Russian Dollstar Natasha Lyonne has been sharing the many hilarious experiences she has acquired throughout her time spent in the industry, and her role inScary Movie 2, in particular, made her think, “You know, showbiz is all right.”
At just six years old, Lyonne landed her first role as Opal on the famousPee-wee’s Playhouse, therefore it’s safe to say that she has spent nearly the entirety of her life in the public eye. She went on to star in many independent drama films, most notably 1998’sSlums of Beverly Hillsand 1999’sBut I’m a Cheerleader. In the latter film, Lyonne plays a ‘typical American teenager’ who gets sent to a conversion camp by her parents who believe her to be a lesbian. She may be most known for her role as the beloved Nicky Nichols in Netflix’s critically acclaimedOrange Is the New Black. As Lyonne has been on a press tour for the recent release of the second season of Netflix’sRussian Doll- in which she serves as the main lead, co-creator, and writer - she has spilled some of her more light-hearted moments in Hollywood that apparently made her think, “‘eh, this place isn’t all that bad.’”
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In 2001, Lyonne had a minor role inthe horror spoofScary Movie 2, where she plays a version of Linda Blair’s demon-possessed character, Regan MacNeil, from the 1973 cult classicThe Exorcist. The scene involves two priests played by Andy Richter and James Woods attempting multiple times to perform an exorcism on her. However, Lyonne has shared that legend Marlo Brando was in fact supposedly set to play Woods' character, and he’d even shot many takes of the scene with her before he ultimately had to step away from the project due to health-related issues. In a recent interview withEntertainment Weekly, Lyonne stated, “I have a VHS copy of the dailies that I got because Marlon Brando’s final role - sadly for him, but luckily for me - is doing this Exorcist teaser. I don’t know what he was thinking, really."
“He had an oxygen tank and he just kind of held my boob, because that was in the script. He was supposed to be like, ‘The power of Christ compels you …’ I just remember being like, ‘Ah, this is the surrealism that André Breton, Salvador Dali were talking about,” Lyonne continued. To make matters even more cringe, Lyonne revealed that the scene also called for her character to be laying in a ‘low rider’ type of bed. She gushed, “So, I had Brando with the earpiece and the hand on the boob, and the makeup, and ‘The power of Christ compels you,’ and not to curse, but, ‘Your mother sucks c—s in hell,’ and so on. This was all happening at once, and I remember like, ‘You know, showbiz is all right.’ In that moment, showbiz was A-okay.” Lyonne is absolutely right, it’s the highest honor of all to have someone as legendary as Brando end off his impressive, long-standing career by clutching your boob and spewing silly nonsense in your ear.
Over her career, miraculously, Lyonne has always managed to exude a sense of originality and raging authenticity. It’s as if whatever shape Hollywood wanted to and tries to morph young stars into, she naturally repelled and shape-shifted. She is a natural redhead with a fireball of a personality to match. Her voice is raspy and coated in aNew York accent, with the charisma and humor of an old soul who has seen far too much in this world to remain bitter. Lyonne wasn’t afraid to break down barriers when it comes to the daring rebel types of roles she would choose, outwardly mirroring her own inner need to separate herself from conformity
Her hit series,Russian Doll, was created alongside Saturday Night Live alum Amy Poehler and follows Nadia (Lyonne), who is on her way to attend her own birthday party when she gets caught in a mysterious time loop that involves her repeatedly living out the same day and dying at the end of each night. In the brand-new season ofRussian Doll, Nadia finally figures out a way to stop dying and decides she wants to choose to live, going on her own personal quest throughout her family lineage and history to fully grapple with what that even encompasses - to be alive. Nadia is able to utilize the New York City subway as a means to travel back in time, to get down to the bottom of her own family’s past trauma and how it relates to her own. Fans can catch more of the witty and effortlessly funny Lyonne inRussian Dollseason 2, which is now available for streaming on Netflix.
