Natasha Lyonne’s 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

The best Natasha Lyonne movies and TV shows reveal her innate and outstanding ability to play nuanced oddball characters, especially in projects that mix dark comedy with other genres. Born in New York in 1979, Natasha Lyonne first started as a child model in the late 1980s, making her on-screen debut in the 1986 comedy-drama Heartburn. Her big break came a decade later when, in 1996, she co-starred in Woody Allen’s Everyone Says I Love You.

However, while her performance in Everyone Says I Love You brought plenty of attention to her name, it was 1998’s Slums of Beverly Hill that proved to be her career-launching role. In the decades since, she appeared in several well-known movies, including American Pie, though it was in 2013 that she became a household name thanks to playing Nicky in Orange is the New Black. Since then she’s experienced a significant career resurgence, though the best Natasha Lyonne movies and TV shows reveal she’s delivered incredible performances at every stage of her career.

10

The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy (2024-Present)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Nurse Tup

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The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy

AnimationComedyAdventure

Release Date

February 23, 2024

Showrunner

Cirocco Dunlap

Directors

Cirocco Dunlap, Anne Lane, Shauna McGarry, Joanna Bradley, Kirsten King, Asha Michelle Wilson

Cast

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

  • Headshot Of Kieran Culkin

    Kieran Culkin

  • Headshot Of Greta Lee

    Greta Lee

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The Second Best Hospital in the Galaxy is an animated comedy series from showrunner Cirocco Dunlap. The series centers on Dr. Sleech and Dr. Klak, two alien surgeons who encounter anxiety-eating parasites, illegal time loops, and a variety of space illnesses. All eight episodes of season 1 premiered on Prime Video in February 2024.

Creator(s)

Cirocco Dunlap

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Voice acting roles have appeared several times throughout Natasha Lyonne’s career, starting with Loretta Geargrinder in 2005 family movie Robots. However, when it comes to the best Natasha Lyonne movies and TV shows, the only animated project worthy of consideration is 2024’s The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy. Created by Cirocco Dunlap for Amazon Prime Video, The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy is a surreal sci-fi comedy about alien doctors at an intergalactic medical facility.

In The Second Best Hospital In The Galaxy cast Natasha Lyonne plays Nurse Tup, the ever-disgruntled and detail-oriented who can barely tolerate the presence of central characters Dr. Sleech (Stephanie Hsu) and Dr. Klak (Keke Palmer). It’s an intriguing role for Lyonne (since in many of her other projects, it’s her character that irritates many others instead), and one she’s absolutely hilarious in.

9

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Sally

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Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) - Poster - Sally Field Drinking

Hello, My Name Is Doris

R
ComedyDramaRomance

Release Date

April 1, 2016

Director

Michael Showalter

Writers

Laura Terruso, Michael Showalter

Cast

  • Headshot Of Sally Field

    Sally Field

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Edmund Lupinski

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Norma Michaels

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Hello, My Name Is Doris stars Sally Field as Doris Miller, a woman in her sixties who becomes romantically infatuated with a younger coworker. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film delves into themes of aging, loneliness, and self-discovery, as Doris navigates her feelings and attempts to integrate into the contemporary social landscape.

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Natasha Lyonne’s role in the 2015 coming-of-age romcom Hello, My Name Is Doris may be relatively minor, but this doesn’t make it any less memorable. Directed by Michale Showalter from a script co-written with Laura Terruso, Hello, My Name Is Doris focuses on an introverted yet eccentric woman in her 60s (Doris, played by Sally Field) who decides to pursue a romantic relationship with a much younger co-worker.

In the movie, Natasha Lyonne plays Sally, one of Doris’s co-workers who reacts to Doris’s attempts to woo John (Max Greenfield) with a mixture of emotions. Hello, My Name Is Doris stands out among Natasha Lyonne’s best movies because it shows the Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll star is just as adept at playing straightforward characters who act as a counterbalance to the more bombastic roles she usually takes on. She also has exceptional chemistry with co-star Sally Field.

8

Portlandia (2011-2019)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Multiple Roles

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Portlandia

TV-14
Comedy

Release Date

2011 – 2017

Network

IFC

Directors

Steve Buscemi

Writers

Fred Armisen, Carrie Brownstein, Jonathan Krisel, Karey Dornetto, Allison Silverman

Cast

  • Headshot OF Alia Shawkat

    Alia Shawkat

    Mayor’s Kid

  • Anna Gunn Profile Picture

    Anna Gunn

    Glynis Brooks

  • Headshot Of Bill Hader In The 71st Primetime Emmy Awards

    Bill Hader

    Birdman

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Portlandia is a satirical sketch comedy series set and filmed in Portland, Oregon. Premiering in 2011, it humorously explores the eccentric characters and social trends that define contemporary culture, showcasing a variety of quirky personalities through its unique comedic lens.

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The sketch-comedy show Portlandia ran from 2011 to 2019 on the cable channel IFC. Natasha Lyonne joined the cast in 2015, and while she only appeared in 5 episodes before making her exit three years later, Portlandia is more than deserving of recognition as one of the best Natasha Lyonne TV shows. While a sketch series, Portlandia’s segments all focus in some way or another on the stereotypical hipsters Portland, Oregon has become known for, and Lyonne takes part in several of the best the show has to offer.

Of particular note are Natasha Lyonne’s Seaworld and Male Dating App sketches. Portlandia also stands out among her best roles since, unlike many of her other most memorable projects, it’s straight comedy free from fusion with other genres. Few other Natasha Lyonne movies or TV shows demonstrate her comedic talents as clearly, and Portlandia should be considered a must-watch for her fans.

7

America Brown (2004)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Vera

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America Brown

Not Rated
Drama

Release Date

October 28, 2005

Runtime

90 minutes

Director

Paul Black

Writers

Paul Black

Cast

  • Headshot Of Hill Harper

    Hill Harper

    John Cross

  • Headshot Of Ryan Kwanten

    Ryan Kwanten

    America ‘Ricky’ Brown

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

    Vera

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America Brown is a coming-of-age drama released in 2005. The film explores the journey of a young quarterback from West Texas and a priest in New York, delving into the complex interactions with the two significant women influencing their lives.

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Directed and written by Paul Black, 2004’s America Brown is a grounded and gripping drama starring Ryan Kwanten and Hill Harper alongside Natasha Lyonne. Like several of the best Natasha Lyonne movies, America Brown flew relatively under-the-radar when it was initially released. However, in the decades since it has resurfaced and found a new following – largely thanks to the presence of Natasha Lyonne’s presence in the cast as Vera.

The coming-of-age story focuses on Ricky (Kwanten), a West Texas teen who relocates to live with a friend in New York. However, he soon finds life in the Big Apple comes with its own problems. One of these is Lyonne’s Vera, a young woman who Ricky initially thinks might help him figure out where he wants his life to go. It’s not the most prominent role of Lyonne’s career, but she makes every minute of her screen time count, and it remains one of her strongest performances (especially when it comes to straightforward and emotional dramas).

6

Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Vivian Abromovitz

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Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998) - Poster - Alan Arkin

Slums Of Beverly Hills

R
ComedyDrama

Release Date

August 14, 1998

Runtime

91 minutes

Director

Tamara Jenkins

Writers

Tamara Jenkins

Cast

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

  • Headshot Of Alan Arkin In The Premiere of Spenser Confidential

    Alan Arkin

  • Headshot Of Marisa Tomei In The 90 Years Of Laughter + Love' Birthday Special

    Marisa Tomei

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Slums of Beverly Hills is a coming-of-age comedy-drama directed by Tamara Jenkins. Set in 1976, it stars Natasha Lyonne as Vivian, a teenage girl navigating adolescence while her nomadic family struggles to stay afloat in the wealthy suburbs of Beverly Hills.

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1998’s Slums of Beverly Hills remains one of the best Natasha Lyonne movies, and was one of her earliest appearances taking on a lead role in a feature-length film. Written and directed by Tamara Jenkins, who would later become known for 2007’s The Savages and 2018’s Private Life, Slums of Beverly Hills focuses on Lyonne’s Vivian Abromovitz. Vivian is a teen from a lower-middle-class Jewish family who regularly relocates, and Lyonne brings the emotional struggles of the character to the fore with ease.

Starring alongside Marisa Tomei and Alan Arkin, Slums of Beverly Hills sits with an 81% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, highlighting the acclaim the movie continues to receive. Of particular note is the on-screen chemistry between Natasha Lyonne as the 14-year-old Vivian and Marisa Tomei as her cousin, Rita. The coming-of-age comedy remains a hilarious watch, and an undisputed highlight of the earlier years of Lyonne’s career.

5

All About Evil (2010)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Deborah Tennis

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All About Evil

R
HorrorComedy

Release Date

May 1, 2010

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

Joshua Grannell

Producers

Darren Stein, Robert Barber

Cast

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

    Deborah Tennis

  • Headshot Of Thomas Dekker

    Thomas Dekker

    Steven

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Cassandra Peterson

    Linda

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All About Evil is a horror-comedy film released in 2010, centered around a librarian who inherits a struggling cinema. In her quest to revive the family business, she discovers a dark side, producing shockingly realistic horror shorts that captivate unsuspecting audiences unaware of the gruesome truth behind the scenes.

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A recurring theme of Natasha Leonne’s filmography is movies and TV shows that blend other genres with a dash of dark comedy – and few encapsulate this trend better than the 2010 black slasher All About Evil. The directorial debut of Joshua Grannell, All About Evil stars Natasha Lyonne in the lead role as Deborah Tennis, a reclusive theater operator who holds a secret dark fascination with snuff movies and other macabre forms of entertainment.

The role of Deborah Tennis was perfect for Natasha Lyonne, and her performance gave glimpses of aspects of her range she’d later display in acclaimed shows like Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll. While the indy horror-comedy flew relatively under the radar, many niche genre critics praised Lyonne’s portrayal of Deborah, and her ability to bring out the surprising depth of nuance in Granell’s script.

4

The Immaculate Conception Of Little Dizzle (2009)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Tracy

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The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle

ComedyDrama

Release Date

May 12, 2010

Runtime

98 minutes

Director

David Russo

Cast

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Marshall Allman

    Dory

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Jay Wesley Cochran

    Uncredited

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    Melissa D. Brown

    Ethyl

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The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle follows Dory, who becomes a night janitor after losing his job. While working for a market research firm, he uncovers that the company is conducting experiments on their janitors, leading to bizarre and surreal developments.

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2009’s The Immaculate Conception Of Little Dizzle was the directorial debut of surrealist filmmaker David Russo, and saw Lyonne co-lead the cast of the dark comedy as Tracy. Like many of Natasha Lyonne’s best movies and TV shows, the plot of The Immaculate Conception Of Little Dizzle is incredibly bizarre (and, in this case, shares several similarities to the Apple TV+ series Severance).

The movie focuses on Dory, a religious man who finds himself working as a janitor after losing his IT manager job. However, he soon comes to learn the company he works for, Corsica, is secretly a front for strange experiments that are carried out on the staff. Natasha Lyonne plays Tracy, a product researcher, and the role perfectly showcases her ability to balance quirky comedy with genuinely tense and dramatic moments.

3

Orange Is The New Black (2013-2019)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Nicky Nichols

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Orange is The New Black

TV-MA
ComedyDramaCrime

Release Date

2013 – 2018

Showrunner

Jenji Kohan

Writers

Jenji Kohan, Piper Kerman

Cast

  • Headshot Of Taylor Schilling

    Taylor Schilling

  • Headshot Of Dascha Polanco

    Dascha Polanco

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

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Based on the memoir by Piper Kerman, Orange Is the New Black follows Piper Champman (Taylor Schilling) after she turns herself in for a 15-month sentence in a minimum-security women’s prison for aiding in a drug-smuggling operation run by her ex-girlfriend Alex Vause (Laura Prepon). One of Netflix’s most popular original series, the show explores the corruption inherent in the US prison system through the lens of Piper’s experiences. 

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Many viewers were introduced to Natasha Lyonne through the hit Netflix series Orange is the New Black, which debuted on the streaming platform in 2013. Based on the autobiography of author Piper Kerman, OITNB focuses on the lives of the female inmates of a minimum security prison. Natasha Lyonne quickly proved herself to be a standout member of the cast thanks to her skillful portrayal of Nicky, a recovering heroin addict who was arrested after robbing the apartment of a rare book collector.

Nicky quickly became a fan-favorite character in Orange is the New Black, and this was entirely due to Natasha Lyonne’s incredible performance. Lyonne was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for OITNB in 2014 – an accolade that ensured Nicky was elevated from being a recurring presence to one of the main characters.

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Russian Doll (2019-2021)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Nadia Vulvokov

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Russian Doll

TV-MA
ComedyDramaMystery

Release Date

2019 – 2021

Showrunner

Leslye Headland, Natasha Lyonne

Directors

Leslye Headland

Writers

Leslye Headland, Amy Poehler, Natasha Lyonne

Cast

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

  • Cast Placeholder Image

    Elizabeth Ashley

  • Charlie Barnett Profile Picture

    Charlie Barnett

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Russian Doll follows a cynical young woman named Nadia on her journey as the guest of honor at a seemingly inescapable party one night in New York City. After dying on the night of her party, Nadia keeps repeating the same day – over and over again, with death assured before each day ends. However, when she meets Alan Zaveri, a man who is experiencing the same phenomenon,  the pair work together to hopefully break the cycle once and for all. 

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The comedy-drama series Russian Doll arrived in 2019 to critical acclaim, and proved that Natasha Lyonne’s gripping Orange Is The New Black performance only marked the beginning of the most successful phase of her career so far. Like many of the best Natasha Lyonne movies and TV shows, Russian Doll has an intriguing and bizarre premise. Lyon stars as Nadia Vulvokov, a software engineer who finds herself in a time loop that always ends in her death.

Natasha Lyonne’s portrayal of the ever-frustrated Nadia trying to figure out and end the loop that has her constantly facing her own mortality earned the star a string of award nominations. These include a Golden Globe for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, and a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Russian Doll season 2 only increased the bombastic nature of the plot, which in turn brought out even more of Lyonne’s impressive skills as a performer.

1

Poker Face (2023-Present)

Natasha Lyonne Plays Charlie Cale

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Poker Face

ComedyDramaMystery

Release Date

January 26, 2023

Showrunner

Lilla Zuckerman

Directors

Lilla Zuckerman

Writers

Rian Johnson, Lilla Zuckerman

Cast

  • Headshot Of Natasha Lyonne

    Natasha Lyonne

  • Headshot Of Adrien Brody

    Adrien Brody

  • Headshot Of Joseph Gordon-Levitt In The Hollywood Critics Association's 2023 HCA Film Awards

    Joseph Gordon-Levitt

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Poker Face is a comedy-drama mystery series from writer/creator Rian Johnson (Knives Out) starring Natasha Lyonne as Charlie, a woman with the uncanny ability to tell if someone is lying easily. A drifter who lives life in the wind, Charlie Cale (Lyonne) rides through the U.S. and happens into strange cases, from theft to murder, that she wants to solve at every stop she makes. The show is designed as a crime-of-the-week drama with special guests appearing throughout the season.

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Poker Face stands out as the best Natasha Lyonne TV show for several reasons, though its greatest strength is without a doubt Lyonne’s performance as Charlie Cale. The murder-mystery series was created for Peacock by filmmaker Rian Johnson, with Nora and Lilla Zuckerman serving as showrunners. Poker Face sees Natasha Lyonne in the central role as Charlie, a waitress who can tell when those around her are lying.

Natasha Lyonne’s performance in Poker Face was highly praised, and saw her land a slew of awards and nominations. These include winning the 2023 Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement In Comedy, and receiving a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series the same year. The show also features an astounding supporting roster of guest stars including Adrien Brody, Ron Perlman, and Chloe Sevigny, among others. While Russian Doll is a close second and her performance in OITNB was a highlight of the Netflix series, Peacock’s Poker Face is, inarguably, the best Natasha Lyonne TV show or movie.