Natasha Lyonnefirst gained fame in theAmerican Piemovies but later showed her versatility in shows likePoker FaceandRussian Doll, which she also created, andOrange is the New Black.
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Lyonne has made guest appearances on shows likeNew Girl,The Simpsons, andGirls, had small roles in movies likeGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and has done voice work in movies likeSuper Pets. Behind the camera, she has directed and executive produced countless projects, includingHigh FidelityandLoot. With her career on the rise, it’s a good time to look back at Lyonne’s best roles (that aren’t guest appearances), according to Rotten Tomatoes.
10‘G.B.F.’ (2013)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 80%
G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend)is a teen comedy about two teenagers who are still in the closet. One decides he will out himself at prom, but his motivation is only to gain favor with one of the female leaders of the school’s top cliques. He thinks it will help him become popular because, according to teen magazines, having a gay best friend is the “in” thing. The movie is a funLGBTQ+ film to enjoy during Pride Month, but holds up all year round.
In a more reserved role, Lyonne plays a teacher at the school, Ms. Hoegel. She witnesses the goings-on among the students and is displeased with how the girls are using the young boy as though he were a prize. It shows a softer, more responsible side to Lyonne versus the many free-spirited characters she has often played.
9‘American Brown’ (2004)
This 2004 coming-of-age drama is not a widely known movie, butAmerican Brownwas well-received by those who watched. It tells the story of Ricky, a young quarterback living in West Texas. He escapes his troubled life and moves in with an old best friend, now a priest, in New York. The movie also features two women who impact their lives.
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Lyonne plays Vera, one of the aforementioned two women. She’s a free spirit working as a waiter who Ricky befriends. He thinks she might be able to help him find direction in his life. It’s a small role, but Lyonne is praised alongside the rest of the cast for convincingly tackling dramatic scenes about heavy topics like guilt and redemption.
8‘Slums of Beverly Hills’ (1998)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%
One of Lyonne’s earlier projects, she heads up the cast of this comedy-dramamovie about a dysfunctional familyas 14-year-old Vivian living as a nomad with her financially strapped family. They find a way out of poverty, however, when a wealthy uncle promises to pay for their accommodations if they care for his adult daughter who has escaped from a rehab facility. Vivian ends up doing much of the babysitting, all while trying to figure herself out at such a critical coming-of-age stage in life.
Even as a teen (Lyonne would have been 18 or 19 at the time), Lyonne inSlums of Beverly Hillsshowed the subtle, comedic chops she so beautifully navigates now in more adult roles. This includes the sarcastic jokes and wisecracks that have become a signature of the actor today.
7‘Hello, My Name is Doris’ (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
In this romantic comedy-drama, Doris is a shy and eccentric woman in her 60s who develops an attraction to a younger co-worker and decides to act on it. She does not getthe perfect workplace romanceshe might have hoped for, but the chase and the message about making the most out of life at any age is a positive one.
Lyonne has a small supporting role inHello, My Name is Dorisas Sally, one of Doris’ co-workers. She’s a blend-into-the-surroundings office worker, a departure from Lyonne’s usually more gruff and dark roles that command attention. But she tackles the feminine role beautifully, proving that Lyonne doesn’t always have to play addicts, criminals, and rough-around-the-edges characters.
6‘All About Evil’ (2010)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
Lyonne is Deborah in this black comedy slasher film, who survives a serious electrocution while performing in the ‘80s. Sixteen years later, she continues to operate her family’s old theater, showing mostly exploitation and horror movies. In a twisted turn of events, Deborah starts making snuff films for the thrills and screens them at the run-down spot.
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The role shows a wilder side to Lyonne, and once again, further range as she plays a murderous, torturous, sick, and twisted woman.All About Evilwas not a box office success, but in terms of low-budget slasher films, it helped earn Lyonne respect among the community of movie-goers and critics who appreciate the absurdity, and intricacies, of the corny slasher genre.
5‘The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle’ (2009)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%
Dory is a deeply religious man who loses his job as an IT manager and begins to work as a janitor. He is slowly getting used to this new career path when he and his co-workers discover that the company they work for is secretly using them as guinea pigs for their projects.
Lyonne plays Tracy, a product researcher atthe evil fictional company Corsicawho goes back and forth about experimentation with cookies that seem to be making employees sick, even hallucinate.The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzleis a strange, quirky movie that’s both dark and funny, two genres Lyonne has proven she can excel in.
4‘Orange is the New Black’ (2013 - 2019)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
As one of Netflix’s first original series and one ofthe best TV dramedies of the 2010s,Orange is the New Blackfeatures an ensemble cast of mainly women residing in a women’s minimum security prison. The story centers around Piper, a young woman from an affluent family who winds up serving time for helping her drug-dealing girlfriend.
But Lyonne steals every scene as Nicky Nichols, who is addicted to drugs and trying to clean up her act with the help of Red, another inmate and her best friend and mother figure. Delivering lines in Lyonne’s characteristic sarcastic, tough, loud-mouthed style, she makes the character likable by showing a more vulnerable side as well.
3‘Portlandia’ (2011 - 2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 94%
Lyonne has even done sketch comedy with several appearances through this long-running series, from 2015 through 2018.Portlandiaspoofs the Portland, Oregon eccentric hipster stereotype. Every episode focuses on different characters and scenarios, from angry diners at a local hotspot to a failed one-man-show theater performance.
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Lyonne played several characters in different episodes, including in a sketch about a music festival, one at Seaworld, and another about men exploring dating apps. She showed off her impeccable comedic timing and ability to tackle just about any role thrown at her.
2‘Russian Doll’ (2019 - )
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%
A modern-day Groundhog’s Day, Lyonne takes the lead in this mystery comedy-drama that she also co-created and executive produced. She’s Nadia inRussian Doll, a game developer who dies suddenly on her birthday but reawakens the same morning. She repeats the same situation again and again, dying in different ways and trying to tempt fate. In the second season, Nadia finds herself traveling through time to when she was born and reliving experiences with her mother.
The role, one ofLyonne’s best and coolest performances, requires intrigue, drama, and humorous undertones. Lyonne tackles it all beautifully, drawing viewers in with every episode, moment, and new revelation.
1‘Poker Face’ (2023 - )
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%
Poker Faceis another hit for Lyonne, a murder mystery she also executive produces. She plays Charlie, who once used her innate ability to read people and tell when they are lying to make loads of money through poker. But a series of events see her going on the run. Through her travels, she meets different people and helps solve mysteries using her unique talent.
Lyonne is more reserved in this role than some of her other more arguably over-acted ones, which makes her a pleasure to watch. Even though it’s a dark story, she still manages to bring a level of humor to it as well.
