared in several iconic movies. But it wasn’t until she starred in Netflix’s Russian Doll that she truly captured the public’s attention. Unfortunately, the actor struggled to find her next big role since the show’s second season wrapped in 2021.
Natasha Lyonne has been acting since she was a kid
Lyonne started her career in the early 90s proving to be talented and versatile. She became well-known for her work in indie movies such as Slums of Beverly Hills and The Grey Zone. She also had memorable supporting roles in mainstream hits like American Pieand Blade: Trinity. Her cool vibe and fun personality made her really popular with fans.
Lyonne’s career flatlined for a bit as she battled a heroin addiction. She, thankfully, pulled herself up, landing a role in hit series like Orange Is the New Black. But it wasn’t until her role as Nadia Vulvokov in Russian Doll that the actor truly became a household name.
The Netflix series, which she co-created with Amy Poehler and Leslye Headland, was a critical and commercial success, earning multiple Emmy nominations and a passionate fan following. For many viewers, Lyonne’s performance as the cynical and self-destructive Nadia was the highlight of the show.
Natasha Lyonne struggled to find her next big role following ‘Russian Doll’
Despite its critical acclaim and cult following, Russian Doll was not the career-boosting success Lyonne had hoped for. In a recent interview with Variety, the actor revealed that she didn’t get many calls after the show’s second season.
She said, “It was very interesting to me, and I have spoken to many other lady creators. It’s not like a ton of jobs followed. Rian [Johnson] really was the only one who came to me and said, ‘Hey. I’d like to do something with you.'”
Lyonne’s struggle to find work in the aftermath of Russian Doll is unfortunately common in the entertainment industry, especially for women creators. As the actor explained, there’s a huge disconnect between the number of opportunities and respect male creators get versus their female counterparts.
“I’ve spoken to so many other of my peers in terms of lady creators of their own show who also star in them and sort of do all the jobs,” she said. I do think that there’s a huge disconnect between the number of opportunities that the men in that field get and the respect that they get in that field.”
Natasha Lyonne’s ‘Poker Face’ has been renewed for a second season
After working on Russian Doll, Lyonne signed on to star in Poker Face, a new mystery drama from the creators of the hit series The Good Place. In the show, she plays Charlie Cale, a fascinating woman who can tell when people are lying. It’s not a superpower. In fact, it’s more like a curse for Charlie, who can’t stand when people lie.
Poker Face Season 1 premiered in January, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, Peacock renewed the show before the season had even finished airing. At the moment, we don’t know when the show will be back. However, we can assume it will be in 2024, most likely in January like it was this year.
In the meantime, fans of Lyonne’s unique brand of humor and charisma can take heart in the fact that she’s still working and taking on challenging roles.
